A "PEEVED" MOTORIST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 211, 22 September 1937, Page 6

A "PEEVED" MOTORIST

Objected to Being Spoken to by Police BACKED CAR AT HIGH SPEED Allegations that he showed liis objection to being spoken to by the police by driving at full speed across a pedestrian crossing so as to cause people to scattcr, were made against Charles Joseph Harris, of New Plymouth, who was charged in the Hastings Magistrate's Court this morning with driving a motor vehigle without reasonable consideTation for other users of the road. The defendant pleaded guilty by letter. Harris had parked his car outside the Hastings Hotel in Heretaungia street on a pedestrian crossing, said Senior-Sergeant G, Sivyer. When spoken to about this by the police he apparently became "peeved," and at once started baeking his car at a high speed down the road and round into Railway road. He erossed another pedestrian crossing in doing so,. and people on it had to scatter. Some screaming resulted among the pedestrians. At the time the street was very busy, he said. A fine of 15/- with costs 10/- was imposed. "In a case like this the fine should be made heavier than in the usual cases where the matter has merely been, overlooked," said the magistrate, Mr. J. Miller, when George Arawa Baines appcared before him charged with driving a motor-cycle without being tlie holder of a motor driver's licence. Baincs had never had a licence, and had been driving for three weeks, said Mr. J. H. E. Semple, Main Highways Board inspector. A fine of 10/- with costs of a similar amount was imposed. "There is a good deal of this kind of thing going on," said Inspector H. A# Green when Phillip Barrett was charged with riding a bicycle on the footpatli in Victoria street, Hastings. A plea of guilty was entered, defendant saying that he rode on the path for one block because of the state of the roadway. Barrett was fined 10/with costs 10/-.