INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22587, 16 March 1948, Page 4

INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY

Sir, —I have been in New Zealand for 40 years and I appreciate the people’s friendship towards we Chinese very much. In regard to the manners and courtesy of some people I would like to relate an incident which occurred recently. At about 2 p.m., when driving into the country on business I approached three road workers bituminising a highway. Seeing a sign "Drive slow,” I immediately slowed down to about 15 in.p.h. I had to drive even more slowly when passing the bitumen truck, as there was only a gap of 10ft. between the gutter and the truck, which was on the left side of the road. After passing the truck I was suddenly called to stop by one of the workmen. He was in an angry mood, and said I had travelled at about 40 miles per hour and that the sign said to drive at five miles per hour. I said that there was no sign saying "five miles per hour” and that I did not, exceed 20 miles per hour on the whole of that road. He then accused me of knocking down the man with the spray gun. How could I have done that if I did not even touch his spray gun, which he held well in front of him? The workman was now furious, and started using harsh language as loudly as he could. If he had had any manners, he would not have used harsh words in public, but would have corrected me quietly. Well. I hope that in future men like him will not take the opportunity of “showing off” to people who are from another country. 1 A CHINESE,