Judge — September 27, 1924 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Result of a Traffic Officer Reading a Book of Etiquette" This satirical cartoon mocks the collision between rigid social etiquette and urban traffic chaos. The caption's joke: a traffic officer who has learned *politeness* from an etiquette manual becomes ineffective at his actual job—managing vehicles. The scene shows a chaotic street intersection with automobiles, pedestrians, and what appears to be a statue or monument in the background. The traffic officer in the foreground gestures politely rather than authoritatively directing traffic, resulting in gridlock and mayhem. The satire critiques the era's emerging "modern manners" culture—suggesting that excessive politeness and formality are impractical obstacles to necessary urban control. Early 20th-century Judge frequently lampooned social pretension as incompatible with American pragmatism and efficiency.