Jobsworth lollipop man

[badheadday]

Due to moving house and not wanting to change my kids school we have to drive past a couple of other schools before we get to ours.

There is one particular lollipop man that seems to make a point of stopping as many cars as possible. He's constantly on the lookout for people walking towards the crossing and will stop cars before the pedestrians have even reached him. This includes parents that have already dropped their kids at school and clearly don't need any help to cross the road as they are fully grown competent adults. He has been known to cross a group of people, let one car go through and then stop the next car. Surely he needs to let at least a couple of cars through to help keep the traffic flowing?

Would I be unreasonable to complain about him?

[Plumbear2]

This is not new. I was in primary school in the 70s and they used to stop cars for adults and parents then aswell. As the above poster said it is you causing the pollution, maybe move to the local school.

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

@badheadday

I take everyone's point about the need for the lollipop man. I am NOT suggesting they get rid of the lollipop man just that he is creating more traffic problems and in turn, as previous posters have pointed out, increasing traffic pollution outside the school.

No, OP, it is you who is causing traffic pollution outside the school. You have chosen not to send your child to the local school but to drive them to one further away. Thus causing traffic and pollution. Meanwhile the lollipop man is there for children who are walking to school, not causing any traffic or pollution.

[havesomepatience]

Your lucky to have a lollipop person. They are few and far between where I live. Crossings that had one when my child was young are now unmanned.

[Dojacatpaws]

Purplebunny2012, i live very much in the real world thanks, it's just not your car centric world, not everyone drives, there are other modes of transport, and car ownership is going down in cities like london

[Bleachmycloths]

He sounds a right knob. (Or is it nob? I never know)

[TheViewFromTheCheapSeats]

I used to work in a school with a great lollipop man. He held grudges though. One woman he managed to stop every morning for a while and hold her for ages (she’d once sworn at him, got rude a few times for legitimate stopping for safety just because she was running late). Used to have her on the phone complaining and ranting quite often. Frankly he had a shit job, people drove at him, swore etc- I never disciplined him or recorded it on file.

[clpsmum]

Does it really matter 🤦‍♀️

[CozmicBee]

Actually the lollipop person is there until 10 mins or so after the drop off time to do exactly what annoyed you. They are not just for crossing kids but families! That includes returning parents and grand parents! The amount of abuse our amazing lollipop lady takes from inconsiderate drivers is extraordinary and often brings her down. Give them a break! Slow down and chill out. It is probably less than a min of your life to make sure kids and their folks can cross safely.

[Mookie81]

@GoodnightGrandma

We had one like this. I assume someone did complain as he had someone with a clipboard stood watching him one day.
One day he stopped the traffic for some kids who had got off the bus and were walking his way. They weren’t even crossing the road. He was an idiot.
Unfortunately people don’t seem to know how to cross a road these days, they think that they are entitled to step out on the crossing and you will stop. It’s this mentality that will injure people.
When I was a kid we had ‘commercials’ on the TV to show people how to cross the road , time to bring them back.

'He was an idiot'. So nasty and rude.

[NigellaSeed]

You get my first ever

I have been saving it for the perfect OP.

[JosephineDeBeauharnais]

The one in our village used to make the kids wait even if the road was clear, then step out with the stick when cars came. Bizarre. There’s a zebra crossing there now…

[purplebunny2012]

@Dojacatpaws

Misslucyeyelessbarrow, if we could reduce private car use, that would indeed be a start for reducing traffic, leave the roads for deliveries etc. Plenty of people do not own cars

You obviously don't live in the real world

[Fiercestcalm]

If he was real or alive I’d set Percy Sugden onto you…. Honestly…

A person who is poorly paid to stand and take on traffic in all weathers for 40 weeks of the year, ensuring the safety of children/ parents etc… across a road does not deserve complaints because you perceive he is hindering your morning routine….

Percy is now spinning in his fictional grave……

[Whenigrowupiwanttobea]

Peter Kay Car Share springs to mind!

[NeverDropYourMooncup]

I haven't seen a Lollipop Man or Lady in the last 20-odd years (they were got rid of to save money - must have easily saved the council the cost of one full time receptionist with them taking a whole £12 a day each).

I've been stuck in traffic because kids have been hit by cars on the way to school several times, though. And given first aid to one. Those ten minutes are nowt compared to hours because they're dealing with multiple fractures. Or, as in the case of my brother, catastrophic brain injuries that led to his death five days later. Whilst he was an adult, he was on the crossing and the lights were on red/the green man was solid. Didn't stop somebody killing him, though.


Many schools send staff out to the crossings instead, as you always get cars and vans hurtling through. Because schools really don't want to have to hold special assemblies.

[Zipperdidoodaa]

@lanthanum

A friend visited Japan, and said that at going-to-school time, loads of retired people turned out to supervise!

That is so lovely.

[CottonSock]

Can you detour him?

[ThinkAboutItTomorrow]

My aunt was a lollipop lady. She nearly got fired once for letting a wide load through and stopping the police escort 😆.

She was just being a bit dim though 'I wondered why the policeman looked so angry'

[mylifestory]

Yes, they are a pain wealding that little bit of power they have! Im not sure what to do about it ho ....

[shinynewapple21]

You are unreasonable just for using the phrase 'jobsworth' . IME most people who use this phrase are arrogant arseholes who don't think rules should apply to them .

[Simonjt]

He’s doing his job.

Our crossing warden suffered so much abuse from motorists (many were parents) that he quit, it was a great shame to lose him. Now the road is a school road, so those horrible aggressive drivers have to find a different route now.

[3cats4poniesandababy]

I am always torn on one hand lollipop woman/man save childrens lives. On the other hand why step put and stop traffic for someone far away? If there isn't a child in uniform how do they even know someone wants to cross the road? Would it hurt pedestrians to occasionally wait for a car or so- no. Same as drivers can sometimes wait toom it is about give and take but with some lollipop womam/man it seems to be all take from the drivers.

[Barmychick]

Pls don't complain.

[LizzieW1969]

If you’re passing schools at that time of day, you shouldn’t be surprised to be delayed by lollipop people doing their job. It’s no different to being delayed by traffic lights.

[Jeannie88]

He exists everywhere lol. Just let it go and swear under your breath! X