Passing Comments
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Better a Few Hoots THE over-anxious driver
Than a Serious AcciA who is always sounding his dent horn is admittedly a nuisance,
but if overtaking a cyclist on a not-so-wide road with an oncoming traffic stream, it is wise to be on the safe side. We saw a near-accident recently when a cyclist swerved out to avoid broken glass, quite unaware that a smooth-running 3-tonner was overtaking hint The driver, in his cab, could not see the glass or realize that a log-merchant's saw made his approach inaudible to anyone in the open. Driver and cyclist kept their heads, however, so there was to accident to report.
THE depot manager of a bus undertaking in Australia has written to "...Truck and Bus Transportation" of Sydney on certain faults that he has found in buses. His criticisms are addressed particularly to bodybuilders and concern mainly, convenience, comfort and safety. On the matter of rear-view mirrors, it seems that many of these are internal, and when there are standees the view of the near side and rear of a bus is blotted out. He suggests, therefore, that an external mirror should always be fitted at each side. An additional safeguard would be to insert windows in the 'present blind rear corners. Some buses in Australia already have these. Regarding drivers' seats, he thinks that these should be capable of rapid adjustment, up or down and backwards and forwards,
A24 Australian Busman Criticizes Some Body Features without having to remove seat cushions or loosen nuts. it is found that some new vehicles, presumably with bodies built in Australia, leak, particularly near the destination-indicator, box and around the windscreen. On dry days, also, they become filled with swirling clouds of dust, apparently coming from the rear wheel-arches and from under the rear seat. He criticizes also the height of the first step, which is often too great for elderly passengers. To avoid frequent trouble with stop-light switches, a handoperated switch should be provided. Indicator arms should also be illuminated at night. One complaint concerning British semi-forward-control chassis is that there is sometimes inadequate ventilation around the feet and legs of drivers in hot weather.
Improving Speeches at NAANY people hate speaking a Function by Hiding "1 into a microphone at "Mikes" dinners and other functions.'
lt seems to give them a form of nervous complex. At one such affair which we attended. a short time ago, the microphones, of which there were several, were hidden in bowls of flowers and made invisible to the speakers, although their presence was obvious by the results. The bowls could, of course, be moved to bring the instruments within a distance which would give the best results. It may have been our imagination, but 'itseemed to us that the remarksand their delivery benefited by the scheme. THE legal position regard ing the towing of caravans is not clear to many people. Recently the Road Haulage Association made a reference to this matter and quoted a case in which the Metropolitan Licensing Authority gave some advice concerning towing caravans for hire or reward. It pointed out that the Act states that "the carriage of goods" includes -the hauling of these. Therefore, the vehicle used for towing must have either an A licence or a B licence with suitable conditions. No such licence is required for the caravan by the user of the towing r chicle, because the caravan is not, in the terms of the Act, ",a trailer from time to time belonging to the holder of the licence. . . ." Even if a -private car be employed to tow a caravan for hire or reward, it will require an A or B licence because, being fitted with a towing attachment, it has thereby been adapted for the haulage of goods.
Reward
Good Parking ArrangeE were impressed by the ments at the Royal care with which the park Show ing of vehicles, including coaches and buses, was conducted at the recent Royal Show at Oxford. • It was a matter only of moments for suitable places to -be found, and there was ample space for manceuvring between the rows of vehicles. Mr. L. F Dyer, managing director of Auto-Parks, Ltd., who was responsible, had a well-equipped caravan office and was in constant touch with the various sites, also with the police, some of whom, incidentally, employed walkie-talkie instruments to assist traffic control. Those people who had pre-arranged parking facilities were given windscreen stickers carrying a number and corresponding identification tickets, which they had to produce before removing vehicles: It waS not the fault of the system but of the weather that some trouble through vehicles being bogged occurred.