The Guardian on the Corner

by Bertha K. Haynes

She stands on the corner in anticipation. Then suddenly there are shouts of "School's out." In the middle of the street with arms outstretched to shield one crossing group, she says to another anxious group on the opposite corner, "Just stand there and wait."

In cities and towns across America and throughout the world, she protects children when their minds are least on protecting themselves. Who is she? The crossing guard, of course.

She puts her life in danger 180 days a year. Cars, buses, and trucks stop at her command. She is a familiar sight, and her job demands respect as she protects youth and controls local transportation at a designated location. Working parents can feel at ease when their children have to cross a busy thoroughfare going to and from school. They know that because children are eager to get to school on time in the morning and hurry home in the afternoon, children are not always careful to cross busy streets. The crossing guard puts the parents' fears at ease.

Both men and women act as crossing guards. During the school year, the children come to regard this familiar figure as a surrogate protector. Children also come to know the guards' personalities and quickly realize what they can and cannot get away with when they are within the guards' "territory." She (there seem to be more female guards than males) literally watches over them like a mother hen watching her baby chicks. She sees their every move, so there is no chance of sudden tricky moves. Like a teacher, she has eyes in back of her head. Always at the appropriate time, she fusses over them, shoos them away, or hurries them forward toward their destination. If danger threatens, she is likely to put the children's safety before hers. Motorists dutifully keep their distance and avoid her wrath by watching traffic lights, sudden movements by children, and her gestures which admonish motorists to use their best judgment or they will pay dearly for their carelessness.

Parents need to know that the guard is not just any person who is placed at a street corner to watch children and help them cross the street. Anyone can do that. These people must love children and be able to put the lives of children first.

Knowing the importance of these guardians of children, the job in most cities is under the auspices of the police department. The people who are hired must be intelligent, decent, law-abiding citizens. While the applicants for the job do not have to take a test, they do have to pass a medical examination and a background check. Applicants who pass these steps sworn in by the School Safety and Education Unit. They must also be at least eighteen years old. A high school diploma is preferable for employment, but the applicant will be considered if he or she has education and work experience equivalent to completion of the eighth grade. Vital to the job is a schedule that is open to a few hours during the AM, noon, and PM to assist children safely across the street. Also, a person must have the ability to maintain effective relationships with the public.

The job is not a high-paying one. No one makes a lot of money being a crossing guard, in spite of the hours per week spent on the street corner assisting children in all kinds of weather. The real satisfaction seems to come from having admirably performed a human service.

Prime applicants who successfully pass the screening tests are people who enjoy being around children, don't mind working part-time, and enjoy working outside. A plus for most crossing guards is the opportunity to work at intersections within their own neighborhood. And, parents and school personnel sanction any well-meaning person who is willing to be an extension of their authoritative arm.

Many guards serve faithfully at their posts for many years. If they are missing from their corner for one day, the children and the community lament their absence. Usually, if there is a cause for absence, a police officer will fill the vacancy, but everybody who is accustomed to the guard's vigil feels the loss. The policeman's presence does not have the same effect. The next time you see a guard in the middle of the street with outstretched arms, halting tons of steel, remember that it is the children she is thinking of, not herself.

REFERENCES

Alachua County Sheriff's Office. (1998, February 14). School Crossing Guard [On-line]. Available: acso@ns1.co.alachua.fl.us

City of Philadelphia Personnel Department. (October, 1997). School Crossing Guard - 6D44 [On-line]. Available: http://www.library.phila.gov/webstuff/

City of St. Louis. (1997, June 30). School Crossing Guard [On-line]. Available: http://stlouis.missouri.org/government/cityjobs/scgann.html

San Jose Police Department, (1997), September 17). Crossing Guard Program. School Safety and Education [On-line]. Available: http://www.sjpd.org/school_guard.html

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