Evening star., 1945-10-30
This and That
By Charles Z. Tracepeu.

Thousands of small children. and
their pet dogs and cats, grew up to
know streets comparatively free from
cars and speeding, due to the gasoline
restriction
With the lifting of this ban. the little
ones, both on two legs and four. face
an entirely new situation for then.
Older persons recall the free wheel
Ing" of the old days, and excessive
speeds on the highways.
The small children and animals do
not.
The present situation calls for due con-
slderation on the part of all motorists.
In many suburban sections not more
than two to six automobiles passed dur
ing the entire day.
There was gradual relaxation of the
rule to keep the little ones on the side
walks.
Now suddenly the situation reverses
itself, and as yet these small creatures
do not understand it.
Recently fine Siamese cat was
thrown Is feet into the air by motorist
who went on without stopping.
He was fortunate, perhaps, If he did
not understand the pain and sorrow he
caused. not only to fine animal, which
fingered while until put to sleep, but
also to those of his family who loved
him.
At best, no little one can understand
what speed of 40, so or so miles means.
Especially the animals cannot. Such
speeds at all times are out of their
orbits. except for few, which can make
good time themselves.
Beagles can make 30 miles an hour.
The greyhound does much better. But
the majority of four footed things, es-
pecially dogs and cats, do not have any
proper mental conception of great
speeds. They are, in a sense, geared to
slow motion.
During the days of gasoline restric-
ton, and the desire of motorists to save
their tires, the small creatures got the
idea, there can be no doubt, that there
was not much difference between side
walk and street
They were fooled, in way of speak
ing. They were given totally false
Idea of things.
Now the reversal sees them struggling
to get new conception, and for all of
them, little children, and pet dogs and
cats, the process is not going to be easy
Something could be done to help them
If those who drive would get this idea
into their heads beforehand, that they
had conspired, for many months, to
present one picture of the streets, and
now they suddenly present another and
much more dangerous one.
Just little slowing of speed-at the
proper time--Would make all the differ
ence in the world to an active animal.
Four footed things are fast, but not
as fast as an engine on wheels. They
need seconds grace-who would not
give it to them?
The answer is, unfortunately, too few
not because of cruelty of mind, but
simply because the mind has not been
charged beforehand with task
This charge to the mind is to resolve
to give small things their chance.
Present conditions, due to the sudden
change almost overnight, make it i'm
perative that few seconds be given to
each small thing in the road Even a
bird on the road cannot fly up and away
In split second, as the phrase has 1t
It must have whole second, or maybe
two seconds. Dogs and cats and squirrels
need even little more.
Surely few seconds of time to make
getaway is not much to ask for the
small creatures. Every motorist who
notices dead animal by the roadside
should remember that it would have
been as easy for some one to have missed
1t as to hit it. To many minds the idea
Of killing thoughtlessly, needlessly and
indinercntly Is even worse than the
picture Of ruthless slaying. motivated by
cruelty and sadism, with which the
world has been too familiar too long.