I Lost Count Of The Number Of Close Calls From Utter And Mussy
Destruction I Had While In London.
Sometimes a policeman took
pity on me and saved me, and again, by quick and frenzied leaping,
I saved myself; but then the London cabmen were poor marksmen at
best.
In front of the Savoy one night the same cabman in rapid
succession had two beautiful shots at me and each time missed the
bull's-eye by a disqualifying margin of inches. A New York chauffeur
who had failed to splatter me all over the vicinage at the first
chance would have been ashamed to go home afterward and look his
innocent little ones in the face.
Even now I cannot decide in my own mind which is the more fearsome
and perilous thing - to be afoot in Paris at the mercy of all the
maniacs who drive French motor cars or to be in one of the motor
cars at the mercy of one of the maniacs. Motoring in Paris is the
most dangerous sport known - just as dueling is the safest. There
are some arguments to be advanced in favor of dueling. It provides
copy for the papers and harmless excitement for the participants
- and it certainly gives them a chance to get a little fresh air
occasionally, but with motoring it is different. In Paris there
are no rules of the road except just these two - the pedestrian who
gets run over is liable to prosecution, and all motor cars must
travel at top speed.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 174 of 341
Words from 46915 to 47171
of 93169
