Judge — February 9, 1929 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Judge" Cartoon Analysis This single-panel cartoon satirizes traffic enforcement and vigilante justice. A motorist, having apparently caused an accident (indicated by a figure lying on the ground with scattered belongings), addresses a police officer. The motorist justifies the collision by claiming he deliberately waited to "catch one of those drivers off his truck"—suggesting he intentionally hit a truck driver, presumably to retaliate for previous traffic violations or reckless driving. The satire targets both aggressive motorists and the frustration with dangerous truck drivers of the era. The cartoon mocks the motorist's willingness to cause property damage and injury to punish traffic offenses, presenting his recklessness as darkly comedic "justice." The officer's response (or silence) implies tacit acceptance of this vigilante behavior, further satirizing law enforcement's inability or unwillingness to properly police traffic violators.