Life — April 12, 1929 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon, credited to "Mr. Pipp" (No. 10), depicts a crowded group of well-dressed men and women in early 20th-century attire, apparently confused or arguing about directional movement. The caption references "the one-way traffic law." The satire likely mocks the confusion or resistance surrounding newly implemented one-way traffic regulations in urban areas. The jumbled composition—with figures facing different directions and appearing disoriented—humorously suggests public bewilderment at following strict traffic laws. The well-dressed subjects suggest this affects all social classes equally, poking fun at both the general public's difficulty adapting to modern urban traffic control and possibly at city planners' assumption that citizens would easily comply with such regulations.