Something Neff didn't think about is what if Mr. Dietrich put his crutches in the backseat of the car when Phyllis was taking him to the train station? I guess it's a good thing he didn't do that!
shareOops, I meant Dietrichson.
sharethought of the same thing.
it was a little convenient.
but most probably his wife had driven him a few times since the breaking of the leg and hence she must have known he keeps his crutches with him in the front.
also he would need them as soon as the car stopped, so maybe having them with him is not that unnatural.
another thing to think about is how would he get in if he put them in the back and shut the back door? he would have no support but the rounded sides of the car itself.
In a 1930s sedan there was probably plenty of leg room in the front seat for him to keep the crutches alongside him instead of putting them in the back seat.