Evening star., 1942-02-09
Taxicab Supply
Fails 10 Meet
Pickup Demand
Some Citizens Wuit
Minutes inCold
As Service Opens
Picture on Page AZ

rate its taxicab pickup service
today. As a result, opinion was
sharply divided on the merits OF
the new system.
There was wailing, loud and long,
from frost-bitten citizens who waited
in the piercing wind for as long as
20 minutes without seeing a single
pickup jitney.
But those who found cabs stopping
where none had stopped before were
full of praise for the new service.
If there were 2,400 pickup cabs in
service, though-that's how many
there were supposed to be-many OF
them must have been doing their
picking up elsewhere than Wash
ington. Either that, or lot OF cab
drivers must have decided 1t was
Just too cold to get up early. Or
maybe they didn't set their clocks
ahead to war time.
There were lots of cabs, but the
demand far exceeded the supply.
This was true, at least, on the major
thoroughfares In the residential dis
tricts-on Fourteenth and Sixteenth
streets, on Connecticut and Georgia
avenues.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman OF
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, who origi-
mated the idea of the pickup serv-
ice, used it himself In travelling
from his home at 2400 Sixteenth
street to his Office in the State De-
partment.
When Mr.. Delano stepped outside,
accompanied by his nephew, War
ren Delano, he waved to another
resident Of Hotel 2400 and they all
got in one cab together. At Eight
eenth street and New Hampshire
avenue NV. another man hailed
the cab and climbed in the front
seat.
Mr.. Delano and one of the other
passengers, who was going to the
War Production Board, got out at
the State Department. The cab
went on to the War-Navy Building
on Constitution avenue and Mr..
Delano's nephew and the fourth
passenger got out there.
80 Cents for Driver.
THAT meant 80 cents for the cab
driver, instead of 40 cents" Mr..
Delano said. Il think the drivers
will like it If they'll give 1t a fair
trial"
Mr.. Delano said the man who was
going to the War Production Board
took a street car from Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue.
Lucille Foster McMillin Of the
Civil Service Commission, who also
lives at Hotel 240O, offered her cab
to two other women-Miss Eliza
beth Wright, who was going to the
British Purchasing Commission in
the Grafton Hotel, and Mrs. Mildred
Kaiser, who went to Twelfth and G
streets NV.
Jack Roger, head of the District
Taxicab Owners Association, didn't
want to gamble on not having cab
for the originator of the plan, so he
had one waiting when Mr.. Delano
came out of the hotel.
Richard Roger, brother of Jack
Roger, stood in front Of the Cavalier
Hotel between 7:30 and $50, and
found plenty of people waiting for
cabs, but few empty ones came by.
Many got disguised and took a
street car" he said.
Gregory Hankin, chairman OF the
Public Utilities Commission, who
shared his cab with another man
and two girls, said he was "favorably
impressed" with the way the sys-
tenn was working. He said the pick
up cabs did not appear to be caus-
ing any congestion.
Reporters Luck Changes.
A reporter waited about 10 minutes
at Nineteenth street and Columbia
road, but only one pickup cab
stopped during that time, and'it was
going in the wrong direction for the
reporter. A short while later, he
was joined by girl employe Of the
War Production Board, and luck
changed for the better.
A cab made q U-turn and the
reporter and the woman jumped in.
About IS yards away, they stopped
to pick up a man standing in front
Of his apartment. He was pretty
cold, and pretty angry.
The young woman, Mrs. Gather
Inc Ray, thought the new service
might work out. The other pas
senger, who turned out to be H. H.
Mcclure. assistant director of the
Census Bureau, observed:
I've been riding taxicabs to work
for 8 years, and I don't think I've
ever had such a time getting one
The drivers seem to be staying at
home today"
Driver Stays Home Late.
The driver, Peter Holmes, inter-
rupted to say he had stayed home
late today, not because he needed
the rest but because he was scared
to give the new system a try. He
said he didn't know much about the
system, and seemed to be having
quite q time adjusting all the signs
in q pile on the front seat. The
cabs carry signs showing their deS-
tination.
Most drivers seemed to be pleased
by the extra fares.
Most people aren't particular
about having other passengers who
are strangers to them," one driver
commented. "All they want is q
cab-especially on mornings like
this"
Capital Transit Co. officials said
the jitney service had had no no.
ticeable effect on the streetcar and
bus passenger loads, but added that
it would take several days to deter
mine whether there had been any
substantial shift to cabs.
The Public Utilities Commission
authorized a 30-day trial of the pick
up service, with cabs from IA taxi
companies participating. The serv-
ice, at a rate OF 20 cents per person
Is applicable only to Zones l end
and effective only from 7:30 to
$40 m. and from 3.30 To {. 30 nm.