Evening Star Newspaper, December 30, 1928, Page 53

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. DECEMBER 3 —PART 4 “RUSH-HOUR SLOW DRIVERS" WORST OF GROUCH BREEDERS Officer Cites Dawdli End as Great Hi ng Motorists at Day’s ndrance to Rapid Trafhc Movement. BY R. J. ALLEN, Member Metropolitan Police Force. Years and vears ago, one Johnson discovered that ' the was circulated through the entire s tem by the heart. The world had barely adjusted itself to this weighty dnduction when Pasteur announced his Dr. blood startling g-rm discovery. Then some one d that moscu..os carried m a germs, with the resultant brn s to mankind. The names of the afore-mentioned men have become im- mortal. Also, there have been many great | mechanical inventions that have placed their discoverors’ memcries forever in the world’s hall of fame. It may be that in years to come there will be added to this list a new pame. a name that will go down in | his annals as the greatest of them all—and that name is none other than “R. J. Allen.”” For I. too, have made a momentous discovery—a double di: covery; no less. I have at once dis covered the cause of the alarming in- crease of “cussing” and, second. the fundamental cause which underlies the entirely too prevalent evil known as “ill_temper.” If I am correct in my deductions, and I th I am, the two afore-men- tioned evils are due to a large extent to that unmentionable creature known as the “rush hour slow drivi Greeted With a Growl. Many a man has left his work in the evening in a very pleasant frame of mind and at peace with all the world, only to be rendered within the space of less than a half hour—to a state of mind well nigh bordering on the homicidal. Wives ‘have been reduced to tears on numerous occasions by have rushed home in the evening and greeted them in & surly tempered manner, Many & | conscientious little | wife has labored hard all day, clean- ing up the house, mending _hubby’s socks, etc, and topped it off by preparing a piping hot. tasty dinner for her spouse’s delectation, only to have him rush home with a growl—slam- ming the door after him as he came in Where she had pictured in her mind’s eye the delightfully cozy dinner they would enjoy together, each one relating to the other whatever of interest may have occurred to them during the day —ahe now has a glowering male on her hands who consumes his dinner in sul- len silence, and with whom it would be about as feasible to attempt an amicable conversation as it would be to scratch a grizely bear's back for him. Of course, the “little woman,” not understanding this strange behavior, soon becomes peeved on her own ac- count, and then the fun begins. Prob- ably she never learns what is the true cause of her hubby’s distraught manner. No doubt a great many divorces could be traced to these same “rush hour slew drivers.” Lifelong friendships have been sever- ed by some surly remark emanating from an otherwise good-natured fellow who had become soured a few mo- ments before by a trivial-appearing traffic incident. i When one pauses to think of the unlimited harm that can be caused by i1l and violent “cuss” words inappro- priately applied, it is appalling. “Rush Hour” Idlers. However, an accurate knowledge of what is the true cause of any deplorable situation is half the battle, when one {;as to set about correcting the situa- on, There are very few people who have not heard the fable concerning the dog in the manger. We all remember how the dog, not being able to eat the hay contained therein himself, would not permit the hungry horse to eat it either. ‘There is a great similitude between the dog in that fable and the driver who dawdles along in heavy traffic, know- ing full well that it is well nigh im- possible to pass around him. Because he has no desire to hurry home he will not allow anyone else to do so. These so-called “rush hour slow driv- ers” are usually composed of shoppers, idlers and others who have no regular vocation, but on the contrary are merely out taking a drive to amuse themselves. ‘There is also a large percentage of this type of driver who are motivated in their snail's pace by & sense of cow- ardice. Then too, there is always a sprinkiing of novice drivers, who are not sufficiently learned as yet in their driving to proceed in traffic properly. This latter type should select some other time of day, if possible, to prac- tice their driving. Traffic Lights Timed. that we have the automatic we are by necessity forced to drive at a certain speed in order to avoid waiting at each light. lights have been timed by the officials of the Traffic Bureau in a manner that permits of almost uninterrupted driv- ing at a certain speed if we start promptly on the correct signal and do not lag between intersections. How, Oh! how extremely aggravating it is to be in one’s usual hurry home after a hard gruclling day downtown, and then to have someone mosey along just ahead, forcing one to walt at every in- jon, husbands who | m installed on a great many | ‘These | Those people who leisurely shift gears and get under way as if they were carrying a mortally wounded person in- side their cars, and were afraid they | might jar him—they never fail—this | type—to be in the center of the street, | | as_well. Why a person who desires to dawdle along will not pull over to one side, as far as possible. and keep there, is | a mystery to me. Unfortunately, there are some people in