Let's Stop And Go Safely (1948)

how people I suppose we can all imagine what it might so we all realize that there are certain things which we must do interest do we know why we must do these things another reason well sometimes isn't it so we won't be selfish yes that's a very important reason and one that we often forget streets and sidewalks belong to and we all use them so wear them by being courteous you before you cross the street that's right that's a rule you bet it is we have traffic rules we tell us how to be good citizens by reminding us to the alert and careful as well as courteous and considerate can we think of some more rules wouldn't another rule will be stop look and listen at a train crossing yes that's a rule and it reminds us to be alert let's have another rule there's a sign your high school that's for cars to make them slow down yes we have a rule the drivers must be extra careful when they go past schools and playgrounds now how about some of the rules which help us to be courteous thoughtful and considerate i signal lights at crossings to make a steak turn that's a good example of a courtesy rule signals make us take turns by making traffic going one way wait for traffic going the other way when we ride our bikes is a rule that we were signal and we are going to turn the corner that rule helps us be considerate of others by letting them know just what we're going to do now here's an important question whose job is it to enforce the rules to see to it that everyone is alert careful courteous and considerate do you know that's you isn't it is now at least before at first it may seem that way but that's not entirely true the traffic policeman's job is to help people to learn the rules and to remind them when they forget the rules but traffic policemen can't be everywhere at once there are lots more people to watch than there are policemen to watch them you can imagine how silly it would be if each one of us had to have his own special policeman watching over him all the time just to see that no rules were broken no that wouldn't be practical and it isn't necessary if you're a good citizen and want to be courteous to others and avoid getting hurt you must be own traffic policeman now that's not as difficult as it might sound can anyone think of the first thing you might do in order to be his own traffic policeman well to be a policeman you have to know the rules yes that is absolutely necessary and after we learn the rules then what then then we have to follow the rules right and that's all there is to it if we know the rules and follow the rules then each one of us can be his own traffic policeman would you come up here Johnny now Johnny's own traffic policeman is really up here in his mutt and let's imagine that Johnny zones he looks like Johnny because he really is a part of Johnny the part that learns and thinks about traffic rules and traffic courtesy in the rules and developing keveth he knows that his policeman will be there when he's me to remind him of the rules and warn him of danger if Johnny really thinks about safety all the time and tries to learn he can about safety then he'll ever police known to help him be ours isn't me let me tell you a story about a friend of mine and how his own traffic policeman was on the job to help him avoid getting hurt his name is Jimmy and on this particular day his mother sent into the store and I just need a loaf of whole wheat this should be enough watch out for the cars on the road yes mam Jimmy was thinking mother's worry too much after all he was big enough to know the rules like the one that he should walk down the road on the left side facing the traffic so he could watch out for cars and Jimmy knew how to cross the road safely too he didn't have to be told to watch out for cars yes Jimmy knew how to take care of himself but the main thing we must all learn about safety is that accidents happen suddenly and usually when we least expect them now we'll see why it was a good thing that Jimmy's own policeman was on the job with him that day Jay Dick's got a new kite and then Jimmy almost forgot to be alert that is he would have forgotten if his own policeman hadn't suddenly said Jimmy stopped suddenly realizing that he was about to break the rules he could well imagine what might have happened to him if his own policeman hadn't reminded heavy alert we all know that dashing into the road from between parked cars is dangerous Jimmy knew it too and because he'd formed the habit of thinking about safety his own policeman was on the job to help him even though he did almost forget after all dick didn't mind waiting just a little bit longer so Jimmy could take the time to cross the road carefully and that's how Jimmy avoided getting hurt because he'd learned the rules and had formed safe habit would you have remembered in time if you were Jimmy perhaps um of you without an experience like Jimmy's when you stopped yourself just in time to avoid causing a traffic accident I'd want you weeks ago I remembers tired is just kidding around there so I challenged Jane to array come on I'll race you to my house okay if I can start it get set go I got off to a good start and pulled ahead of James but even though I was ahead I wasn't sure I could beat her we had quite a distance to go so I scared as fast as I could I didn't want to give her a chance to catch up and pass me and then I remembered that to get to my house we would have to cross Maple Street as we raced through the crossing I tried to decide the door should stop at the corner and look for cars or not after all I would have felt silly if I had stopped and Jane didn't she might pass me it not many cars use maple street so maybe it wouldn't be dangerous but just hold on you're forgetting to be careful that was my own policeman talking to me quickly I imagine what might have happened if I'd gone ahead and taken a chance there was no way I could tell whether there was a car coming or not it would have served me right for having been careless it was a good thing my thoughts help me to stop and think of the rule time Martin enough to make me take a chance of getting hurt I would stop even if Jane did catch up and I'm glad I stopped because there really was the car coming haha I caught up with you wait till across the street then I'll beat you we all know that stopping to carefully look both ways before we cross the street is an important traffic rules it's when we are in too much of a hurry that we're likely to forget and take foolish chances well stay on that race but I just assumed she had one assist taking a chance of getting hurt Thank You Helen that was a good story it showed that we should never be less by taking unnecessary chances has anyone else had an experience like Helens they'd like to tell us about Billy one day after school Jack and I were playing together over his front yard we had my football I wanted to kick the ball but Jack said but or not you might break the window Jack was right but I still wanted to kick the ball and the playground was pretty far from Jack's house let's go out my street and kick it ok we were just dying to go out in the street my policeman made me stop and think wait what is before anyway right then I saw what might have happened to us if we had gone ahead and played in the street it's easy to be selfish and forget that children are not being curious when they play in the streets streets are for cars and they have the right of way of course playing in the street can be dangerous as well as selfish the colored driver might not have some time to stop I'm glad my policeman was on the job to help me remember to be courteous and careful before I took the chance of getting hurt once I stopped to think about it I changed my mind fast maybe we better not play in the street it's too dangerous all right let's go to the playground after all it was better to walk a few blocks the playground into a picking a chance of causing an accident it seems doing now but at immediate almost forget that was a good story Billy you pointed out the selfishness of playing in the street as well as the danger as good citizens we must always remember to be courteous do you want another story well one day Margie she's a friend of mine and I were walking home from school I had promised my mother with some work but we were a little late what's the noise come on Margie I'm late there was a traffic signal at the next week we had to thought let's go wait the signals changes I intended to try it the signals my own policeman was with me to help me remember the rules and I quickly imagined but I'd have happened if I had forgotten to be considered of the cars going the other way I wasn't in that much of a hurry my own placement in time to remember to be a good citizen by waiting my turn signal lights are put at the corners to help us and we messed up when they tell us to even though we were in a hurry vomits it took while we waited for the signal to change didn't really make traumatic I turned across the street let's say as the cars obey the signal and waited that's what by remembering to be considerate isn't it yes Barbara it certainly is now I think we all realize the importance of being our own traffic policeman do we all agree that from now on we'll try to be our own traffic policeman all right what do we do first well we have tools that's correct then what then we have to follow the rules and to be sure we followed alert careful courteous and considerate sapphic but now what do you have tried it