DRIVING.
To know how to Drive, so as to preserve the Carriage from the injury which it would otherwise receive by violent Jolts, Twists, &c., is a Merit of no small Value.
If a Carriage is driven on uneven ground, it requires great Attention, or it will receive more injury during a journey of a Mile, than it would by a Month’s moderate use on an even Road; therefore,
The Pacein Driving should be accommodated to the roughness of the Road.
The Turningsshould be regulated by the Room. If a Carriage is not wheeled fairly across a channel, the Perch is twisted according to the descent, as the one Wheel falls, in proportion as the other at the opposite angle rises; and frequently by such a wrench the main or Perch Bolt is broken, and every part strained, especially when goingfast. Desire your Coachman toavoid all short sharp Turnings; it is much wiser to go on a few poles further, where another Street will allow plenty of room.
Hard-Driving,especially on the Stones, exposes a Carriage to many mischiefs, either by running against other Vehicles, or breaking by the violence of its own motion.
Some fidgety Coachmen are continually whipping, or, as it is technically termed, “fanning” their Horses—this frets the poor creatures, and puts them into a state of irritation extremely injurious to them, and your Carriage moves in a “hop, skip, and jump” style:—Forbid all use of the Whip, but in cases of inevitable necessity.
Tell your Coachman that your motto for Drivers is
“SlowandSure;”
“SlowandSure;”
“SlowandSure;”
“SlowandSure;”
that the First time he presumes to attempt to display his Dexterity in any place by what is termeddriving to an Inch, shall be thelast time that you will trouble him to wear your Livery.—Five Miles in an Houris quite fast enough for Crowded Streets; especially when turning Corners, and in Streets which have many other Streets leading into them, as Oxford Street, Cheapside, &c.—Better wait Five minutes quietly, or follow a Hackney Coach for Ten paces, than cut and dash along at the risk of your Wheels, your Pannels, and your Neck, &c.: however, you must give him a license to drive a little “ad libitum” in some situations; a rapid movement is sometimes really requisite, in order to escape out of the way of Carts and Waggons, &c.
An experienced Whip, who has a sharp sight, may calculate pretty nearly what space will be sufficient to pass between two bodies which are at rest—but as he will unavoidably meet many Carriages, guided by inexperienced, and often drunken Drivers, which do not for half a minute together move in a precisely direct line, and his good Coachmanship cannot protect him against such Blunderers, unless he proceeds with extreme care, and allows them plenty of room.
A cautious Coachman is ever unremittingly upon the look out, keeping both his Eyes open; employing One to guide his own Horses, and the Other to watch how those who are coming guide theirs; or, as a Wag might say,an Accomplis’d Coachman ought to Squint!He depends entirely upon his own Attention to keep so completely out of their way, that it may be next to impossible for them to run against him.
The most Crowded places are not always the most Dangerous: Accidents most frequently happen fromempty One Horse Carts, in which the Driver rides, instead of walking by the side of the Horse. These vehicles are frequently conducted at such a furious rate by Carmen, in order to make up for the time they have wasted, in tippling, that they often run against inexperienced Coachmen. They abound most in Tottenham Court Road and Holborn, and the outlets from Town.
EveryCartthat approaches, a wary Coachman watches with the most anxious care, and gives all the room it appears to require.
A Fine of at least 10s.should be levied upon all persons driving Carts in such a manner, payable to any person who may demand it. In the event of their occasioning an Accident, let them not only be fined but punished severely.
If your Coachman drives leisurely, you will escape many Dangers, and your Carriage last much longer;—by such gentle use (excepting as to the Wheels) it is worn almost as little as if it remained in the Coach-house.
In Crowded Streets, never permit any person to ride on the Coach Box:—Conversation diverts the attention of the Driver from his Business, and accidents frequently ensue.
Never go into the City through the Strand, Fleet Street, and Cheapside, if you can avoid it, after twelve o’clock: from that hour until five o’clock, they are crowded with Carriages and Carts. In these great ThoroughfaresHackney Coach Standsshould not be permitted. At present the centre of Cheapside, &c. is sometimes filledwith a Stand ofHackney Coachesall the way from St. Paul’s to the Poultry: let these be removed from all Crowded Streets into the Cross Streets adjoining, as is ordered inBond Street.
