Girl With a Whistle

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 May 1933, Page 3

Girl With a Whistle

BICYCLE RIDING INCIDENT DIVERTING CASE IN MELBOURNE COURT The usually staid decorum of the South Melbourne Court was disturbed recently when Beatrice Miles, a young woman, was charged with having ridden a bicycle in St. Kilda road in a negligent manner. The girl, who appeared in Court with a whistle hanging from her neck by a cord, was wearing a “sweater” and socks and her knees were bare. A constable said he saw defendant riding a bicycle along St. Kilda road while hanging on to a motor ear that was travelling about 30 miles an hour. When he stopped her she told him her knee was swollen Snd she could luii push her bicycle. The Magistrate (to defendant): Do you wish 'to give sworn evidence in this matter? You should not ride,, a bicycle if you cannot ride it properly.

Defendant: I don’t want to swear about it. I can’t walk to Sandringham and I can’t afford do pay fares. The Magistrate: What is the whistle for?

The girl (blowing a sharp blast): To make people get out of the road. They don’t take any notice of a bell. When the Magistrate said that the Bench took a serious view of the offence the girl interjected, “You are just being nasty. Don’t fine me too much, as 1 will have to take it out in The cells and it is not very nice there.’’ The Magistrate (sternly): You must not ride a bicycle in this manner. The girl: You are going to make an old wc|man of me. Dash it all, sir, you arc just being horrible! After warning the girl that she had been endangering other people’s lives by aiding her machine in the way she iiad ridden it, the Magistrate fined her £2. She was given time to pay.