Strap-Hanging.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 10

Strap-Hanging.

PASSENGERS;MAY;.TAKE ACTION: ''' 2 . The >English ; ; courts' are. , having- troubles ■> over strap-hanging. ■ Says ■ a Homo paper :■—;' ■ Overcrowding in trains was dealt with m> , fumrcary fashion; by thu Magistrates of Felt-' - ban- on September 3, when they/fined Mr. Mortimoi Burgess Is. and costs ifor travelling in a third-class'carriage on the London inrl South-Westem Railway, which already had its full complement of ten passengers.: Tho prosecution was not undertaken by the, railway company, but by Mr.. Hartley,.an independent gentleman, who described himself.. as "a conservator of public rights," acting, under .the .powers conferred on, railway pas-/ songers by . a by-law, of • the railway. comP a , n y-. ... ,/ .'.■'...• ■..'. -.'[.: .■;•■>:.•; The by-law in question is found in tho regulations of the [".tubes'," as well as the general;,; railways:of the.country. Under it any.,pas- 1 ' sciiger may order a standing passengeri to, leave the. carriage. If he rofuses to go the ■ offender, is. liablp.to a fiuo not exceeding 40s.: ; ; for tliOjfirst offence, and not exceeding £5 for.: successive offences. That tho rule applies,to the case of the ."strap-hanger", is apparent .from tho following by-law' (No.; 6) in-the regula-.;.: tions of tho Brompton and Piccadilly Tube*.; Railway:— .......,'. ~, • ~.: . ... • ' "When a lift or a carriage or compartment, of a. carriage contains., tho full number of, • passongers which it is constructed:' to carry,\:, , no additional person shall enter or. romain'. therein,, if requested by , any ; passongor therein, or by a guard, of the train, or any;, duly authorised servant or agent,of the com- : pany not toido so. .-.Any person' infringing.. : or not , observing,tlu's by-law and- regulation : shall be liable: to, the penalty prescribed by Byrlaw No. 1, and on failure to quit such , lift, carriago, or compartment immediately on.',, 'request by any suoh guard,-sorvant, or agent,.' may, without'prejudice, to,any such penalty,; be removed, therefrom by. or.-under the direc- . tion of such guard, sorvant, or l agent."' ~,. • ■•■, Tho forco of tho by-law in the caspiof the., "tubes" depends on the.words;'"which it is. ; constructed-.t0..', carry.'\ A tube official, con-f.: suited on' this point acknowledged that: a:,. carriago is "constructed to carry' -only those:..for whom .there is seating accommodation.:. According to tin's, interpretation, a seated-.' passongor would 'bo > within his rights if ho . asked every "strap-hanger" in a carriage- to. finJ a sent-olsewhero or leave the train. Similar drastic-, measures -could.:be taken by: ' a passenger in an ordinary train. An official of tho London and S.-VT. Railway stntns that the company is not prepared to acknowledge : that the'Magistrstes of,Felthani wore right in fining Mr. Burcess.' The by-law is one that "had hover, to nis know-' ledsro, been evoked before by any:, passenger. , : Mr. Iturgcss, as a tynical passenger, to tho ' - City, thinks the decision against himself absurd. Often a passenger rises 'to give hio place to a lady, who would otherwise, have, •. to stand, nnd ho thinks that "common .cbirr- ' tesy" on the jwrt.'pf other'passengers would ; : preVent them invoking the. law against "qvoiy crowding. '.''.''. .J.' , •'. :.' : ;,. : "What is the good," ho,asks; "of a man:' telliiio; his chief when, he gets "to ..tho .City,,. that ho is late 'because the train was over-;' crowded , ? Ho would bo' laughed tit;'.and';'' would stand a chance of losing his position."',