A Check on Joy-Riding.
Joy-riding is a hilarious running away with a man's automobile by the chauffeur or other persons not authorized to use it. It is always irresponsible and tumultuous, and many of the worst automobile accidents have resulted from the practice.
Now the ever-ingenious Yankee has produced a contrivance which exposes two bright yellow discs when the owner or his authorized representative is using the car, but automatically substitutes two bright red discs when the car is used by anyone not authorized. The owner controls the arrangement with a Yale lock.
I should like to apply this patent to writings and speeches.
For lots of folks go joy-riding in other people's thoughts. They serenely take possession, turn the crank, pull the lever, grasp the wheel, and off they fly, in the press or on the rostrum, to the admiration of the crowd. Whiz-z-z! What rapid progress they make! They fairly devour the miles. Slow coaches gaze upon them with envy in their hearts. They move in an atmosphere of applause. Were ever drivers more skillful, more courageous?
And all the while they are riding unauthorized in a machine that does not belong to them. They did not pay for it. They did not earn it with the sweat of their brow. It is just the thought of another man which they have coolly appropriated and run away with.
Now if only some automatic danger signal could appear, in connection with such a speech or article, to warn the public, it would be a genuine boon and would vastly promote the honesty of the human race. I do not know what this signal could be—I leave that for the inventor. But when the contrivance appears, I predict for it a useful career.