WHEN LONDON FELL SILENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 25

WHEN LONDON FELL SILENT

•■• The Ministry of Transport's "silence order," making it illegal to sound a motor-horn within, five miles of Charing Cross, came into force at 11.30 last night, says the "Manchester Guardian of August 28. ■ Actually the silence was observed by the majority of motorists in some districts long before that time. It was obvious from a tour of the South London area that drivers were rehearsing and experimenting. A reporter who drove a car between 9.30 arid 11 from ' Blackfriars to Balhain, via the Elephant and Stoekwell, returning by tho busy Brixton Road, did not once a hear a motor-horn sounded. Taxi-drivers, busmen, vanmen, and private car owners alike drove silently as far as "hooting" was concerned. Even at the pedestrian crossings there wore no warning sounds, and overtaking was by stealth. Most ears and taxi-cabs slowed to a snail's paco at the corners and proceeded while the driver "looked round the corner" to see-if the way was clear.

As half-past eleven struck a young man in. a sports car blew a last furious blast on a piercing eloctric horn to. mark tho last moment of freedom.

Another young man stoppod his ear and busied himself with a screwdriver,-

disconnecting tho eleetrie horn. "I am so absentminded, it.is the. only way I can obey the regulations," he said.

My. Hore-Belisha, the Minister of Transport, issued the following appeal: '' I inakc a last-jminute .appeal for a silent London tonight. , All experience tends to show tliat'..fche experiment will be a great success. Motorists will have an opportunity of allowing people, to have a goodnight's rest, and of .giving patients in hospitafs.'theip first chance, of an undisturbed night, thus 'facilitating their recovery. ...,'.';.;... '.'■.'. .' :".'! "Pedestrians will be doubly careful, using both eyes and jnind~ when crossing a road. Never lias a' Minister had an opportunity of making a more popu : lar ordor than this. My last words are: Noise disarmament tonight, please."

Three thousand polico officers were on special look-out for first offenders. Mobile police and A.A. patrols mingled with tho traffic, while some officers were in cars fitted with .wireless. The police wore acting mainly as official observers, and only outstanding eases of continue ous. or obviously .unnecessary. hooting were cautioned. :

Except in tho cases of obviously deliberate hooting, it is thought probable that the police will be. satisfied with giving v warning •if the silence is broken-