MESMERISED BY CARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21467, 15 April 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

MESMERISED BY CARS

JOY RIDES OF YOUTHS r 1 1 How the sight of an unattended motor-car mesmerised a number of workless lads was revealed at Reading, England, recently, when seven youths, whoso ages ranged from 15 to 19, appeared on charges of being concerned in taking and driving away a number of motor-cars without tho consent of the owners. Prosecuting counsel stated that lor some time past there had been a concerted plan on the part of some Reading youths to take joy rides in other people's cars. Nobody's car in the town had been safe. Tho lads seemed to be fascinated by cars, and when they saw one standing in tho street were unable to resist the temptation to drive it away, leaving it in a deserted street when thev had finished with it. Tho police stated that 19 cars had been taken, and one of the lads had been concerned in the taking of 14 of them. The practice, which had been going on since August, necessitated the systematic hold-up by the police of motorists entering or leaving the town, and the sending of 110 telephone messages and hundreds of postcards and letters. The borough had been put to great expense in detecting the perpe-. trators. Defending counsel remarked that it seemed to be a case of " Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do." Most of the boys were unemployed. The magistrates imposed fines ranging from £4 to £7 10s.