If the Hackney Coach Stands are removed from the Strand,Fleet Street, &c., the Public will no longer have to complain of the tedious Stoppages which are now so frequent between two and four o’clock of the Day, especially on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
If you go into the City on Mondays and Fridays you will have to encounterthe mostBarbarous Nuisancethat disgraces the British Capital—droves of Oxen passing through its principal Streets in the middle of the Day. That this is still suffered to continue in these times of universal improvement appears to us as wonderful as it is offensive.
To know to a Nicety at what Time you must startto arrive at a certain Place at a certain Hour, you have nothing to do but to ascertainthe Distance, and directthe Paceof travelling.
When you wish to go Faster or Slower, do not say simply “Faster,” or “Slower,” but say “Four,” “Six,” or “Eight,” according to the number of Miles you wish to be driven in an Hour.
In traversing the main Streets of London, always allow at least five minutes in every half hour for Stoppages.
Desire your Coachman to choose the Pleasantest, rather than the Nearest way.Some inconsiderate charioteers, to save the tenth part of a Mile, will drive you through all the nasty narrow Lanes they can find, as if they were trying to make you sick with foul air. Moreover, such Bye-ways are generally so badly Paved, that you will be longergoing over them than on a good road that is a little longer.
Persons who have not an expert Coachman, who has been accustomed to cut his way through Crowded Streets, should desire their Driver to avoid the great Thoroughfares, and to pass along the widest Streets which run parallel to them. This can generally be done without danger by a very young Coachman.
WHEN YOU STOP IN A PUBLIC STREET,
caution your Coachman always to avoid stopping where there is any other Carriage stopping near, either on the same, or on the other side of the way; and when he can, to choose the widest part of the Street, andto draw up his Fore Wheels close to the Curb, and his Hinder Wheels quite square with them. Most of the Accidents which happen to Carriages, while stopping in Crowded Streets, are owing to want of attention to this situation of the Hinder Wheels.
Whenever you get out of your Carriage,Always Shut the Door. If you only stop Two Minutes, it may be necessary for the Coachman to move from his station to prevent injury from other Carriages; and if the Door is open it will swing about, and the Hinges will be strained, and the Pannels may also get a violent blow against a Post, &c.
Never keep your Carriage standing in a great Thoroughfare, through which crowds of Coaches, Carts, &c. are passing; in so doing, you are a source of great inconvenience to others, by occasioning stoppages; and your own Pannels are every moment in danger of being defaced, &c., which cannot be repaired without fresh Painting the whole of the Body: this tedious process will deprive you of the use of your Carriage for at least Three Weeks; therefore, let it wait for you round the corner of some quiet neighbouring Street.
Remember the judicious Advice given by that arch adept in “the Art of Shopping,”Lady Betty Buybargain, to her Niece,Miss K. Cutadash. The fair Kitty was ever and anon irritably anxious tobe whirled to the Door of every “Magazin des Modes” that her caprice called her to, in her Aunt’s shewy Carriage; saying, “I assure you, that if you go in your Carriage, my Dear Aunt, the people are infinitely politer than they are to their Walking Customers.” “Aye! Aye!” replied the discreet Dowager, “what you say may be True enough, Dear, and their Politeness would be pleasant enough, Love,If, as my poor dearSir Benjamin Buybargainalways used to say,Ifthey did’nt Book it, Kitty!—but they charge for it, my Child; they charge for it, Dear!—asSir Benjaminused to say, ‘they put those Bows down in Their Bills!!!’”
However, there is nothing in which more People are more extremely mistaken, than in the general idea that keeping a Carriage always is (as it ought to be) infallible evidence of superfluous Wealth. Many pompous persons, in order to provide the means of indulging in this expensive Luxury, are miserably penurious in all other matters; and many Fine Liveries, &c. have been purchased with the Money thatought to have been spent in Food, Fire, &c.; and to cut a dash at Vanity Fair, and keep up an external glitter, the Comfort of Home is entirely sacrificed:—asSir Spendthriftsays, “They must have a Carriage, if they are obliged to save it a Thousand ways.”
NEVER BREAK THE RANKS,
either in Crowded Streets or when setting down at Public Places: by attempting thus impatiently (and unfairly) to save a few minutes, many Carriages have been destroyed, and many Lives have been lost.
In admitting others into the Rank, (which you have often an opportunity of doing,) “Do as you would be Done by.”
THE WISEST PLAN WHEN GOING TO THEATRES,
or other extremely Crowded places, is, when the weather permits, to be put down a little before you get to them. This, however, is hardly ever necessary when going, when it is both more safe and more desirable, formany reasons, to be set down at the Door.