this world who are devoid of all human considerations as regards courtesy to others. thought for the other fellow's side of the matter, ete. This_type of person manifests his Jack of consideration in other ways besides being the world's champion traffic problem. They are, no doubt. the same ones who try to leap ahead of every one else in the theaters, res- | taurants, etc.. and are to be heard con- tinually ‘fussing about the service in every public place they happen to be in. They are the “welchers,” the *poor sports” of this world. The ones who are first to make a dive for the exits when' the cry of fire breaks out. There is gradually taking shape, here and elsewhere, a very definite demand for a slow-speed law—a law making it a penalty to drive too slow at certain times—or else have certain streets set aside for varying rates of speed. Slow-Speed Streets. In other words, have a street set aside ! for those who feel they would like to | proceed along about 20 miles per hour, {and have another street set apart for | those who desire to travel about 5 miles | per hour. {7 It may be possible that sometime in | the future you will read in the evening paper that Mr. Motorist So-and-So was fined $20 in Traffic Court for running ilB miles an hour on a 20-mile street, | or So-and-So was fined $10 for running 8 miles an hour on a 5-mile street. It is a fact that ‘motorists can be | fined in New York City, and sometimes {nre. if they do not drive fast enough |so as not to hinder traffic. There is probably no other place where the cour- tesy of inconsideration of other people can affect one to the same ex- tent as on public streets when you are driving your car. Practically all traffic violations com- mitted on crowded streets, such as turn- ing without looking, or parking abreast, horn blowing, loitering, etc,, affect other motorists to some extent at least. Another very dangerous practice, and one that is responsible for many a bent fender, is “window shopping.” If you must look at the store-window displays on crowded streets, you should park your car (if possible) and do your look- ing on foot. Slow Window Shoppers. ‘There is another angle to this win- dow shopping business that is bad man- ners on a crowded street, and that is the way it slows up traffic. You can't look around you and drive either care- fully or fast enough to avoid incon- veniencing other motorists. A great many people seem to find dif- ficulty in keeping the fact in mind that they are not alone on the street, and if they stop or slow up to ask Jim for the cigar lighter or the wife just must speak to Mrs. So- and-So, whom she hasn't seen in ever | so long (probably not since the day before); that by so doing they must inevitably incon- } | venience other mo- | torists who may W happen to be be- *)f hind them. Once there was a lady who had practically halted trafic on a busy street by parking 3 ~| abreast, “apparent- /|1y In ovder that she might hold a conversation with another lady. I happened to be on duty nearby, so I approached her with the intention of reproving her and then asking her to move on. 1 started in to say, “Pardon me, madam, but——" Well, that was just as far as I got. _ She turned on me impatiently, say- ing, “Officer, where are your manners? Can't you see I am busy talking to this lady?” “But, madam,” T remonstrated, t you see that—-" She interrupted again, “Now, officer,” she said, “I know just what you are fixing to say; you want me to move on, but it seems to me that you might have waited until I finished talking. There was no need for you to rush up and act like I was breaking the law or some- thing.” Before I could recover from my astonishment, she drove off. Can you beat it? 4 However, there are a great many people just like this lady in that they seem to think they can loiter and park a few moments for whatever purpose they see fit. But the law on this point is plain and specific. It says that you cannot so loiter or park except for the purpose of receiving or discharging pas- sengers. Besides, it is extremely selfish | on the part of motorists not to consider | the other fellow when they feel disposed to park or dawdle along. |~ ‘There is yet another type of loitering | which is ‘fairly common, especially | downtown, and that is known as “dr | ing around the block.” The usual pur- | pose in driving around the block is to kill time while waiting for some one. | And kill time they usually do—their | own and the other fellow's. | How ideal it would be if we could | discard all the present maze and jum- | ble of trafc rules and substitute in- stead the “golden rule.” » i yt Death of 1,000 by Auto in Cook County Used as Argument for 40-Foot Roads In less than one year in Cook Coun- tv, TN, Chicago's home county, 1,000 people have lost their lives in' automo- bile accidents, according to E. E. Dufty, | highway educational writer. Aside from a number of recommenda- tions asking strict enforcement of old and proposed traffic laws, Dr. Herman N. Bundesen, Cook County coroner, u replacement of 18 and 20 foot ¥ i the metropolitan area with 40-foot roads, and the construciion of numerous s-parated grades ommenting upon the need for im- ents in_ the physical make-up of d, Dr. Bundesen has s d: I cannot stress too earnestly the need for wide uninterrupted his s For example, on the Bronx River Park- way. in Westchester County, New York, 35.000 cars passed during 11 hours on Memorial day of 1926 