The Wasp — 1889 — page 338: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents two satirical scenes critiquing San Francisco's cable car system as dangerous and chaotic. **Top panel** ("A Cable Road Accident - A Daily Occurrence"): Shows a cable car accident with a victim sprawled on the street while well-dressed gentlemen stand nearby. The scene suggests cable cars caused frequent, casual injuries treated as routine urban hazards. **Bottom panel** ("Always Room for One More"): Depicts an overcrowded cable car with passengers literally piled atop each other, with a figure on the right appearing to solicit more riders. The title mocks how operators prioritized profit over passenger safety and comfort. Both cartoons attack cable car operators for prioritizing revenue while ignoring public safety and reasonable capacity limits. This reflects genuine San Francisco safety concerns during the cable car era's rapid expansion.