The Motorist and the Law
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3500800312 |
| Published date | 01 July 1935 |
| Date | 01 July 1935 |
| Author | Cyril M. M. Cook |
| Subject Matter | Article |
The Motorist and The Law
By SERGEANT CYRIL
1\1.
M. COOK
Bristol
City
Police
THE
suggestion-which
originated in the distant days
when every mechanically propelled vehicle was, by
law, limited to the speed of the man who preceded it on foot,
with a red flag, and which has been revived periodically ever
since-that
the motorist is harassed, pestered, persecuted,
and oppressed by the police, has again been brought forward
of late. A short time ago, in consequence of a letter in the
correspondence columns of a well-known daily newspaper,
the editor invited his readers to submit letters on the subject,
" Police versus Motorists." A prize of half a guinea was
offered for each letter published and, judging by the selection
published each day for several weeks,
it
appeared that the
majority of the million and a half registered readers of the
paper had something to say on the subject.
The
letters selected for publication represented many
diverse points of view. Some writers abused the police
generally; others cited specific instances of alleged police
persecution. Some correspondents seized the opportunity to
revile the motorist as a selfish, self-centred grouser, who was
a danger to himself and amenace to the community in general,
while not a few of the letters expressed sympathy with the
police in the performance of their difficult tasks and declared
complete confidence in the fairness with which they do their
duty.After eliminating such contributions as were merely
abusive or obviously written with the bias engendered by
consideration of one side of the question only, it was still
very obvious that the subject was one upon which all sorts
35°
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