Evening star., 1961-01-25
That Awful Day


auguration eve Snowstorm.
my fellow carpool members
and I had a series of expert
ences that were a heart
warming offset to the snow
and cold.
En- route to Northern Be-
thesda from downtown
Washington we had gotten
as far. three hours later, as
Massachusetts, avenue at
Westmoreland circle. The
grades that one encounters
from there to Little Falls
road were clogged with
stalled and skidding cars.
and we faced again the watt
and-crawl pace we thought
had been left behind. As we
sat still or inched our way
down the last hill, we were
amazed to see groups Of teen
age boys from the adjoining
neighborhood who were
spending this bitter night
putting their backs to cars
that were skidding and
doomed otherwise to be
helplessly trapped. Stimuli
taneously an attractive young
housewife was climbing the
hill on foot and, with an
armful Of thermos bottles Il
presume Of warm milk,
braved the cruel wind to in
quire II there were any small
children in the homeward-
bound automobiles. Later
in the same area, which I
think SWesthaven. another
housewife standing out in
the snow with q large pad
fastened to a clip-board was
offering to take down home
telephone mum bers and
phone ahead that the COM
muters were safe and still on
the way home.
You may be sure we gave
these kind generous ladies
and boys q heartfelt God
bless you," but I felt there
should be more public notice
and thanks to them for their
gift Of true charity that so
many consider lost in this
age Of self-centeredness.
John r.. Crown.
! take a less charitable at
titude towards those motor
lists who abandoned their We
hicles in the pre-inaugural
free-for-all. than you did in
your editorial.
OF course, dry gas tanks
and run down batteries are
simple results of stupidity:
the one way in which homo
sap (iens) supposedly differs
from other animals Is to be
able to use past experience
to anticipate current results.
In over 20 years Of driving.
my tank never ran dry, SIM
ply because by the time my
gas gauge reads at about the
half way mark. I usually re-
fill it.
I am more concerned with
people who think they can
abandon their stalled cars
with impunity - and evi-
IDENTIFY are right, unfortunate
ly. When I am using a pub
lie street in my private car,
I feel that I have a certain
responsibility for this vehi-
Gle, one that does not cease
when I get into a trouble
some situation. In such an
event I will try my darndest
to remedy it myself and, fail
ing to get out by my own
efforts, I'll wait for q tow
truck; but I do not expect to
leave my car to be taken
care Of by someone else. A
couple Of years ago in one
Of our February storms. get
ting pushed against the curb,
my clutch busted. Obviously
I had a hard time getting
towing service - too many
others needed 1t too - and
it was three rather miserable
hours later. that a truck fl
nally came for me. At no
time had I even considered
the possibility Of leaving the
car where 1t was.
Laxity in enforcing the
rules against such irrespon-
sible conduct, will only en-
courage 1t further.
Eric Reisfeld.
4 4 4
On the morning Of jan
uary 10, the Weather Bureau
announced that we could ex-
pect q measurable amount Of
snow - maybe one or two
inches. Not an alarming pre-
diction, so we went blithely
on our way. The forecast
was accurate-up to a point.
The city caught the meas
urable amount-eight inches
OF 1t. The Sanitary Depart
ment was caught with snow
removal equipment in the
garage. The Traffic Depart
ment was caught directing