X Marks the Spot (1944)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and these fatal traffic accidents involving key workers in New Jersey War plants makes it imperative that we open a second front against these unnecessary losses is this for immediate release commissioner yes urgent the loss of life or any disabling injury to a war worker means a definite setback to our war program yes in time of War we killed we maimed our fell fellow countrymen without malice without hatred without thinking it is the duty of this office to conserve the lives of the people and to improve traffic conditions imagine if you will in New Jersey City with a population of over 20,000 enough people to fill a large Stadium now if every man woman and child were to be suddenly removed by by death or injury you might begin to get some idea of the annual traffic toll in the state of New Jersey alone perhaps you have not contributed to this unfortunate toll of accidents but most of the drivers and pedestrians who were involved didn't break all the rules just once in a while they were careless or inconsiderate as you were about to see yes driving and walking in modern traffic is often careless inconsiderate and from the other fellow's point of view sometimes fantastic so our story of modern traffic is a bit fantastic too it's about a car anybody's car the kind you need these days to get home in and it must be a safe car one that will pass inspection and then there's a driver a guy named Joe does yeah he does look familiar sure he lives on your street well it seems that one day oops sorry don't get sore Joe just absent minded left his car in gear well what do you know so did you better a boy Joe out 10 maybe Joe will be different this time no there he goes again pulling away from the curb without looking well as we were saying Joe didn't have much patience in traffic Joe used to say the trouble with accidents was they never happened to the right people now take a situation like this if Joe were in a hurry it seemed there was always somebody in his way some inconsiderate guy well if you can get around him and beat that light at the next corner and here's a pedestrian with his eye on that signal light too there goes the light you see how it is as Joe often said these pedestrians are just as bad as drivers [Music] now look at that as Joel says traffic these days would drive a guy nuts how do you like that didn't even close the door oh what a mess well let's leave Joe to straighten this one out while we get on with the story now there was a Street intersection not far from where Joe lived he passed it every day no signals or stop signs not much traffic one of those places is where nobody bothered to slow down a good place for an accident here comes a car now from One Direction and uh-oh Here Comes Joe from the other and unless somebody slows down it ought to happen right [Music] here step back give him a he don't need any I know him he's Joe does and neighbor of mine he's got a lovely wife and two beautiful children he seemed like a swell guy Joe did I you find it wasn't my fault I had the right away must have been that other guy I was only doing 15 M an hour hey where is that guy he been a careful driver all my life ask my wife she'll tell you I've been driving for 15 years and I never I never come on brother no use wasting time with these mortals they can't help you anymore oh but D my neighbors my friends they'll understand I I know them yeah you used to know them you're a dead duck now come on oopsie Daisy we've got some tall explaining to do [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] good morning sir there are no good mornings here what was your name what was my name you mean sir I'm finished all washed up well that depends on the evidence uh your name Joseph does sir Joseph does dogs dos dos dogs Joseph doges Joe dos you were born in New Jersey eh your age I'm going to be 36 my next birthday sir next birthday I he wasn't due here for another 20 years fine Guardian you turned out to be why if it wasn't for me AR he'd have been here years ago a wor driver in New Jersey and you expect me to keep my trouble my records show no convictions against this man since he's been driving well that's right your honor that's what I've been trying to tell him I've been driving for 15 years silence this court isn't interested in your opinion proceed don't you see youon that record of no convictions only proves how well I've guided him of course he had a lot of luck well he wasn't a bad fella good natured egg kind to his family very considerate of everyone except in traffic you see judge I'm not such a bad guy please let me go back just this once besides I got almost a full book of eight coupons left won't you please let's get on with the charges how was he unring to give signals on signals well only fair quite a few black marks against them when it came to sounding his horn he was pretty bad he was always sneaking up and scaring the wits out of pedestrians how was he about night driving I tried to show him that driving at night call for more caution than driving in the daytime but I couldn't get to First face with him he never bothered to think what the glare of his headlights did to other drivers well there's a lot of little things here youor but taken all together they don't seem to show much consideration for the other guy a perfect description of the average driver Joe was all right until he get out on the highway then he was an entirely different person he'd begin to take chances he'd become careless impatient irritable I can't say that Joe was out looking for trouble but he didn't seem to car either way he just didn't give a darwn ah that description fitted someone else I know if you know who I mean yes your honor I had to learn the hard way too toughest job I had with Joe was his speeding I tried to teach him that even if he did keep within legal speed limits he might still be going too fast for conditions you know such as slowing down When approaching Street intersections or Crossroads momentum was just another name in the physics book as far as Joe was concerned judge if I weren't a ghost there were times when I would have been scared to death Joe's specialty was a right turn from the center of the street he used to wow him with that one he was never the least bit concerned about the drivers he cut off or the pedestrians who had the right away at The Crossings and then