1931-06-11 — Page 11

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1931.

DRIVING IN TRAFFIC

Taxi-drivers.

Chauffeurs with empty cars. Itexperienced, evil-minded

Creatures on the Road female owner-drivers.

That Perplex One.

Vans.

Unsupervised children.

The baser varieties of dog.. Cats.

Old women,

*

THE CHINA

MAIL.

maid for a jaunt, and the essential goatliness of his nature is soon ap- or parent. Horns and hoofs are mani- fest. He presumes on his skill as shamelessly as the taxi-driver, and is as great u nuleance. And the average van-driver is one degree worse than these, having, all their presumption without a quarter of their skill-

[By W. A. Darlington.] Driving a car in elty traffic is an art, in itself which bears no very close relationship to ordinary motor- driving. You hear agala and again of famous racing motorists who say that driving a car through the streets of London-frightens-them-to-drivers-all-together-among-the-goats They leave that entirely to other

leath.

I am displaying the worst kind of people.

On the other hand, you' often come across people who will tell you that while they dislike driving at speed in the country, trallic-driving gives them real pleasure.

I know, one woman who, whenever she is oppressed by domestic affairs or funneial worries, always gets but her car al goes for a drive" round Mayfair. She says it soothes her

Herves,

1 am something of her way of thinking. To me, traffic-driving has a fascination all its own. It Intro- dures you to a new London.

This is my own list. I do not ex-

But it is the Silly Goats that I peet all other owner-drivers to agree must detest-all those classes which. with it in detail." I shall certainly I have bricketed last on my list. be told that by lumping the women They have neither sense nor skill.

sex bins. I cannot, help that. 1 Between the various kinds of am speaking of trafle-driving, and Silly Goats there is no differentin, I speak as 1 Ond. Women are just tion. They vary in kind, but not in as clover drivers as men, but they degree. They are all equally to be tend to be a nuisance in traffic, be feared. cause they are impatient and con- temptuous of discipline:

Discipline--that is the key-word. Look at my lists unce more, and you will find that sheep differ from goats

The children one can forgive. They will know betler some day—| those who survive, that is. Mean- while, it is an abiding wonder that the race, does not die out. I hop simply In their willingness orpeted to be in Lambeth Road the ability to submit themselves to a other day when Archbishop Tait's code. Undoubtedly the two clever Infant School was dispersing after est classes of drivers in traffic are the day's toil, In spite of a strong the men in charge of the 'buses and bodyguard of parents and guar- As a passenger in 'buses, taxis, through. a strict training before dians, and the firm paternal mini- or other people's cars I had been ae- they are allowed to ply for hire on strations of a large policeman, the customed to seek iny entertainment the taxis. Both classes are put roadway became black with Arch- from the life of thepave the road. But there the likeness bishop Tait's infants, dashing for the further pavement on unsteady short legs, for the most part with their eyes tight shut.

on

♫

passenger ends.

ments, just 18

river steamer. amuses The 'bus-driver is kept in order himself by observing the life by a rigorous system, and is made that goes on along the banks. But answerable to his employers for I have marked the spot down for now I was a passenger no more., I every fault he may commit. He is future reference as a place where was in owner-driver, and as such, a never allowed to presume on his the wise motorist will proceed with member of quite a new community. sk He is given a giant's all the caution at his command. strength, but only on condition that There are several such places in my he never tries to use it like a giant. mental map of London.

*

I know

No longer had the life of the pavements any intérest for me, ex- (The taxi-driver, on the other hand, them as Streets of the Unholy In- cept in so far as it provided me presumes on his skill all the time, nocents. with a succession of landmarks and is regarded as an qutlaw 'in whereby to direct my course. All consequence by all other drivers.} "my attention was" for "the road, and" all the familiar objects upon it, which now, seen from a new angle, seemed so oddly unfamiliar.__

I began to classify iny fellow beings, not according to their post tion in the social scale nor even in the animal kingdom, but simply ne cording to their merits or demerits as read-users. Broadly, I began to separate them into categories of sheep and goats, which worked out something like this:

Sheep (in decreasing order of merit):

Bus drivers-especially the Gen- eral men. ་་་

Experienced owner-drivers. Chauffeury when driving their employers.

