MUD SPLASHES IN PARIS.
Page 65
Page 66
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
How They are Controlled (!) in the Gay City after Many Years of Ineffectual Attempts to Devise a Practical Splash
Preventer.
MANY years ago, right at the commencement of the motoring era, a city councillor of Paris was splashed with mud by a passing motor lorry. It was a. serious matter, for in those days city councillors, and quite a number of human beings as well, walked about in ftwk-coats. The question was naturally brought up at the next sitting of the council and, after a fulldress debate, it was decided to hold a competition for splash-prevention devices. The comPetition was duly held and proved unfruitful.
Actually it was a washout (but the expression had not then been invented; at all events, not In French). Further competitions were held, rind in time the thing became a regular periodical event provocative of much harmless mirth. Great screens of white oil-cloth were erected, lakes of artificial mud were arranged on the roadway, and lorries, fitted with anti-splash devices, were driven past, smothering the screens right up to the top in a most satisfactory manner. With a war interlude, during which the authorities were occupied with
The bob-weight type of antisplash. After one day's use in muddy weather the bearing clogs and the device constitutes a revolution in splash preventers.
matters of even greater national importance, the competition went on for about 25 years.
In all human probability, 1928 would have seen the event again had it not been for a most unfortunate accident. Early last year another 'city councillor was splashed with mud by a passing lorry, I-Ie was not wearing a frockcoat, as this form of decoration is not now much in favour, but he had a lady with him (other oldfashioned customs being still in vogue), and the lady was also splashed.
This was intolerable! A special meeting of the traffic committee was called to deal with the situation.
During this meeting a newly elected member had a brain wave and the gist of his speech was as follows: " Mud splashing has got to stop. Why waste time in further competitions? Absolute power and authority are vested in us; therefore we have only, to order the thing to stop . . and it will stop."
This view of the matter was new to the committee, but it seemed so sensible that, after a very short debate, the suggestion was agreed' to. A conference With officials of the Prefecture de Police ensued and in less than eight Months (this, by the way, is the world's all-category record in municipal hustle tl the
The all-round type—unfortunately invisible when the vehicle is moving, inducing unnecessary police interference. (More effective in this respect if the edge breaks away, the loose flap then thrashing the mad and striking the mudguard.)
new regulation was not merely drawn up but carried into effect, the wording of the rule being:—
ARTICLE PREMIER.—Tout conducteur de vehicule est tern] de prendre les precautions necessaires pour eviter les projections de bone sur les passants ou sur lea immeubles.
ARTICLE 2.—Les vehicules pesant en charge 3.000 kilos et au-dessus, quels que soient leur usage et la nature des bandages de leurs roues, doivent. etre constamment pourvus d'un dispositif de protection efficace contre les projections de bone.
ARTICLE 3.--Les dispositions prevues a l'article 2 seront applicables is partir du ler novembre 1927.
It should be specially noted that, not only are splash preventers to be fitted, but they must be efficient. The authorities order it, and that's that.
The results of this regulation, now becoming apparent, are not altogether unexpected. Twentyfive years of experiment having failed to produce a satisfactory splash preventer, even a municipal and police Order is unable to work the miracle.
All commercial motor users in Paris have now fitted splash-prevention devices to their vehicles in order to comply with the law, and whilst their variety is infinite they have one thing in common, and that is utter uselessness.
What does not yet seem to have struck the city council is that it is really up to it to remove, the cause of the splashing, i.e., the mud, if there were no mud on the streets it could not be splashed about.
The anti-splash devices in use vary from the simple home-made affair up to complicated and expensive outfits costing many hundreds of francs. The most primitive idea comprises a „length of iron wire with a, crossbar at the bottom. From the crossbar depends a little curtain of old shirting or other suitable material. In more elaborate specimens the curtain is often made of chain-mail.: This type is much in favour, as it makes a pleasant jingling noise, and calls the attention of the police to the fact that the lorry 'owner has complied with the law.
In some cases the guard is held in a 'vertical position by a coil spring at the top and, in others, a bob-weight performs the same function until the bearing on the hub-cap becomes clogged with dirt. The whole affair then revolves with the wheel.
It very frequently happens that the splashers (that's what they are!) get bent by scraping against other vehicles. They then stick outwards in a horizontal position and fly round like the scythes us Boadicea's chariot.
One of the splashers which gives very little trouble is the all-round type, consisting of a flap of rubber attached outside the rim. This arrangement is just as " efficace" as the others, hut has the disadvantage of not being visible. It sometimes leads to arguments with the police.