London at the End of the Century:A Book of Gossip
a Beckett, Arthur William
1900
PARIS VOITURES AND LONDON CABS.
The French is smarter than the London four-wheeler; but I am not sure that the Victoria is preferable to the hansom. The Parisian jehus seem to be suffering under a chronic grievance. They never | |
139 | smile and seldom speak. When they have a fare their chief object in life seems to be to commit manslaughter by driving over some absent-minded pedestrian. Thanks to the asphalte, it is not difficult to kill a foot passenger. All you have to do is to make for him, and, if he does not clear out of the way, go over him. The omnibus drivers are more merciful, and of the two would rather save a pedestrian than kill him. Indeed, I have seen a driver of a tramcar absolutely pull up rather than run down a lady and a family of four! But it is only fair to add that the driver was regarded as by his . It may be as well to know what to do in the case of coming across a too-insolent cabdriver. The last time I was in I hailed a Victoria and told the coachman that I wished to take him by the hour. He protested loudly, but submitted. I was accompanied by my better seven-eighths, and soon discovering that the amiable lady was a trifle nervous, the indignant jehu drove into everything. We charged omnibuses, collided with tramcars, and attempted to cross over vans. At my urgent entreaties my better seven-eighths preserved her . Finding that the Dick-Turpin's-ride-to-York kind of progress did not trouble us, the coachman adopted other tactics. He made his horse walk at the pace of a weary steed at a congested State funeral. We took fully a quarter of an |
140 | hour to get across the Place de la Concorde, and ten minutes to pass the Hotel Meurice in the Rue de Rivoli. Then, finding we still were patient, he stopped his horse altogether before the Louvre and put on the nosebag. It was then I protested. |
The man treated my complaint with contempt. While we were in altercation a passed. I appealed to the law as represented in his person. In a moment the was mounted on our box, and we were driving at a smart pace to the nearest cabstand. The descended, and introduced me to another policeman. A book was produced from a kiosk, and I was requested to insert a narrative of my wrongs. It was then that I regretted that apathy shown about the acquisition of the French language, which, alas! is a characteristic at our public schools. But my better seven-eighths came to my rescue, helped me with my irregular verbs, and generally superintended my grammar. The story was told in French of varying quality. | |
said the commissaire, | |
I was horrified! What had I done? During the rest of my two days in I was in terror lest I | |
141 | should be called. Fortunately the machinery of the law was slow, and I made my escape. |
