Driver etiquette around pedestrian crossings and junctions can often be pretty disrespectful, and sometimes just downright dangerous. But this crossing guard in the Dominican Republic has found an effective and rather amusing solution to keep motorcycle riders and cars where they’re supposed to be.
The job of a crossing guard is a thankless one. It’s their responsibility to ensure that traffic stays where it’s supposed to, and pedestrians using the crossing do so safely. When cars jump the lights or creep forward when they’re supposed to wait, it’s up to one fragile person to stop them.
Typically, they’re armed with a whistle and a high-visibility vest, and that’s about it. Faced with a ton of motorised steel, that’s hardly much to rely on.
However, one guard, going by the TikTok handle ELchinord281_ has added one or two tools to his utility belt, and he uses them with gusto. Weilding a megaphone and plastic bat, he guards his crossing with an iron fist. Nobody gets past him.
Bonking The Traffic
@elchinord281_ Por esto me secuestraron en Medellín, Colombia 🇨🇴😕
Try to creep over the pedestrian crossing? You get a bonk. Skip the lights. Bonked. Rev too loudly and act impatient? That’s right, bonk time.
He’s seen roaring success, with both motorists and pedestrians showing their support, many of whom have been victims of impatient light pushers in the past. In fact, he’s even started touring with his new techniques, showing the locals how it’s done, and striking fear into the world’s motorists.
Despite being from the Dominican Republic, the high-profile crossing guard has also appeared in Colombia. If you think your city has a problem, pay his flights and fees, and he could be coming to a crossing near you.
A Common Problem
Impatient riders are a problem in every city with large numbers of motorcycles and not enough crossing guards with plastic mallets and megaphones. Too often, crossings are blocked by bikes and cars hoping to cut a mere fraction of a second from their journey by parking across the white lines.
This isn’t just dangerous, but also pointless for the most part. The time saved by stopping five yards forward is negligible. But the danger it poses to crossers is significant. The actions of the crossing guard might seem like a lighthearted jest, but in actual fact, every rider he reminds with a quick bonk on the head might pay a little more attention in future, and save someone from having to step into traffic at a crossing.