GETTING EVEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19846, 21 May 1927, Page 10

GETTING EVEN

PUSH-CYCLIST’S WORRIES MOTORISTS THINK HARD The average no-bell-no-light-no-by-!nw-al#ding push cyclist has not many ways of squaring accounts with his ' rother wayfarer in the limousine or j the sporty roadster. However, one cyclist hit on a plan as ■ he following supplied description cfj ihe modus operand! shows: He was an ordinary cyclist—not the lan Ross speed king type. A holiday on hand, so what better than a visit ro friends in the country—his means of reaching his destination being a steady logging along on his trusted twowheeled friend. Not many miles had been traversed (according to his version) ere his vision of a pleasant day’s outing failed to .materialise—and all ■hrough what he termed the conduct of “motor hogs’ 1 he encountered on his ‘ peaceful ’ way. Twice they forced him to dismount, and finally, when again headed for the torso fence, he continued his way on root —but all the lime thinking hard and devising a means whereby (as he »

put it) to “get even” with the speedsters. Arriving at a certain well-known bridge traversed by hundreds of motorists, generally at a speed considerably in excess of the regulations, the irate cyclist bethought himself of a novel idea to “even up’’ with his motoring friends. He posted himself, notebook in hand, on the bridge, and as the motorists ap ; proached their dilemna at sight of what they took to be an inspector on duty—the frantic efforts with which they reduced speed—and in a sense their general discomfort —made amends for the imaginary wrongs or otherwise as related by the cyclist from the city. “Just a notebook and pencil, asked no questions, made a few notes re the river, and the motorists got I know not what—but I know I ‘got even’ on the day.’ ” It is difficult to say on whom the joke rested. I think the cyclist in curbing the speed did a public service.