WHERE MUDGUARDS CRUMPLE

Shannon News, 2 October 1928, Page 3

WHERE MUDGUARDS CRUMPLE

SPASMODIC SPURTS IN A CITY MAELSTROM. I emerged at the Grand Central station and took a taxi. " Pennsylvania hotel," I said to th*; driver. With a rush and a roar, the taxi swept out into an avenue, down which it raced at top speed, whizzing past dazed-looking pedestrians and suddenly swerving into a cross street. Here we came to a halt at the end of what seemed to be an endless line of taxis exactly alike, even to the batteTed, frayed, bibbled rear mud guards. The long taxi line stood still. Moun-tain-ous buildings rose on either side. The air throbbed with the tumult of the mighty city. We sat there three minutes. Then with a grinding and snarling of gears, the line of taxis suddenly moved. With a whoop and a rush", we went at a furious pace a distance of about thirty-one feet. Then another-violent stop and a wait of another three minutes. This happened five times in the block —sudden starts, & short rush at a tremendous speed, a violent stop and with every stop a solid substantial bump from the taxi following behind. The driver never even turned hi* head. After about the fourth bump, I could restrain my curiosity no longer, and sliding back the glass panel, I asked the driver — "Do you feel that bird bumping u» from behind!" "Sure." "Well, what are you going to do about it?" "Oh, thass alright. I guess his brakes, ain't workin' very, good."

_ "Don't you even get mad at a bump?" "Sure, if it's what you can call a real bump." "What do you call a real bump " "Well, a real bump is a bump you could feel ten or fifteen cars along.'' A railway wagon shunt, in othsr words. ~ . * 1 The above picturesque impression of traffic conditions in New York was given by Mr M. A. Eliott, of Palmerston North, in his address to the Levin Lunch Club on Friiay.