The talking car.

[Music] [Music] did you sneak out of the house again just to meet me greg you just came out to accompany me on the harmonica didn't you listen to this mary [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on the light's still green wait a minute mary let's not cross yet well why not jack why not buy my gears and gaskets jacks right unless you saw the green light come on you just don't know how much time there is left across so you wait for the amber the red and then cross at the beginning of the green light who said that [Music] he's acting as if the car were talking that's silly cars can't talk well boil my radiator that's the trouble with people jack they say something can't be so just because they never heard of it before [Music] you can tell rags i'm not the biting kind mary it really can talk [Music] how did you know our names it's no problem when a fella gets around as much as i do especially since i watch for you every day what do you watch for us well let's say i enjoy watching you learn and put into practice the rules of safety just yesterday i saw you two at the safety demonstration on the school grounds remember you saw us then that's right mary i was sitting across the street at the time watching and listening and i might add enjoying every minute of it you know i was mighty pleased that when the instructor asked a question you two were as quick as a hot spark plug with the answers just watching you learning the signs and rules of traffic and pedestrian safety made my carburetor skip a jump yes sir i felt like tooting my horn when i saw that you remembered those rules when you came to this intersection well we've learned the traffic lights are put up for our own protection of course they're only one kind of protection that's right can you two tell me some of the other safeguards you see around you every day well there are lots of them sure let's see traffic laws are very important and how about policemen and crossing guards drivers hand signals often help us crosswalks at street corners help to protect us another is safety islands and busy streets [Music] and don't forget school safety patrol [Music] i think the important thing to remember is that people on foot must be just as alert as people in cars even with these safeguards to help us maybe even more so jack because sometimes the driver is careless you two are hitting on every cylinder have you ever noticed how some people seem to expect too much protection from these safeguards how do you mean well one example is the crosswalk some people seem to think those white lines on the pavement are fences [Music] but that isn't the case at all those lines only serve as an added safety measure it's necessary that you watch for cars even though you are in a crosswalk some drivers don't stop soon enough and get over the light that's why you have to keep your eyes open whenever you're around traffic at unmarked intersections where there aren't any crosswalks or guards or traffic signs you have to be especially careful [Music] no that was one of the first things we learned at school we also learned in class that the most dangerous time is after school hours and on days when we don't go to school i'd give my spare tire if everyone would remember that you should see some of the things i see around this town why it's enough to curl my fenders with all the places there are to play there are still plenty of boys and girls who take chances by playing in the streets [Music] another thing that raises my temperature is the person who suddenly ducks out in the street from between hot cars they sure wouldn't do it if they knew how hard it is for me to stop quickly i guess we've all forgotten the rules at one time or another not long ago i had a close call that really taught me a lesson what happened jack gives me the shivers just thinking about it it was the day i left school early because i was sick i was on my way home and feeling kind of woozy i guess i wasn't paying much attention to where i was going i found out in a hurry that's one time it pays to be extra careful i guess you can see now jack why it's important that you keep perkin on all cylinders all the time yes we certainly should keep alert all of the time i know because of something that happened to me last week i was going to the store just before dinner time i was in a hurry because i wanted to get back home in time to watch my favorite television program i started to cut across in the middle of the block i'll never do that again very next day i had to go to the store again and that time i went to the corner and walked across the intersection i noticed you said walked across at the intersection mary can either of you tell me why that's important i can answer that because i saw what can happen when you don't walk i know we've learned that when you run there's a bigger chance of stumbling and falling is that what you saw happen let me tell you about it the other day freddie he's one of my pals was in a big rush to get home [Music] he stumbled in front of a car and came pretty close to getting hit another time a buddy of mine was crossing the street wasn't watching where he was going [Music] boy he was lucky the car was coming around the corner slowly and he didn't get hurt i also remember seeing joan one of mary's girlfriends and she found out there's more to remember than just walking across an intersection the light was red and john should have waited but when she looked both ways along the curving road and didn't see any cars coming she started across the street against the signal she had to change her mind in a hurry [Music] when i see foolish things like that i almost blow a gasket after all people have to remember that a car's a big thing you can see it but that doesn't mean the driver can always see you especially when he's not expecting you we learned about that in our safety demonstration at school we also learned that a driver has more trouble seeing in the evening when it starts getting darker and there are certain rules we should remember bullseye again i know from experience it's not easy spotting a pedestrian after sundown that's why it's a wise policy to carry or wear something white and of course where there aren't any sidewalks walk on the left-hand side of the road so you can see the traffic coming toward you even the most careful drivers can't see as clearly as they would like to at night and on stormy nights it's rougher than a washboard road drivers not only have more trouble seeing but i know my brakes just don't stop me as quickly on wet pavement if we remembered our part and obeyed all the safety rules it would make the driver's job that much easier and you wouldn't have to be making as many of those sudden stops there's one time though when i don't seem to be able to stop at all and that's when i get to talking i guess i better stop and let you get home to dinner you must be getting hungry all right rags we've had a lot of fun talking to you and i've enjoyed talking about the rules of safety do you two think you can remember all the things we talked about think we can mary i'm sure we can now let's see play away from traffic street start playground obey traffic signals watch for turning cars cross only at corners be sure to walk across streets because running is dangerous [Music] be extra careful after school and on days when we don't go to school good for you just remember that and i'll be the happiest car on the highway say that looks like your driver coming between us you know some people don't believe a car can talk goodbye now [Music] goodbye [Music] foreign