Omnibuses and cabs. Henry Charles Moore
is obstructed and poisoned.
6. Always bawls out "All right!" before the passengers have taken their seats, by which gross carelessness great inconvenience and even danger are often occasioned.
But it was not only of the drivers and conductors that the public complained. The officials at the inquiry offices stationed at the starting-point of each line, were denounced as being utterly unfitted for the positions they occupied. All were rude, and most of them possessed but little intelligence. One afternoon, about twenty minutes past four, a gentleman entered the omnibus office at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn and inquired of the clerk whether omnibuses started from there to a certain railway-station.
"Yes," was the reply.
"At what hours?"
"One hour before each train."
"Then I'm just in time to catch the 5.30 one."
"It's all down in writing on that there board."
The traveller turned to the board, and, finding the 5.30 train entered upon it, went out into the street to await the arrival of the omnibus. But after pacing up and down for a quarter of an hour, and seeing no sign of a conveyance, he returned to the office and enquired when it would arrive.
"It's gone," the official said.
"Then it didn't start from here," the traveller declared. "I've been waiting outside since twenty past four."
"What train do you want to catch?"
"The half-past five, to be sure. I told you so."
"Oh, we ain't got no omnibus to catch that train."
"But man, you said that you had one to each train."
"I told you it was all down in writing on that there board, and you ought to have seen for yourself there ain't no omnibus for the half-past five."
The traveller again turned to the hoard, and glaring at it, declared angrily, "There's nothing of the kind state here!"
The official pointed to a small cross against the 5.30 train and said triumphantly, "'This here mark means there ain't no omnibus." "Well, how was I to know that?"
"Most gentlemen, when they sees it, asks me what the deuce it means, and I tells them."
"But what do the others do?"
The clerk did not condescend to answer, but took out his pocket-knife and busied himself in peeling an apple.
While the public was busily denouncing the behaviour of 'busmen, a quaint vehicle, named the "equirotal omnibus," was placed on the streets. The inventor, Mr. W. B. Adams, maintained that all vehicles should have four large wheels, instead of two large and two small, and his omnibus was constructed on that principle. It was built in two parts, which were joined together in the middle by a flexible leather passage, to enable it to turn easily. "It will turn with facility in the narrowest streets, without impeding the passage along the interior," Mr. Adams declared, "as the flexible sides move in a circle. With this omnibus two horses will do the work of three; there will be great facility of access and egress; perfect command over the horses; increased ease to the passengers; greater head-room and more perfect ventilation; greater general durability and absence of the usual rattling noise, accompanied by entire safety against overturning."
In spite of Mr. Adams's recommendation, the "equirotal omnibus" did not become popular, and had but a short career.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.