Heed These Hints

Page Twelve ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

BEWARE THE HITCH-HIKER

The increasing record of crimes against the confiding motorist who, without discrimination, puts his life and property at the mercy of any chance wayfarer who solicits his aid, should give the traveler pause.

One traveling by motor along the highways of Arizona is constantly solicited by men, women, girls and boys for a ride. Encouraging these persons cannot be too vigorously condemned. Aside from the fugitive from justice and depraved criminal, who constitute an ever present menace on the highways, there are the young persons of irresponsible habits, imbued with a spirit of adventure, who sally forth to see the world and cast themselves upon the mercy of the traveling public.

This particular form of vagrancy is sometimes far reaching in its evil effects, in some cases parents left to the terrors of uncertainty as to the whereabouts of ungrateful and adventurous offspring. There is a record at the Y. W. C. A. of two fourteen or fifteen year old girls picked up by a passing motorist, their homes in El Paso and not a dollar between the two. They were fortunate in that the

NOVEMBER, 1929

motorist was the type of man who took them to the "Y".

The precautions taken by a former peace officer, whose kindliness of heart is not proof against the indigent wayfarer, should convince the average motorist of the danger of indiscriminate "lifts." This man of splendid physique and always armed-ininvariably searches his prospective passenger, transfers whatever he finds in the way of fire arms to his own care during the trip, and sees to it that there is no weapon of assault at hand. Many carrying guns relinquish them cheerfully and those who protest are left to their fate.

Some states have laws against hitch-hiking, and in Arizona, with its widely separated settlements, laws tending to the discouragement of this practice cannot be too highly recommended. Communities should require that their police officers inform the highway vagrant that he is prohibited from soliciting aid from the motorist.

'WARE MONOXIDE

It's a great temptation, when the weather is cold and so is the motor in your car, to close the garage doors and warm 'er up a little before you start out.

Don't close the door-it is extremely hazardous! Data assembled by the National Safety Council show that the hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning, while unimportant as compared with many other accident hazards, is increasing rapidly. In 1929 there were more than twice as many deaths from this cause as in 1924. The 1928 and 1929 death rate from carbon monoxide show a steady increase.

Remember this about carbon monoxide: You can't see it! You can't smell it! You can't taste it! But it is deadly!

When you are in your garage with the motor running, keep the doors and windows open.

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