When your Carriage is brought to take you Home, desire your Coachman to select, for this purpose, a situation where there is least danger of being blockaded in by other Carriages, rather than that which may be nearest and most convenient to get in,—it is to little purpose that you can get Into your Carriage, if that cannot get Out.
Observe this particularly at the Play, or other Public places. If the weather is at all favourable, you can get to your Carriage in a tenth part of the time, and at half the risk, it can get to you; and even delicate Ladies will suffer less by skipping a few yards along the Pavement, than by waiting half an hour or more in the dangerous draughts of a cold Lobby or perishing Ante-room.
As soon as the Play or the Party is over, most people are in desperate haste to get Home; however, asTom Thriftysays, “Nothing isdone well that is done in a Hurry, except catching of Fleas.” The frightful Confusion created in the immediate vicinity of crowded Assemblies, will be carefully avoided by all persons who wish to preserve their Carriage from damage, and their Persons from risk: even at a large party, in a private house, to get up to the Door is sometimes a service of both difficulty and danger.
When you pull the Check String, and do not at the same time direct the Coachman to stop at any particular House, tell him to take care not to stop beforethe Doorof any House, butin the middlebetween Houses, so as not to give any persons the needless trouble to come to their Door, from an idea that you are coming to their House. And desire him never to drive up to a Door in the furious manner which vulgar Coachmen seem to imagine is very stylish, but to go at his usual quiet pace.
During what is termedan Airing, get as much pure Air as you can without risk of taking Cold: rather put down the Front than theSide Windows; the former are convenient for giving directions to the Coachman: by merely uttering the word “Left” or “Right,” you may direct his track wherever you wish.
In Cold weather, you may do this, by telling him to look round just before he comes to a Turning, by putting your hand to the Right hand front Glass when he is to go to theRight, and to the Left hand when he is to go to theLeft: or you may arrange, that one smart pull of the Check String means “to turn to theRight;” a double one, “to theLeft;” and a continued one, “to stop where he is.”
When you call outStop!without saying or pointing towhere, tell him you mean that he should instantlyStop, i. e.as quickly, and as nearly as possible where he then is, even if that be in the middle of a muddy Street.
One of the many and great advantages of having a Coachman a long time in your service, is, that a single word will direct him where to drive you: you have merely to say the name of the Street, or the Person towhich you wish him to carry you. One Word does it; therefore, if you love your Lungs, beware of changing your Coachman.
Sir John Fielding, the famous Police Magistrate, who was blind, had a pipe fixed from the Carriage to the Coach Box, through which he could converse with the Coachman, without being heard by others. When his Chariot was stopped by any obstruction in the Streets, he inquired of the Coachman what kind of Carriage, &c. occasioned it; and it was his humour then to put out his head, and shout out in his usual peremptory tone, “Take that Cart out of the way!” or, “You Sir, in that Chaise, drive on!” This occasioned great astonishment, how he, who was blind, could perceive the cause of the stoppage, and was a source of great amusement to Sir John.
Desire your Coachman never to dispute with, or return any Uncivil language to any Coachman, Carman, &c.: if your Carriage is obstructed or offended by any disorderly persons, take out your Pocket Book, and let them see you are setting down their Number, and then coolly tellthem you will summon them if they do not immediately clear the way.
By the 1st Geo. I. c. 57, “Drivers of Hackney Coaches are to give way to Gentlemen’s Carriages, under a penalty of 10s.”
If your Carriage be injuredby another running against it, ascertain whose Carriage has done the mischief, and let your Coachmaker give an Estimate of what he will charge for repairing it; then, before you have the repair done, let the person who injured it see the mischief and pay the sum charged for amending it.Mr. Jarvissays, that the custom is for the Repair to be done by the Coachmaker of the Party who committed the Injury.
If curious Children ask “Whose Carriage is this?” tell your Coachman to Stare full in their face, and Say Nothing: if they have the Impudence to repeat the Question, he may reply, “it belongs to Mr.Pry.” If equivocation be ever allowable, it is to such Impertinents.
Those who may admire the Carriage and want to know who built it, willfind the Coachmaker’s name on the Axle-tree Caps.
If any of your Coachman’s own acquaintance speak to him while he is either driving or waiting for You, he must answer them only by a civil movement of his Head or Whip hand. Nothing is more disrespectful and disorderly than Gossiping while on Duty.