Stop Go Man
6Mar2007
There’s a phenomenon here in Bermuda I call the “Stop Go Man”. That’s a chap who stands at the site of any roadworks with a Stop/Go sign in his hand directing traffic.
I often wonder how you become the “Stop Go Man” on a construction crew. Is it just luck of the draw for that day, or do you have to undergo extensive training in the art of pole-turning and traffic guidance? After all, your actions could have catastrophic consequences on rush-hour traffic – you may even double my commute time from 5 to 10 minutes. And that would definitely be front page news here.
Sometimes I stare at the “Stop Go Man” with envy, wishing I could have his job and a more simple life. Then it starts raining and I think “Forget that – who wants to stand outside in this downpour!”.
The reason I am writing this is because yesterday I encountered some roadworks and there was no “Stop Go Man” directing traffic. Having an incompetent practitioner may be bad, but having no-one is definitely worse. It was mayhem, and took me at least 2 minutes to circumnavigate the construction barriers surrounding the site. That tripled my usual journey time.
So, come back, “Stop Go Man”, all is forgiven. I now appreciate the art of your craft and the value you add to society.
Well, until the next time I encounter you and your turn your sign to “Stop” just as I pull up, that is. Then I am going to drive so close to you when you switch the sign to “Go” that you will fear for your life and never flash the red side of your sign at me ever again…
Now, what’s all this nonsense about Road Rage being on the increase in Bermuda?
Hi there,
I am interested in the whole stop/go man thing and I cam across your blog when I was googling it for mine. I have added a link to this page from my blog, so I just thought I’d let you know!
Cheers
Kate
Ooops, I meant to add in the link, which is here: http://crouchinggiraffe.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-newest-favourite-thing-stop-go-man.html