RAILROAD AMENITIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10812, 31 January 1921, Page 2

RAILROAD AMENITIES.

To the Editor “N.Z. Times.” till', —To tile visitor unaccustomed to our peculiar usages and customs, the etiquette (or ivant of itj prevailing on our railway and tram cars must appear perplexing, to say the least of it. I enter a car at Thorndon station and find perhaps four young women in possession of seats facing the engine or the reverse. Every other seat has some lady's handbag or belonging on it, denoting its possession by one of the fair Sex. To remove one of these, and sit down WjOuld be. deeply resented, yet on the tram starting X note a number of the seats, loudly claimed as “engaged,” stilt have ladles’ possessions strewn about them. A similar ruse is often resorted to by the ‘’abused” half of humanity when long distance travelling, and X have often observed a lady place her .handbag or trunk on an adjacent or opposite seat and repeatedly claim it as “engaged,” and even when confronted with the guard -calmly assert her right to it for the above purpose, even though other women and children may be standing! But for calm disregard of other's rights, and contempt of tlio truth where their own interests are concerned, it would be hard to beat the fair sex when on route. Travelling to Palmerston, the other day, a lady and two children, by sitting sideways, lying down (the children I mean), and by Various handbags, luhch-baskfets, etc., were occupying the room of at least five adults. Ihirther on two ladies by the favourite device of "spreading” themselves, were using four peoples places. -This while people were standing- At Levin I was amused by three stalwart Maori ladies entering ihe ear, .and with the cry, "plenty ifTbui here” sweep down tipon the culprits and plump themselves down in the middle.Blit for fightdown cheek, commend me to two laches sitting in the train at Thorndon the other day talking witlj a friend, while women and children were passing through the car Iboking for a seat,- until just before the train started, when they calmly got out. Perhaps though 1 may be unjust in blaming the "weaker” (save the mark). Sex for these peculiar traints, a legacy doubtless from the times w-hen ‘‘wild in woods the naked savage raq”—for there is the young man who persists in lying full length on the car seat with his dirty boots against the ladies’ 7 .dresses, occupving the place of three or four adults, "without making an effort to rise, and his fellow-, who persists in chewing apples and spitting out the rejected portions on the ear floor. The man with the redolent breath, or the Ifidy with the /‘darlings’’ who will insist on trampling on your person with their dirty boots, we arc* acquainted with. They are to be found in all countries. But the aforesaid specimens are surely curios peculiar to New Zealand NEW COM.E;I?.