when we'd approach his stop sign he'd never stop dead oh no he'd come down to a slow roll sneak through and then give it the gas however he did learn one thing that seemed to stick one day we were driving in a residential section approaching the playground of the school without any warning a ball bounced out directly in front of the car and right behind it came a kid the little fell disappeared behind the hood of the car Joe jammed on the brakes started to jump out of the car then the little boy ran out with the ball clutched in his hand unaware of his close call Joe slumped back into the driver's seat couldn't go on after that I never had any trouble with Joe around schools he'd crawl by it his snails p you see your honor Joe had two kids of his own at that school yes they're all that way when it gets close to home a pity they don't always drive as though their own families were in danger there was another bad habit Joe had he [Applause] h is as I was saying so one of Joe's worst habits was hog in the center of the road if some driver behind Joe honked his horn well Joe would lose his temper and start to put on speed but if Joe was behind some other driver well that was different he'd cut out with a brace of speed not knowing what was behind or in front of him then one day we were behind another car climbing a steep hill Joe became impatient and then came the truck Joe saw the danger oh he was always quick to see the danger to himself the truck was bearing down Joe C back suddenly he made it but the poor guy behind him was forced off the road sir even a ghost has feelings I was so disgusted with his selfishness that I almost deserted him right then and there if I hadn't given you my solemn promise to stick it out with him I would have I did just relax now take it easy you won't have to drive with them anymore by the way did he ever drive when he'd been [Applause] drinking well sir he Guardian I want the whole truth well sir Joel did take a nip occasionally he wasn't really what you call a drinker just a cocktail now and then you know how the boys are your honor yes I know how the boys are I have a book full of those just a cocktail or two drinkers drivers and pedestrians too dead ones just a cocktail or two any abnormal physical or mental condition due to drinking liquor is intoxication in this state the car driver or pedestrian is usually careless regarding the other fellow's rights and safety but as to his own safety and well-being he's downright selfish now dilute that dangerous frame of mind with just a cocktail or two and he even forgets about his own safety that is one of the reasons why that clock ticked off a traffic accident in this state every 20 minutes incidentally was there any traffic rule he didn't violate oh yes sir I never hit and run oh well if you had you would have been booked in in a lower court so you never hit and run why that's so despicable an act that I wouldn't even accuse you of doing it was his car regularly inspected yes sir your honor oh yeah at the last minute but you'll never know how I had to nag at his conscience to get him over for an inspection why I had to throw all the statistics in the book atam over 256,000 cars rejected for Punk steering gears and over 800,000 cars rejected for dangerous braks and over 1,400,000 cars rejected for bad lights and those figures always got him well here's proof that I got him to keep his car in good running condition he can't blame his accident on his car now we'll mark that exhibit B but where's exhibit a you he is exhibit a I've heard about enough of him as a driver how was he as a pedestrian well sir as a pedestrian he was different as a driver he thought he owned the highway but as a pedestrian he knew he owned it he'd weaved through traffic like a mouse through a maze hating everybody behind a wheel Heaven helped a driver who might come close enough to frighten Joe one day we were at a busy intersection my mind was on other things for a minute as the red light flashed on Joe got away from me and started diagonally across the intersection now instead of walking over to this corner and then over to this corner Joe decided to take the shortcut he had uh just about reached this point when all of a sudden get back folk where's his other shoes I got of here I see you tried to get here earlier eh yes sir he almost made it too he found out the hypotenuse of a triangle and traffic is the shortest road to the hospital ah me two long happy months my only rest in the 15 long years that I had to spend with that guy's conscience ah what Happy Days there I was with not a care in the world just so long as he kept out of traffic it was wonderful but of course all good things come to an end Joe got better well for the next few weeks Joe was the perfect pedestrian and Driver then one night he he uh stayed up with a sick friend what's that well uh he had a cocktail or two but maybe it was like he said it was the hamburgers he ate anyways the next morning his head throbbed so hard I almost felt it and in that condition he got behind the wheel of his car and that had to be his last day Yana Oh What A F he really went to town or somewhere but it was my fault sir from sheer exhaustion I closed my eyes for just a fraction of a second I failed you sir I let you down but I I was so weary nothing seemed to Matter 15 years as Joe Do's driving conscience is punishment enough even for a ghost you have completely paid the penalty for your own carelessness and traffic you are now a free ghost you may go go I can go oh thank you sir thank you what a relief what a relief stop it stop it why don't you stop it stop it how I wish I could stop it Joseph dos as to passing sentence upon you I must leave that to this jury of drivers and pedestrians ladies and gentlemen of the jury before you retire to pass judgment on Joseph does please consider everything that you have seen he was kind and considerate to everyone except in traffic on giving signals he was only fair he was inconsiderate on dimming his headlights he wasn't too careful about feed he seldom came to a full stop at stop signs he frequently hogged the road and sometimes passed on Hills I must say in his favor that he did have regular car inspections and now most importantly before you hand in your verdict think think consider carefully your own qualifications as a driver and a pedestrian are you qualified to pass judgment on [Music] [Applause] [Music] Joe