Life — May 8, 1931 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Right of Way" - Life Magazine Cartoon This cartoon satirizes urban street congestion and pedestrian safety. The sketch depicts a chaotic street scene with a "ONE-WAY" sign visible above storefronts (one reading "DELICATESSEN" and "GROCERY"). Multiple figures—adults and children—crowd a narrow urban sidewalk near parked automobiles, creating dangerous congestion. The cartoon's title, "Right of Way," appears ironic: despite traffic regulations like the one-way sign meant to organize street flow, the reality shown is complete disorder with pedestrians and vehicles competing for the same cramped space. This likely critiques early-twentieth-century urban planning's failure to manage the explosive growth of automobile traffic, leaving pedestrians vulnerable and streets dangerously overcrowded.