file photo by Boyd Loving
As the first individual stated, crossing guards are not allowed to direct traffic. And sure, it is frustrating to be a guard and see traffic piling up and you are not allowed to direct it. Imagine if the guard directed a car and another car started to go and hit the first car. An insurance nightmare! The Police in Ridgewood are gradually being allowed to build up their department which will then free up a guard or two for traffic control near the schools. However, as the above poster noted, when the police are there, traffic behaves so well. But the very next day, the wild men take over the wheels. Hire auxiliary people trained in directing traffic to aid the crossing guards–one for cars, one for students? That would be cheaper than assigning police to every dangerous crosswalk. (Many are very safe locations and many are not.) But, again, it would probably be an insurance nightmare. Wouldn’t it be nice if all drivers were willing to recognize that other drivers also had a right to the road; that most of the cars dropping off at schools are parents who have to get to work at the same time that you do, etc.etc. What ever happened to common courtesy and treating others as you wished to be treated?
Guards may be stationed only when it is necessary to control or direct vehicular or pedestrian traffic during those time periods of a school day when it is necessary to control traffic.” (N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.4).
Implicit in the above is that guards may control traffic. And of course they could not do their job otherwise. They direct traffic in order to ensure the safety of children. they should not be concerned about traffic backups per se that don’t impair child safety. Any moron who is selfish enough to value the precious few minutes that it costs to obey the traffic management of a guard over the overall safety of school children should not drive on children’s routes to school
well then let the police do it,
and yet the village cut the pay of all the guards.
Hire “specials” who can patrol the schools in the morning and protect us from the evil Verizon, PSE&G and NJ Transit workers during the day. Will help to reduce the obscene amount of OT the police department charges the Village as well by avoiding unecessary scheduling conflicts for extra duty work. We probably only need 25-30 full time cops if we hired specials. It would be a material cost savings for Village taxpayers, and we’d be just as safe. The police union won’t tell you this of course…