SPEED FIENDS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18659, 7 April 1926, Page 12

SPEED FIENDS.

SHOCKS FOR MOTORISTS. SYDNEY POLICE RAIDS. SYDNEY, March 25. ; The public have been reading with much zest the, stories in the Press of ' the raids, not without their thrills and touch of drama, which are being mad© , nightly by? the :Flying : Safety; Squad, and of the; effective way in which the pblicfe,' In a.-silent but very fast tour-•!:-inljt oar, itidwn as *'the: Blti© Bird," axe pdpping up in-all sorts of unexpected plaees and taming the road hogs whose reckless driving has made them a; menace, not only to the but ,to other motorists.' The flying squad, it is safe to prophesy, presages the <end of the "motocrat" in , Sydney. 'These nightly rftfds by the Blue Bird—'the car, is painted blue, hence its name—art providing all the thrill ofr 'the hunt, all the zest of the "kill" at the end of the chase.' Motorists, motorcyclists,'and even those on push bi-> ' cycles are all coming within the police •' for "Crawling along," and having the time of their lives, at about 50 miles'tfn hour; some for tunning 'without tail lights; and'others for countless other breaches of the Traffic. Act. The motor hogs have been under the impression that the roads ' were I? made only for them, and that the rules !• of the road were framed for a. joke. ; They have been under the impression that the hands that rock their cars at break-neck speed rule the community? that they have only to blow their horn ■ for everything to scatter. The "Blue Bird."

The Blue Bird, however, has given ; them a rude awakening.' It is a nightly hidden terror, lurking at any corner and only*waiting to tear madly after some offender. Amusing stories are told of the raids. In one of the nightly cruises, and after a 200 yards chase, one of ' two cars being pursued was headed into the footpath. Tho driver knew what Jwaa coming to him. "What was I doing!" he asked the police eagerly. "Fifty," said the sergeant. "Fifty, are 'you sure!" exclaimed the driver. The sergeant was quite positive about it. "Well," said the motorist, "be a sport, Sergeant, I'll take my pai»shment, but come down and tell them at the club. They think this car can't do 20." The sergeant said he would:not go to the club, but he would explain the car's capacity for speed at the Police Court.