GUIDEPOST REPRINT: NEWS BRIEFS–Mules, Bus Conductors, Antenas & Road Accidents, 18 February 1966

A GUIDEPOST REPRINT
Complete and unabridged

BRIEFS
First published in GUIDEPOST
18 February 1966

Mule Exodus

What is happening to Spain´s mules? In the last three years the mule census has dropped from 1,300,000 to 786,000.
One hypothesis was advanced by the publication Día. It reported that during a period of a few days 300 mules were seen passing over to France by the Irún border, “destined for the meat provisions of the neighboring country.” Spanish mules are appreciated at home as well, where they are slaughtered for their meat at the rate of 150,000 a year.

Jittery Bus Conductors

Navacerrada ski resort in the 1960s

Madrid bus conductors are getting a bit jittery these days after two recent incidents in which bus personnel were beaten, and bitten, by passengers. One conductor on a line serving Navacerrada refused to let a group of young skiers bring their skies inside, suggesting that they leave them on the baggage rack on the roof. Thereupon, the four boys and two girls began to beat the surprised driver until a traffic policeman arrived on the scene. The conductor was transported to a hospital with fractured ribs and multiple contusions.

Three teenage youths entered another bus heading toward the Pan Bendito suburb and made themselves at home, putting their feet on the upholstered seats. Then one of them said, “Here´s the ticket seller and we´re not going to pay him.” The collector asked them to behave and they refused. At this point they attacked him; one boy bit him, another tore his shirt, and his money sack was knocked to the floor where 1,000 pesetas in coins rolled under the seats. The driver hurried the bus to a civil guard station where the boys were apprehended and the conductor given first aid.

New Antenna

Astronaut Edward White during spacewalk in 1965
Gemini 4 mission within NASA’s Apollo Program
that would eventually send man to the moon.
A satellite tracking station was built in
Cebreros as part of the global network
that tracks NASA’s space exploration.

A satellite-tracking antenna is being erected in the province of Avila, near Cebreros. Surveying and road construction have been completed and the antenna´s tower is now under construction.

Road Accidents: Up In ´65

During 1965 one out of every 31 vehicles in Spain was involved in a traffic accident. A total of 73,700 accidents were registered, over half of them in urban areas; this represents a slight rise over last year. Among the steps being taken by Central Traffic Headquarters which hopefully will lower this rate are an increased highway police force, road improvements, urban traffic regulations, and a permanent educational campaign.

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Images
Featured image (mule)/umbrellahead56, CC BY2.0 via Flickr
Navacerrada/Biblioteca de la Facultad de Empresa y Gestion Publica, Univesidad de Zaragoza’s photosptream, CC BY-SA2.0 via Flickr
Spacewalk in NASA’s Gemini 4 mission/James McDivitt–NASA Gemini 4 Page, PD
Car accident/orangesky3, CC BY2.0 via Flickr