Market St., San Francisco, 1906

[ttweed]

I know we all like to bitch and moan about traffic rules and regs, but I just saw this old film of a cablecar ride up Market St. in 1906, and the chaos totally blew my mind. If it didn't all happen at 10 mph or less, people would be dying left and right. There are no road rules, no signals, no crosswalks--people are driving on either side of the road, passing and crossing everywhere, hanging u-turns at will, cars mixed with horse-drawn wagons, and pedestrians are mixed in everywhere--crossing and standing in the middle of the street to catch the cablecars and streetcars, etc. Check it out: http://www.flixxy.com/san-francisco-1905-historical-footage.htm

TT

[stevemckay]

DID YOU NOTICE THE RIGHT HAND DRIVE CAR.I GREW UP HERE AND IT IS NOTHING LIKE THIS NOW!DEFINITELY A MUCH SLOWER LIFE STYLE KINDA LOOKS APPEALING

[ttweed]

Ya, cars had not yet standardized on left-hand drive, and obviously, traffic lanes had not been established. The commentary I read regarding the film said it was shot just a few days before the big earthquake, and this part of the city was totally destroyed. The ferry building in the distance is still there, I guess, which indicates the cable car is traveling east on Market St.

TT