Judge, 1926-09-11 · page 8 of 35
Judge — September 11, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "Judge" Magazine Page This page satirizes the poor state of taxi service and traffic safety in early 20th-century urban America. The top cartoon depicts a chaotic street scene with multiple taxis, pedestrians, and vehicles—conveying the disorder and danger of taxi transportation. The left column provides mock-serious instructions for what to do after a taxi accident: document the damage, collect witness information, and remain composed. This satirizes both the frequency of taxi collisions and the bureaucratic procedures citizens must endure. The right section absurdly escalates methods for summoning a taxi in different weather—from crooked fingers to jumping from buildings, firing cannons at cabs, and dressing as a prison guard. The escalating lunacy mocks the near-impossibility of actually obtaining taxi service. The final punchline—"take a street car"—suggests public transit is more reliable than taxis, a damning indictment of the taxi industry's incompetence and unreliability. The satire targets taxi drivers' poor conduct, dangerous driving, and the general inadequacy of taxi service as a transportation solution.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fe FN 1 The current taxis, drivers and starters are very inelegant What to Do When Hit by a Tari ], GPT out of your car and scowl * at cab driver. th driver where he thought S going. 3. Do not reply to what he tells you. $. Inspect. crumpled fender and pull at it a little, | 3. Wipe off hands and ask if any- one in the crowd has a picce of paper and a pencil. style as per erample. i Write down cab drive 6. Ask cab driver to ses lice Ss name, address, license number and the number of his cab. 8. Write down names, ages and addresses of two witnesses. Write down exact time and location of accident. 10. Write down extent of damages and r itive position of both ears. 11. Get back in your car with a jaw and drive off. hrow away the picce of paper. | Map showing route of taxi driver talsing stranger to Superba Hotel. iffairs and we demand a renaissance of How to Call a Taxi (And What to Call It) i In Fair Weather Crook Your Finger IN RAINY WEATHER 1 Rew to the bank, draw out every- * thing you've got in it, have it changed into one dollar bills, tie it at the end of a long stick and hold stick out over the curb. If you haven't any money in the bank hock your jewels. —Jump out of the window of a story building and land in’ the street. This will cause a_ traffic tie-up and you will be able to jump in the cab when driver — isn’t looking. (3)—Go to the nearest fire box, break the glass. pull down the hook and await results. (4)—Buy a small cannon, mount it on the curb and when a taxi comes along shoot it in the front tire. (5)—Dress up like a prison guard, stand on the curb and the driver ally. ap game on the you will have a crowd of n no time. (7)—Try and get one of the darn things to hit you. ‘The cops will do the rest. After you have tried all these things and failed take a street car. J. Jr. will stop automati (6)—Start ac corner and taxis aroun comicbooks.com