Tag Archives: road safety

the power of the paddle-pop person

30 Aug

It’s amazing how a fairly frail and elderly gent can have more impact on the bad habits of drivers than any amount of  police surveillance.

I drive past 4 schools on my daily trek to work, usually within that dreaded 40kph time zone. As I have mentioned before I take extra special care these days not to exceed the limit by even 1or 2 kph… my point-score & my wallet simply can’t afford it…BUT I have been taking particular note of the behaviour of others.

200286804-001Now, only one of the four school areas has an attendant on hand to help the little people cross the busy main road, and it’s an amazing thing to watch.

This elderly gent stands ‘at the ready’ on the footpath, with his paddle-pop stop sign and high vis vest …just waiting to be called into action. Every single car slows to the appropriate speed and he gives each one a wave of thanks and a great big smile in return. What a win  win story …great way for him to start the day…great way for speed to be controlled…great for public costs to be cut (rather than dispatching a police car with a radar camera)…great for the kids to be safe…and GREAT for him to feel important !!!

I say well done and thanks  to all the paddle pop people protecting our petite pedestrians.

 

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hot pants in the burbs ….

5 May

Today I was amused  and puzzled as I followed a couple of posties riding their scooters around the back-blocks of the western ‘burbs’.P1130756

Determined not to be injured on the job… (and no doubt fulfilling the ever increasing occ health and safety requirements of Australia Post) there they were, decked out in high viz jackets, with high viz pannier bags, high viz ‘neckerchiefs’ to protect from the ‘high viz’ suns harmful rays… and they even sported a high viz flag flying atop a flagpole on the back of their scooters.

And then I pulled up beside them at the lights …only to see that one of them was wearing the shortest of short shorts. Bare(but very hairy)  legs emerged from his pants, with oversized steel cap boots dangling on the ends of them. Not a fashion statement by any stretch …and certainly not warm on this crip autumn morning…but it made for very entertaining travel scenery

However, I couldn’t help but wonder how you decide that a sunburned neck would be a bigger concern than having the skin ripped off your legs as you slide along the tar …or as you fend off a hungry dog while delivering the bills… OUCH !IMG_9189

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