Car 1782

[Kenneth and Tracie Josephson]

Fred Schneider wrote:
> 
> It is possible Ken, that the wider streets on the Nor'side might have had
> something to do with the condition ... California Ave, East Street,
> Perrysville Ave were all very wide ... of course wide streets enable
> motorists to dart around the side of the trolley and have side-swipe
> collisions which don't happen on narrow streets.  I really suspect 1782 was
> one odd case amid a yard full of wrinkled cars.

Looking through "Touring Pittsburgh by Trolley" and this 8,000 photo
collection from Roberta Hill, it does appear that a larger percentage of
cars **photographed** on the Keating lines appear to be in better
condition bodywise than the Craft and Tunnel fleets. Maybe some
photographers simply waited for a nicer car to photograph. 

> DOES THIS NOT TELL US THAT OR FAVORITE MODE OF TRAVEL
> TENDS TO BE ACCIDENT PRONE?  AT LEAST THAT SHINY BUS HAS A CHANCE OF
> DODGING.  I'M ACTUALLY ASTONISHED THAT OUR TROLLEY MUSEUM OPERATORS DON'T
> HAVE MORE ACCIDENTS THAN THEY HAVE.

Today, the "villians" tend to be trucks, school & transit buses,
delivery vehicles and cars that  won't or can't do 0-60 in 5 seconds.
When a light turns green, there is a mad dash by the impatient to tail
gate and weave like mad to break away from the pack. I believe trolleys
are only as accident prone as the level of stupidity displayed by and
acted upon by motorists sharing the same street.

> On the last night in Baltimore, I was riding out toward Irvington when I
> chap tried to pass on the right, periodically bumping the trolley as he
> weaved his way out the street ... after passing us he continued to weave at
> a high rate of speed.  I imagine when he sobered up the next day, he
> probably wondered about the source of all the NCL yellow paint on the left
> side of his car.

I was following a bimbo in a '81 Chevy pick up who was driving like that
this morning. She blew a red light while making a right turn in front of
a police car...but this is way off topic! :-)
> 
> Am I beginning to sound like one of those "Been There, Done That" types?

Haven't we all at one time or another? :-)  Ken J.