Pedestrains, in the main

The more intelligent kinds of dog, Goats (in increasing order of demerit).

Cats, now. There is simply no

ficent detachment.

- The result is that-the-bus-driver knowing what a cat will do once it is accepted on all hands as Chief gets on the roadway, Unlike dogs, Sheep, It is almost an axiom that which for the most part understand If you are involved in any kind of

-and-follow the traffic regulations, accident with a 'bus, the fault is

your eat has no idea that the road- your own. Only the other day I was talking to a man who had just way has not been laid out specially for it. It crosses, the road in recovered from injuries received front of your wheels with a magni- when he was knocked down by a London 'bus. He said he had only You hoot at it, and what happens the driver's presence of mind and cleverness to thank that he was not next is a matter of how the cat at the killed outright.

happens to be feeling That is a testi- moment.

Sometimes it just aneers and walks on. Sometimes it utters a shriek and bolts, running up one The private chauffeur is, with side of the nearest house, over the honourable exceptions, a goat in roof, down the other side, and sheep's clothing. See him out with finishing with an 'attack of hysterics, employers, and there is a positive in the back garden. Sometimes it halo round his sheeply head. But takes no notice at all. ter, you would say, could not melt 4 once pulled up for a phlegmatic] in his gear-box, so delicately does animal of this kind, which prompt- he proceed... But watch him when ly came and rubbed itself confiding- he is alone, or taking the house-ly against my front tyres. I notice that the new Traffic Act takes into consideration this unaccountability

monial worth having.

BUYERS GUIDE

MOTOR CARS.

ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY.-Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's

Road. Tel. 21760. PUICK-The_Dragon Motor Car Co. Ltd., 33, Wong Nei Chung

Road, Happy Valley. Tel. 30228. CADILLAC.-Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road. Tel. 24769. CHEVROLET. —Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road. Tel.

21759.

FIAT MOTOR CAR-A Goeke & Co., China Bldg., 7th floor.

Tal 22021.

MARQUETTE.—The Dragon Motor Cur Co., Ltd, 33, Wong Nei

Chunit Road, Happy Valley. Tel. 30228, MORRIS-Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's 'Road. Tel. 24759. OLDSMOBILE-The Dragon Motor Car Co., Ltd., 38, Wong Nei

Chung Road, Happy Valley. Tel. 30228. ROLLS-ROYCE-Hongkong Hotel Garnge, Queen's Road. Tel.

24769. STUDEBAKER.—Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road.

Tel.. 24759. WILLYS-KNIGHT &; WHIPPET MOTOR CARS,-Gilman & Co.,

Ltd., 4a, Des Voeux Rd. C. Tel. 28011.

OUTBOARD MOTORS. Rudolf Wolff & Kaw, 54'Queen's Road

C. Tel. 22178,...

MOTOR TRUCKS AND TRACTORS. CHEVROLET.-Hongkong. Hotel Garage, Queen's Road. Tol.

24759,

G.M.C. The Dragon Motor Car Co., Ltd., 93, Wong Nei Chung

Chung Road, Happy Valley. Tel. 80228.

DODGE-South China Motor Car Co., 83, Des Voeux Road, C.

Tol, 26644, N

MORRIS-Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road. Tel. 24759. STUDEBAKER--Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road.

-24759.

Tel.

WILLYS-KNIGHT & WHIPPET TRUCKS-Gilman & Co., Ltd,

da, Des Voeux Road C. Tel.:28011.

MOTOR CYCLES.

B.S.A.-The Sincere Co., Ltd., Des Voeux Road, Tol. 27767. NORTON-The Sincere Co., Ltd. Des Voeux Road G., Tel

27767.

MOTOR OILS.

GARGOYLE MOBILOIL-Vacuum Oil Company, King's Bldg. SHELL-Asiatic Petroleum Co.,' (§.0.), Ltd., Aslatie Bldg.

· TYRES AND ACCESSORIES. ACCESSOR'ES.-Hongkong Hotel, Garage, Büsen's Road. Tək

24759. ACCESSORIE—The Dure Motor Co., Nathan Road, Kowloon,

› Tel. 56263. ORIE

FISK TYRES-Gliman & Co., Ltd.-4a, Des Voeux Rd., C., Tol.

