Passage I

The Cable Car Lady's San Francisco Feat

San Francisco is famous for its cable cars. In operation since 1873, passengers travel through town on cable cars, moving and gripping a cable that is constantly in motion just below the street. Their old-fashioned look and open-air seating have made them a tourist favorite. They likely would have ceased operating, however, if it hadn't been for Friedel Klussmann.

In January 1947, San Francisco mayor Roger Lapham proposed a plan to rid the city of cable cars. The cars, he argued, posed a safety threat because the cables were old and might snap, resulting in a runaway car. [A] They were also a financial burden on the city.[B] He proposed replacing the cable cars with buses that would operate reliably, on the steep streets of San Francisco, and be profitable. [C] Klussmann, the president of the San Francisco Federation of the Arts, and she was a fan of cable cars, was unconvinced. In March 1947, Klussmann called a meeting of the leaders of twenty-seven women's civic groups, forming the Citizens Committee to Save the Cable Cars. [D] Led by Klussmann, fan of cable cars, the group rebutted the mayor's arguments in a press release. Cable cars were safe, they argued; in fact, cable cars caused fewer accidents then did buses. Additionally, cable cars made money for the city by commending tourism.

[1] With the signatures over 50,000 supporters, the committee's amendment was granted a spot on the ballot that November. [2]Still, the mayor wanted to scrap the cable cars. [3] Klussmann realized that the best way to protect the cable cars would be to pass an amendment to the city charter and the city would be required to retain them.

Two days before the election, Klussmann put signs from a previously eliminated cable car route on a cable car, which she (Klussmann) then paraded through town to remind San Franciscans of what was at stake. On election day, her efforts paid off. Many voters supported the amendment to save the cable cars. "The Cable Car Lady" (as Klussmann came to be known), had won.