DEAF MUTES AS POLICEMEN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 107, 22 May 1937, Page 11

DEAF MUTES AS POLICEMEN

The traffic policemen of Bucarest have the rep.utation of beirig the most polite in the Ballcans. The. reason is that a number of them are deaf-mutesl l'fc was not charity that promptcd the police authorities to xecruifc mcn suffening from this particular infirjnity. It was simply the necessity of puttiug an end to long and heated strcet debates between constables and offcnding motorists. Tlicse arguments often clegenerated in fisticuffs, and feeveral times a day the flow of vehicles on the naTrow, busy streets of 'Eumania 's capital was clogged, thanks to the loquaeiousness and' pugnacity of the traffic policemen, While such debatcs gave local colour to the town and contnibutcd toward enriching this country 's' dictionary of invective — one of the most. picturesque in the world — they, nevertlielcss, caused a serious traffic problem. « ' Even members, of the Eoyal Fad"-*

wero often lield up for a considerablo time in traffic jams produced in this manner. However, the . appointment of deaf-muto constables solved, as if by magic, thc problem of street brawls wiLli the policc. 1 The now, silent officers have no other duty than regulating tho traffic. They are placid ,efficient,.and their attention is concentrated onlj^ on tlielr job. If a motorist infringes tho law, there are no; more swearing competitions in which the passersby particiipate with great' gusto. The tacitum constable takes down in a dignified manner the number of - the trespasscr and tlie incident isf closed. Many a driver found himself in court without knowing how or why, thanks to the silent policemen. TneldenlalJjj the innovatiOjn of deaf -mu te officerg also put an end to eorrupt-ion in the matter of road offencee.