OFFENDING MOTORISTS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 April 1928, Page 4

OFFENDING MOTORISTS

WHAT IS “LOITKHING V

(Auckland Paper)

So long as all the defendants plead

guilty, and the long list of cases is allowed to- be rattled through without undue delay, the weekly sitting ol the Magistrate’s Court, which is held in

Auckland to deal with offences against the traffic by-laws goes “merry as a man-age bell.” There was quite a cheery atmosphere about the Court over which Mr F. K. Hunt presided recently, and most of the offending motorists came forward to face their punishment with a smile. The smiles broadened when some of the defences were heard. A young man who was charged with parking his car in a prohibited area declared that he was under a- misapprehension, for he had always thought the meaning of the “no parking” dies to Iks that they indicated the place in whicli to park' Chief Traffic Inspector Hogan, who conducted all the prosecutions in the undefended cases, pointed out that the Words “Parking prohibited” could not possibly he mistaken. A small fine met the case. “THE OPPOSITE TO HASTENING.” A driver who was charged with permitting his vehicle to loiter, thereby impeding traffic, explained that ho did not understand what “loitering” meant, as applied to a motor ear. Mr Hunt: Well, it is the opposite to hastening. (Laughter). After a fine of 10s had been imposed, the defendnt returned, to the attack. “May I ask your Worship,” he said, “for a definition of the term ‘loitering’? I understand that it was all right as long as the vehicle was moving.” Mr Hunt: No, you know better than that. You know now, at any rate. (Laughter). I can only tell you it is the opposite to hastening. TOO MFCH ‘“FOOTPATH RIDING.” When the cases from Mount Albert borough were dealt with. Traffic Inspector Stoup asked for fines to bo imposed in each case of riding bicycles on the footpath. Vincent Road wn,» the thoroughfare concerned. The footrath had been remade, and cyclists had clevc'oped the habit of riding cr it instead of keeping to the roadway. Fines of 10s were imnosed.

Three motor cyclists were prosecut-d by the Mount Eden Borough Conned oil charges of causing undue nor* on motor cycles. They were all convicted and fined. Traffic Inspo to~ Bansgrove «aid noisy exhausts and alarm signals were a cause of considerable annoyance in Mount Eden, rru tirularly in roads where nursing homes ’were situated. NOVEL FIRE ALARM

Before Mr F,. C. Cntten. S.M., an offender was fined £2 for negligent clrivinff. and a number of minor cases were dealt with. One of them was of interest, a Jipus eholdcr being fined on ft charge

“for that lie dill burn combustible material in nn open space near a building so as to endanger such building.” It was explained that defendant had made a. rubbish fire in his garden and had gone to bed under the impression that it was out. It burned up again, and tho fire brigade turned out.