Automobiles At The Crossing

From The Spokesman-Review, May 28, 1917

To the editor of The Spokesman-Review:

It is my business, when attempting to cross the street, to cross on the crossing for that purpose, and that is supposed to be as wide as and in line with the sidewalk. When I start to cross I am supposed to look to the left until I pass the center of the street, then I look to the right, and when I approach a crossing first I should have the right of way and vehicles should slow down to a walk or a stand-still in order to give me a reasonable time to pass.

But here in Spokane they creep up to you almost noiselessly before they toot their horn, then they toot their horn and scare the life out of people or get them excited.

I ought to be as safe on the crosswalks as I would be on the sidewalk and automobiles have a better right to slow down and let me pass than I have to wait and let them pass, as they are traveling much faster than I and can make up time. My time is just as valuable as theirs and should receive consideration and courtesy on their part, owing to the fact that it takes me longer to get over the ground.

Motorcycles and bicycles are another menace, and they will cross in front of people instead of behind them as they should do. Oftentimes they will try to cross between the walkers and the automobiles, which is another treacherous thing to do. I have seen an automobile start in front of a heavily loaded team, when as a matter of fact the team had the right of way as it approached the crossing first, but was compelled to burden the horses in an attempt to get started and it should have been allowed to go on in the first place.

Automobiles should be compelled to a dead standstill at the crosswalks, the same as they do in all eastern cities. A. J. Clark Spokane

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