without accident of any kind. “Eighteen and for congestiol 40-fo0t roadw the foot road make We need a system of s and an ample provi- separation of grades at tions. Last year there sion for hi were 2 at grade crossings in Illinois. re more than 2,000 unprotected c 1gs in the State. We | ought to crusade earnestly for the elimination of them all.” Road planners realize that today's traffic is not as heavy as it will be to- morrow. According to a statement re- cently made publ Bureau of Public Roads, Cuyahoga County, in which Cleveland is located, may expect an increase in traffic of 73 | per cent within the next 10 years. Even in the surrounding counties. the traf- fic will be greater by 13 to 85 per cent The problem of the city is making it~ by the United States | | self the problem of the entire metro- politan area. | The need for wide pavements and |separated grades, otherwise known as | underpasses and overpasses, is urgent. l‘ll will be more so tomorrow. . | U. S, Collects $1,758,381,361. | o Total revenue receipts of the States and the District of Columbia in 9. were $1,758.381,361, of which 248 846,402, or 14.1 per cent, was col- | lected from the motorists of the country in the form of gasoline and license tax. €s according to the American Motorists' Association. Total cost and operation of the States’ governments in 1927 was | $1.120,004,895. or $9.55 per capita, the | association’s figures show THAWKINS NASH Has Moved to 1529 14th St: N.W. Decatur 3320 48 S ASPHALT ROADS PROVED BY TESTS Government Finds Road Sur- facing Material Durable and Economical. Realizing that the cost of construc- tion and maintenance of State high- ways. county roads and city streets affects the purse or benkroll of every >itizen, whether or not he owns an auto- mobile, motor cycle, pushmobile or horse-drawn_vehicle, the United States | Bureau of Public Roads in 1911 and {1912 sponsored a test of various road- avenue in Montgomery County, Md., im- mediately adjacent to Washington, D. C., and found that the asphaitic pave ments, according to the official report vecently issued, had proved themselves to be remarkably durable in the face {of 16 years of heavy traffic duty. These experiments includee seven sections of bituminous macadam. two sections of asphaltic concrete, fhree b WHIPPET FOUR COACH | surfacing materials, laid on Connecticut | sections of ' crete, 535 Coupe $535; Sedan $595; Roadster $485; Touring $475; Come mercial Chassis $365. All Willys-Overland prices f.0.b. Toledo, Ohio, and -peeiflmnonnug C. LEO McKENNEY portland cement concrete and one sec- tion of brick pavement. In the bureau's official report of this experiment there appears the following statement concerning the bituminous macadam sections: “Approximately 16 years have elapsed since these expari- mental stretches were constructed, and during this period they have carried severe traffic, and in their broken edges and repaired local failures they show the effects of the stresses and strains to which they have been subjected. Never- theless, all are still in serviceable con- dition, and with continued careful main- tenance should not require reconstruc- | tion for some years to come.” Concerning the behavior of the bit- uminous, or asphaltic, concrete and the brick sections, the report declares: “The two bituminous concrete experi- ments, and the two brick experiments, have required the least maintcnance up to this time and are still in excellent condition. and to all appearances should continue to give economical service for some time to come.” Meanwhile, R. W. Coburn, construc- tion engineer of the State Highway Department, presents another réport showing the compara- tive cost of maintenance for the var- fous types of pavement and road sur facing materials used in the construc- tion of the “Bay State” highway: cost of maintenance per mile last w as follows: *“‘Cement $625: reinforced portland cement con- crete, $545; bituminous macadam (tar and asphalt) $480: bituminous $320." Mr. Coburn also declares to change without notice. New and Used Car Display Roome 1711 14th St. N.W. Champlai J. A SW, Massachusetts | concrete, | Ceach $695; C. $695; Coupe (with rumble seat) $725; Sport DeLuxe Roadster $850 (including rumble seat i Greater Beauty-- LongerWheelbase - - Larger Bodies HE new Whippet brings the beauty of expensive cars to the light car field—as its predecessor introduced costly carengineering. Thenew Superior Whippet is the styie creation of master designers, men of long experience in designing expensive custom-built cars. Beauty that commands your instant admiration fs expressed in the new Superior Whippet’s longer bodies, low, graceful lines, higher radiator and hood, more distinetive colors, sweep- ing ome-piece full crown fenders—es- tablishing the newest style motif for Fours and light Sixes. More room-— greater comfort The larger bodies of the new Superior Whippet afford more spacious interiors, with extra leg room and elbow room. The seats are wider and heavily up- Gas Consumption Is 200 Gallons For Every Auto Every motor vehicle in the United | States used an averags of approx- imately 200 gallons of gasoline dur- ing the first six months of 1928, as compared with about 170 gallons during the same pertod of 1927, ac- cording to the American Automobile Association. The national motoring body bases its statement on a gasoline con- sumption of 4.652,393,535 gallons during the first half of the cur- rent