COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THE TRAMS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 175, 20 April 1929, Page 11

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THE TRAMS

Sir,—The other day a College girl, boarding a suburban tram, was thrown on her face on the road through the tram moving off while she had only one foot on the step. She and another were the last of a number to get on. Would the few extra seconds entailed in waiting for them to get on board have upset the trams schedule to any marked degree? Such an incident has two possible results, firstly—injury, or worse, by falling under the car; secondly—a similar result through being in the path of an approaching vehicle. These contingencies are equally unplaasant to think of. Furthermore, anyone who happens to be in the vicinity of the Wellington Boys’ College at 3.30 p.m. on any fine afternoon will observe that cars do not even stop for the boys, but merely slow down, which means that without breaking a College rule which forbids them to board a moving tram-car, it is impossible for the boys to board the ears in question. The reason why I stipulated a fine day above was because of my next point, which is, that on a wet day the position is intensified. I have seen as many as three consecutive cars make no pretence of stopping, and without reduced speed, pass by drenched and shivering College boys, who have been deceived, maybe, by the promise of a fine day. This should not be so 1 By what peculiar reasoning do tram motormen leave these children, the majority of whom hold concessions tickets, and thus have full right to the use of the cars, standing in the rain to catch colds, or worse. I make an appeal to those concerned to give the scholastic public the service for which it pays, often in advance, and to which it therefore has the right.—l am, etc., “POUR L’ENFANTS.” Wellington.