BEHAVIOUR OF CROWDS

Evening Star, Issue 18157, 23 December 1922, Page 1

BEHAVIOUR OF CROWDS

.ATTITUDE TO AUTHORITY. METHODS IN BIG CITIES. New York crowds are probably the best natured and best disciplined in the world (declares the ‘New York Times’). If the city wore suddenly deserted by New Yorkers, and filled with the same number of people from the country and small towns, unused to New York conditions, hundreds of casualties would foT i low in a few hours. An undisciplined crowd of this kind would find it very difficult to-cross the streets. It would behave badly on subway platforms and in entrances and exits. The orderliness of Now York crowds has been pointed out by llobort Ridgeway, Chief Engineer of the* Rapid Transit Commission. “An intelligent, good-natured crowd quickly teaches itself to perform surprising feats,” ho said. “The behaviour or the crowds in the London tubes or subways is especially interesting. In New York the doors of all cars are, of course, closed and opened by the guards, end the rule is absolute, in London the public are permitted to Open and close the doors. When a train approaches the station the doors arc usually thrown open in advance, and people jump from the moving cars to the platform. Fully 40 per cent, of the crowd disembarking leaves the cars before they have actually stopped. It is the same when a tram starts. People continue to take living leaps after it is in rapid motion. 1 have seen women with babies in their arms jump from the platform to trains several seconds after they I started.

“Such a practice in New York, subways. I believe, would result in scores of deaths daily and . hundreds of serious casualties. It would be a dangerous experiment h've 'or p—engors to open and close the doors of sub-way trains. Tho amazing safety to life and limb in London, despite its great crowds, is largely duo to the orderliness of the people and the respect for iraffic regulations of every kind.

“I he si/.e and density of London crowds is. of course, proverbial. It is often said that one has never really seen a street crowd until he has been to London. The streets in the congested sections of London, the older part, are usually narrow. It is necessary to shut off many of these streets to all vehicular traffic during certain hours of the day. I,’ho crowds use the roadway as well as pavements. It is usually one-way traffic. During the rush hours these streets appear to be filled with a sea of faces. “1 was told in Paris that crowds there were perverse. If a sign was put up directing a crowd to turn to the right, it was said, most of those reading it would turn to the left. The attitude towards authority is often curious, it is common to hear a truck or taxi driver argue with (he traffic policeman in a belligerent spirit. In case of necessity the gendarme can force tho offender to obey the law, but there is much laxitv.

“ Tlio crowds in the Paris sub-ways are controlled in pa it by restricting the number of people on the platform when a train comes in. Tho Pan's crowd, however, shows remarkable control in many instances. The sub-way cars have several doors which ate opened simultaneouslv from one end, thus practically throwing open one side of tho cars. A moment before tho doors are closed there is a warning whistle which the crowd obeys with remarkable unanimity. At this signal it steps back, leaving the doors clear. We all know how the Now York crowd continues to push into the cars, despite all warnings, until the guards close the door*. Despite ihe crowds in the Paris sub-way* and elsewhere, accidents are far leas common than in American cities.

“The German crowds are quiet and orderly, but there is a great difference in their behaviour since tho war. There are fewer ‘ Vorboton ’ signs in German cities. The people were long under rigid military discipline, and this is evidenced In theii mass movements. There are fewer signs directing the crowd, but, left to itself, tho public moves about in an orderly manner. The percentage of street accident* is low.”