Life, 1923-11-22 · page 26 of 34
Life — November 22, 1923 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes newly licensed drivers and their overconfidence. The main story follows Jones, who passes his driving test through luck and bribery ("a minor financial transaction"), then immediately parks illegally in front of a fire hydrant—precisely what he'd carefully avoided during his exam. The joke: he passed the test but learned nothing about actual driving safety. The cartoon's broader satire mocks the State Automobile Bureau's examination as insufficient. Jones represents the "boob" who shouldn't have a license, yet the system fails to prevent his licensing. A secondary joke lists famous intellectuals (Shaw, Wells, Sinclair Lewis) scheduled to lecture on virtues like "Modesty," "Chastity," and "Humility"—presumably speakers known for lacking these qualities—suggesting pretentious hypocrisy in high culture. The bottom comic strip joke is unclear without fuller context, but appears to mock newspaper comic artists.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Got a license to drive?” A nod sufficed. “Well, I dunno how they ever let boobs like you get by,” the policeman informed him kindly. “Maybe you'll explain it to the judge. I dunno the answer.” “Why, what have I done?” Jones in quired anxiously. “Just parked your car right in front e hydrant, that’s all,” said the “What's your name?” James K. McGuinm Coming! 'HE students of St. Andrews, hay- ing listened to Sir J. M. Barrie speak on the beauties of “Courage,” and Mr. Kipling on. the value of in- dependence, are now looking forward The Post-Graduate Course cagerly to the following treat 'HE intricacies and traps of the “Cinch!” he responded. “Cinch! I 1924—Mr. G. B. Shaw on “Mod- State Automobile Bureau’s exam- didn’t forget a thing. Just use your esty.” ination for a driver's license were like head and you'll never have trouble. 1925—Mr. H. G. Wells on “Chas- so much apple pie to Jones. He loath- Simple, the whole thing; really, it _ tity.” ed apple pie; but on occasion he could — should be much stricter.” 1926—Mr. Sinclair Lewis on “Hu- simulate a liking*for it. This happened They reached the street, and, strange- __mility.” SOMETHING ROOMY IN THE WAY OF A CAR to be an occasion. ly, a policeman stood in the foreground. Whenever the examiner ordered “This your car?” he asked. 'ARMER: What you restin’ for? him to turn a corner, he was careful Jones voted affirmatively. Hirep Man: It ain't for; it’s from. to hold out a signaling. hand. Com- manded suddenly to pull up to the curb, Jones watched earnestly for treacherous fire hydrants and shied more than the required ten feet from the nearest one. The darn thing were sneaky, too; jumped from place to place; hid behind lamp-posts and trickily tried to catch you unawares. By dint of intense concentration and a minor financial transaction, he passed the tests and was rewarded with an oblong diploma entitling him to be in- sulted by traffic policemen whenever and wherever it was unnecessary. At all other times he was merely liable to arrest. So it was in great triumph that Jones drove his new car home; and in even greater triumph that he burst into his house and held the precious card on high. He might have started on low, but, of course. Mary had visitors; those Morewn- ton people, awful poseurs, which made the sweets all the sweete “Let's all go for a ride,” Jones sug- gested. “Come on; I'll drive out in the country a bit.” “But the examination, dear,” Mary « protested as she ran for her hat. THEY'RE OFF “Was it hard? EARLY MORNING SCENE IN A NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIP DEPARTMENT comicbooks.com