Image provided by: Charlotte Berkham; Portland, OR
About The Grantonian (Portland, Ore.) 19??-???? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1966)
2 THE GRANTONIAN December 2, 1966 traffic iafetu improvement reità on ni The screech of rubber streaking across pavement, a scream, a soft thud and then a sharp unrestrainable thrust: an accident has just occurred. The time is now, the place is 36th avenue between Knott street and U.S. Grant place. Who is responsible for this acci dent? Who can be justly held re sponsible for the 36th street drag strip or the traffic congestion around Yaw’s Top Notch or the traffic tie-up each morning and afternoon at the corner of Thompson and 36th? Many people seem to blame teen agers for these inconveniences, but it could have its root someplace else. Henry Ford was the originator of the car, so maybe the blame can rest on him. The automobile manufacturers deserve some recognition for their fallible safety and accident prevent ing devices. Then there is Mr. Pettygrove and Mr. Lovejoy, two of the founders of Portland, who some blame may be cast upon. More directly, the men who planned the city, those who laid out the streets and business areas of Portland could share in the guilt of traffic congestion. Who would you choose as your scapegoat? Whoever is the cause of traffic problems, whoever is respon sible for the rising number of acci dents, the solution rests on us. The traffic conditions surrounding the Grant area make existence haz ardous for those in cars, on bikes and on foot. The unofficially proclaimed drag strip down 36th is presenting the area with a dangerous situation harmful to all and helpful to none. Traffic congestion to the point of immobility before and after school has become a normal experience in this area. The “no parking” signs posted in front of the school do not seem to apply to students or to those picking them up, because if they do, no one is obeying them. Examples of cars in the worst con ditions are throughout the area. Cars which should be completely refitted with new fenders, bumpers and lights are being driven by students. These cars present a hazard to everyone on the road at the same time. Becoming aware of these hazards is not enough. Individually and as a student body we should take steps to improve these and other dangerous traffic problems. Safety on the road depends on you! lÁJiílátudentó toòe race Keeping in mind his last chance for a really big news scoop, Melvin Snook, ex-reporter representing the Daily Slab, cashed his final pay check, picked up his walking papers and in high hopes set out for Port land, Oregon. v ’TRASH b maining to reveal how easily the vic tory was won.” When Melvin reaches his destina tion, which will he find, a fantasti cally chaotic situation the story of which could guarantee immediate placement on any newspaper, or a clean-up campaign poster in center hall reflecting the week’s activities? Even though this is an extreme ex ample of what could happen if the present litter problem continues, it is not too far out to suggest that the pride and reputation of the school is partially in your hands and some what lost when you throw that piece of garbage in the halls and on the campus. Problem, responsibilities contemplated by students aware of safety dangers Yearly thousands of people in Oregon reach the set legal age for driving a mo tor vehicle. How prepared is this large mass of people to assume the responsi bility of the road? What thoughts came to your mind when you first contemplated driving? Possibly you were anxious to drag Yaw’s with friends on Friday and Saturday night or maybe you awaited the end to transportation problems. But, did you stop to think that each additional driver and car adds one more hazard to the realm of driving? When do you feel a person is ready and capable to take on the responsibility of driving a motor vehicle? In your opin ion should the minimum driving age be raised or lowered? Several students ex pressed their ideas on these questions. “A time of respon sibility cannot be de termined by age alone, but by capabilities and maturity. Sixteen is as good an age as any, for many 30- year-olds are just as incapable on the road as a 16-year-old. Mari Goodman “The best way for determining whether or not a person is capable is by a certified drivers’ training course, both classroom and behind the wheel. Maturity can come only from ex- perience,” Bob Blackford, senior. “I think that a person is ready to ac- cept the responsibility when he can re- alize that he endangers the lives of oth ers when he is driving. After you learn this you can be trusted with such a dan gerous weapon. “I think the age is substantial the way it stands now because I feel people of 16 years of age are going to have to learn responsibility. But some people aren’t responsible at this age. Parents should judge you to see if you qualify,” Teresa Blythe, senior. “I think that at 16, the present mini mum driver’s license age, a person is old enough to be responsible behind the Student body ignores truffle safety problems, forget lessons learned from tragedy easily From an unreliable source as usual Melvin received this “supercalifragil- isticexpialidocious” news tip: “Grant high school has been awarded the only first place trophy for losing the race between man and litter. Campus and building areas are so overrun with debris that there is lit tle chance of ever finding the student body or faculty. One janitor miracu lously forced his way through the mass of litter by using a dust pan for a shovel. He is the soul survivor re- by Marilyn Leonard Several acts have been suggested by the General council and the Grantonian to solve the traffic situation around the campus. Most have been approved, then forgotten in a few weeks. An example of the approve and forget method occurred in 1958 when the wreckage of a car was displayed in the school. The particular car carried one Grantonian to his death. Many ideas were brought up for traffic safety, as is the case after an accident has claimed the life of someone in a school. Such ideas included a safety check on cars and a driver’s test, which was published in the paper. A statement from the Grantonian said that “Grant leads all the other schools in traffic violations.” This no longer holds true—Madison holds the lead now, according to the police department. A major step was the parking signs out in front of the schools. They’re the ones saying NO PARKING or STOPPING AT ANY TIME. These signs went into effect November 25, 1959, and have not been obeyed as yet. One-way street and traffic signals have been offered in solution to this in creasingly large problem. These suggestions have met the same fate as all others of the approve and forget method. It seems that not even the “Supreme Sacrifice” is going to help this problem. wheel. Therefore, I think the age for li censes and permits should remain tne same,” Mari Goodman, sophomore. “I don’t feel that all people are ready for a driver’s license at the same age. It is dif ficult to determine an age at which a person will be responsible enough, but I think 16 is the best age. I still have a permit, Jeff Walker because I’m not sure that I’ve had enough experience to be a responsible driver, but I would resent it if I wasn’t allowed to get a license un til I was 18,” Miriam Moore, senior. “I think beginning drivers should be given actual physical experience in dan gerous situations (skid, panic-stop, etc.) by an experienced professional under controlled circumstances. This “artifi cial” experience would give a beginning driver a better “feel” for what his ve hicle is doing and capable of doing,” Jeff Walker.. “I think that driving is not really a matter of age, but of ability. But some people are not ready to drive until their later teen years. If it has to be a matter of age, I think a person should be able to take his driver’s test at 16 but if his in structor feels he is not capable of driv ing, his license should be rejected until he became more capable and ready to take on this great responsibility,” Janet Cole, freshman. “In my opinion, driving ability is a matter of judgement and reactions, not of age. Many people con sider teens bad driv ers because teens take chances, but many adults are so unaware of the other drivers Janet Cole that they take chances without realizing it,” Tom Dotan. “I do not think that there should be a set age such as there is now that a per son can get his or her driver’s license. There are often extenuating circum stances in which a driver’s license is needed at younger ages, and also cases when a 16-year-old is not capable of ac cepting the responsibility of a driver’s license,” Sarah Fryberger, senior. “A person is ready to take the responsi bility when he feels that he is capable of assuming all the re sponsibility of the road. (There should be no set age. High school age is good.) When a person is ca Inese Brunins pable he should know he is taking a risk and should be mature enough not to fool with a motor vehicle. The driving age is fine where it is. Many boys and girls are not mature enough to accept the responsibility if they are al lowed a license at 13 or 14,” Inese Bru nins, junior.