HOW A REGULATION WORKS OUT IN PRACTICE.
Page 19
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AN interesting eXample of absurdities which ...happen under the new Morain " odd-and-even " regulations in Paris Was related to us the other day by M. Marcel Alain, the Editor of Poids Lottrds, the French commercial vehicle journal. M. Morain, the present Prefect. of Police, recently conceived the idea that, if vehicles were allowed to stop in front of odd-numbered houses only on odd days of the month and before even-numbered houses or buildings on even days, this would assist in reducing traffic congestion. The regulation is one .which would have delighted the heart of the late W. S. Gilbert!
The rule was duly brought into force, however, and for the first few weeks completely ignored by everyone. During the past few days the police have received instructions to see.that the rule is kept to, and, as might be expected, a large daily output of summonses is the result.
Turning to the particular incidentin question, there exists in a street just off the Place de la Republioque a large electrical sub-station, and this building has an even number. In front of the substation, on an odd day of the month, arrived a Powerful tractor pulling a trailer on which was a big new transformer to be installed in the substation.
The driver of the tract-or had just succeeded in inanceuvring his trailer into position for unloading when a constable appeared on the scene. Approaching the tractor driver, he said, quite seriously, " Do you realize that this is the 19th of January, and that by stopping in front of this building you are contravention '1 I must ask you to move on at once. You should have brought that thing here yesterday, and, as you did not, you must take it away again and bring it to-morrow."
This the driver, very naturally refused to d, ,,and the official notebook and pencil_ were at once produced. At this moment some of the sub-station staff came out and joined in the argument ; anyone familiar with Paris street arguments will readily picture the scene
A large crowd quickly collected and blocked the street. A second constable came along, and the first one called upon him to mount guard over the train of vehicles and to soo that the unloading was not started, while he himself went off in search of an inspector. When the latter was eventually found and brought to the scene of conflict, he proved to be a man: of common sense, and ordered the unloading to he proceeded with as quickly as possible, as enough timehad already been wasted, and the unloading of a piece of machinery weighing anything up to seven tons or eight tons is not exactly the work of a moment.
The total time which elapsed between the arrival of the vehicles and commencement of unloading operations was three-quarters of an hour !