year, 3.971423311 gallons in | the same period last year, and a total registration of more than 23,- 000,000 motor vehicles. that on bituminous, or asphalt, maca- | dam roads, from one to ten years old, the surface maintenance cost. which | includes patching, frost breaks and | surface treatment, was $124 per mile | over the gravel foundations and $147 per mile over stone fills. Incidentally, the New York State Highway Depart- ment reports that the average age of bituminous macadam roads in that con- | State, of which there are more than |a ' 3,000 miles, in excess of ten years. ject holstered, and have form-fitting con- tours. Both the front and rear springs of the new Superior Whippet have been considerably lengthened. The increased wheelbase, snubbers and oversize bal« loon tires further enhance the car’s superb riding qualities. Still the engineering leader Mechanically, the new Superior Whippet furthers a long lead over competition. A new higher com- pression engine gives more than 20% added horsepower, resulting in greatly increased speed! Higher second gear speed gives faster pick-up. And this new car is well qualified to carry on Whippet’s unsurpassed repu- tation for dependable performance and minimum operating costs. ORDER NOW FOR EARLY DELIVERY. WILLYS-OVERLAND, INC..Toledo, Qhio STERRETT & Home of Gold n St. at Kalorama Rd. SIHHEEL TRUEY URGED AFTERTEST 1 Saving 6( Highways Seen in Use of Type—Expert Tells of Results. For better and cheaper tramsporta- | tion, the six-wheel vehicle and pneu- matic tires, says the Bureau of Public| | Roads, United States Department of Agriculture, i Automotive and highway engineers |are constantly seeking more economic transportation. Highway engineers | have always faced the problem of pro-| | ducing the greatest mileage of service- | able roads and have been forced to de- sign them as light as possible, con- | sistent with traffic demands. On the | |other hand, truck-operating costs are | generally reduced by increasing the | pay-load capacity. Would Preserve Roads. To preserve the existing highways nd to give economic transportation | the six-wheel truck. The other is that | load, heel mncemm-‘r at is not safe fer loads beyond this. tion and pneumatic tires, and not the | It is to protect this large mileage and limitation of gross load, is the solution |at the same time permit the opsration of the problem, Thomas H. MacDonald, | of largs-capacity trucks where desir- chief of the bureau, recently told mem- |able that the Foderal road chief sug- bers of the Society of Automotive En- | gests the six-wheel solution. gineers. According to investigations of the bureau, ax? conditions "of _ test being | Af your car is parked headed up a equal, the effect of a six-wheel ve-|hill. put it in first gear after the motor hicle on the highways is about one-|is stopped. A car in first gear, says half that of the four-wheel. This is fi:{r_\k‘:‘ x-d\ClF(_'lr_;‘pll\‘rnn:’c\.lflL c‘:\:em‘chrg: the frst of S70 important reasons fof |in it and teleass the heAke; 'The increasing the number of wheels so re- | Wheels cannot turn contrary to the duces the load on each wheel as to|Way the gear is set. If your car is permit the use of pneumatic tires on |Parked headed down a hill, put it in the larger-sized trucks, which cannot |Teverse gear. The car cannot go for- be so equipped wken supplied with only | Ward if the gears are set to go back- four wheels. | ward. Impact Is Reduced. | The pneumatic tire reduces the im-| pact of the moving truck and so tends further to protect the highway. The bureau’s tests show that the impact of « solid tire exerts a pressure on a pave- ment two or three times the standing while the pressure exerted by | the pneumatic tire is only a small per- centage above that of the load at rest. | Co-operative highway transport sur- veys carried on by the bureau and vari- ous State highway departments have shown conclusively that for general use the five-ton four-wheel truck is to- day the maximum size required. Its wheel concentrations are within the safe-load limit for the modern standard | types of rural pavements. | with a limitation of R. McReynolds & Son Studebaker SALES 1423-1425-1427 LSt.N.W. Decatur 686 "the introduction of the six-wheel truck, SINCE THE SELF-STARTER /T ‘Mo & Top starting sounding button, a from the Style Creation larly to women drivers. It a light switch on the dash. But there is a very large mileage ! of master Designers w INTRODUCING THE NEW “FINGER:TI CONTROL” THE MOST NOTABLE ADVANCE EN DRIVING CONVENIENCB P A single button, conveniently located in the center - of the steering wheel, controls all functions of the motor, operating the lights and the horn. This fundamental improvement does away with all troublesome foot fumbling for the starting frequent source of annoyance, particu- avoids changing g position to reach a comfortable drivin With the new “Finger-Tip Control,” you can at eyeson th FLEMING, Inc. al Used Cars Columbia 5050 Associate Dealers ANN, JR,, CO. CAYLOR-SPAULDING MOTOR CO. CATLETT MOTOR CO. all times keep your hands on the wheel and your e road. This important safety factor will be especially appreciated when driving at night. New and Used Car Display Rooms 1711 14th St N SOUTTER MOTOR CO. Quantico, Va. COLLEGE PARK AUTO PLACE College Park, Md.- - ) Alexandria, Va. Culpeper, Va. Clarendon, Va, Catlett, Va. HAMILTON MOTOR CO. 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