Posted on 08/30/2014 7:12:30 AM PDT by MD Expat in PA
When retired Cpl. Lewis Alston, who was wounded during the Vietnam War, drove by Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Lancaster last year, he was shocked.
“I saw -- when I was coming down the street -- a student that ran in between the cars,” Alston, 63, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, told ABC News. “The traffic will not stop for the children at all.”
-Snip
So when the school year started on Monday, Alston, who is a chaplain for the Lancaster County Marine Corps League, headed to the school and saw that they didn’t have a crossing guard at one busy intersection. Because he had been at a funeral service that day, Alston was still wearing his marine uniform.
“I had my uniform on, and I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be a golden opportunity for the students to see a marine help them cross the street?’” the former truck driver said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news10.com ...
With all the bad news being reported, I thought this was a good story to report.
Semper Fi good sir!
That’s a story that brought a smile on a rainy Saturday. Semper Fi!
My how times have changed. I walked to school in the first grade. It was about a mile from my home to the school. No crossing guards, no school speed zones. How did we ever survive...
Now now...we can’t have this. Did he have the proper paperwork on file with the school board? Did he pay his “crossing guard license” fee? Was he wearing his Rifleman badge? Wouldn’t want the kiddies to see anything resembling a gun, would we? I’m sure the authorities have already served him a cease and desist order.
From what I read its a dangerous street with traffic zooming by.....
Same here. My sisters and I had to cross TX 21 every day. 70 MPH road and on top of a hill. We would go through our uncle and aunt’s yard and pasture.
In the winter, our uncle would give each of us a shot of homemade wine he kept in the garage. That’ll wake you up on a cold day.
I’m sure this man is a fine person but to comment on your post - I absolutely abhor school crossing guards for high school students and - get this - my local UNIVERSITY! It’s infuriating to see the infantilization that goes on in this country day in and day out. I walked to the bus stop each and every day across a busy route. I was taught to look both ways and use common sense. Of course, we have a president who rides a girl’s bike, has bulbous knee pads and wears a huge helmet that makes him look like Michael Dukakis in a tank. What kind of inspiration is that?
Well, back then, if the buggy driver didn’t have enough sense to stop for children, the horse likely had enough sense for both of them. ;-)
Some see their duty and do it. Impressive.
To add to the childhood memories department, my elementary school assigned sixth graders crossing guard duties at the intersections around the school, providing them a vest and yellow flag to direct traffic. Very low cost and taught the kids responsibility.
I started the first grade at 5 years old in 1966 in Camp Hill, PA and I walked to school every day for about the same distance; the first couple of weeks my mother walked with me and then I walked by myself or with other kids from the neighborhood. There were no crossing guards at each and every street corner but there was one at the heavily trafficked main road intersection right across the street from the school on Market Street and there was not only an adult volunteer crossing guard at that intersection, she or he wore a crossing guard uniform and if the civilian crossing guard wasn’t there, there was a uniformed local cop on duty.
FWIW, I am amazed by the number of people who think that “right turn on red” means barreling through the intersection just because there are no cars coming and completely ignoring any pedestrians trying to cross the street who actually have the right of way. Add to that the idiots who insist on driving while having their face buried in their cell phones because texting or making FB posts while driving is more important to them than looking at where they are driving. Yea. Times have changed.
In this day and age, suppose a Boy Scout were to help an older lady cross the street. What would be the legal ramifications, and how do you see that playing out?
/s
Ahem, the apple wasn’t for the teacher...
You best stop, boy.
My two little sisters and I made it to school and back every day without any crossing guards.
This retired Marine is a true gentleman and he stepped up where others didn't. I'm proud of him - and you should be too.
Well, I’m proud of you. Did that all by yourself, didja?
Kindergarten, busy street, pretty much alone to cross it. The crossing-guard union (6th graders) REFUSED to stay the extra 15 minutes for us to get out every day (3:15 versus 3:00) and were gone. Made it across fine, every day. The biggest problem were the IDIOT DRIVERS that would stop for me while I was well-up on the sidewalk...as that confused me. Thankfully most drivers didn’t do that, so I just waited for gaps in the traffic.
Then first grade came, then second...all through 6th, and I had to wait until the UNION BOYS (6th graders) let me cross.
I remember those too, and the sixth grade hall monitors. The sixth graders who had proved themselves responsible enough to take on and learning even more about responsibility, demonstrating their good citizenship and having good grades, those who got to be crossing guards and hall monitors where looked up to and respected and something to aspire to by the other kids back then. Now days, sadly in many places, they are more likely to get beaten up for being “nerds” or “snitches” or whatever.
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