28011. KA

INDIA' TYRES —-W. R. Loxley Co., York Bldgs: Tel. 22285. MICHELIN TYRES A. Gooke & Co., China Bldg., 7th floor.

Tel.: 22221, 129

PRESTOLITE BATTERIES-Hongkong Hotel Garago, Queen's A Road, Tel. 24769,-

WILLARD BATTERIES— Gliman & Co., Ltd., 48, Den, Voanx Bd.

O Tel 28011

of the cut. It gives a long list of

kinds of animal, over which you may, ing factor. We cannot change over not drive your car, but the list again and we must depend upon oil makes no mention of cats. It is a because there is no alternative. welcome touch, revealing that some- "If we deal with this subject in where behind the legal phraseology its widest national aspect its of the Act are human beings who seriousness is, apparent; but when know the road.

we.concentrate upon any single,

As for old women-but here section of the many national activi- words fall me. "There are, after ties we find the gravity no less ob. all, limits to the things that may vious. The road transport indus- be printed in a journal for general try, for instance, would promptly consumption. I must keep to my-react to a mere curtailment of sup- self what I think of old women in plies of liquid fuel, and the number traffic.

Bre The male ones

the of other industries to be immediate- worst.-London Telegraph.

ly affected as n consequence would be legion.

LIQUID OIL PERIL.

Views on Commons Debate.

"The subject has at last been dealt with at some length in Parlia ment but it has received nothing like the publicity in the general Press that its importance deserves. The mere fact, has been stated by some journals, that Lieut.-Com- mander Kenworthy's amendment waa withdrawn. This is trae, but In the course of a debate in the it was not because the subject had House of Commons on the Navy become in the slightest degree less Estimates, recently,

Lieut.-Com-important as a result of the reply mander Kenworthy moved an of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, Amend- amendment pointing. out the need who readily accepted the

for strategie and economic rea- ment. It was merely on the ground song) for energetic steps to be taken that the mover of the amendment to encourage the use of oil fuel for recognised that the question of en- the Royal Navy from our own coal,couraging development was outside The Motor, having published an the purview of the Admiralty. It article on this subject immediately is very much within the purview of following the debate, has this furthe present or any future Govern ther comment on the matter:- ment to stimulate by every 'means of coal oil in the "The mover of the amendment the production made a very powerful speech reveal interests of the nation as a whole." ing a thorough knowledge of the whole subject. He was followed by Mr. Hayday and Rear-Admiral, Beamish, and all the speakers who took part in the ilobate stressed, as we did in our article, the precarious

BLAZING A TRAIL.

situation which would arise. If Coloured Lights a Guide

only a part of Gur "overacas

supplies of liquid fuel were to be

cut off. Só extensive now is our UBS

of of in ite widest sense that, as

at Night.

Lieut. Commander Kenworthy point- One of the biggest motor clubs, in ed out, if our supplies were cut off Germany is planning to blaze trails the Army would be completely im- for motorists throughout the whole mobilised, the Navy would cease to of the country, t

+

function, as would 80 per cent, of The iden is to place coloured sign- the gross tonnage of the Mercantile posts along the main roads. These Marine, and the life of the whole would be lighted at night, so that community in this country would be motorists in the dark would not crippled.

have to slow down to read the sign-

That this is no exaggeration is poste, but could keep on at high proved by the startling fact that to speed, just following the lights. day only 2 per cent, of our oll sug. It le planned to have posts of ply is produced within the British nine colourà, ench colour denoting Empire. The debate was one that a definite destination." "Thus all the was vitally needed, for the national red posts would lead to: Berlin; all Importance of the matter has been yellow postato Hamburg: all the too long overlooked, although it is white to Aachen fear so obvious when the fact is realised The cost of the scheme has stood that in every phase of mechanical in the way up to now, but the big progress within recent years we moter club has undertakan to raisp. have definitely thrown over ons & the Tribcessary funds. The plan fa prime mover for another and in do- being discussed in official circles. Ing so bil: has become thé dominat- Exchange,

Buick

11

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THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.

Telephone 30228.

33, WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY.

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SOUTH CHINA MOTOR CAR CO.

Tel.

5644.

33, Des Voeux Road Central.

Tel. 25644.