Green man or person?

[Tiddybiddy247]

I'm probably going to get crucified for this but I'm asking out of genuine curiosity and here for answers as it were.

Was in town this morning getting ready to cross the road with my toddler and I always say to him "let's wait for the green man" and then we shout "there he is let's go!" And cross the road. This morning another mum arrived next to us and heard me and gave me a kind a dirty look. She turns to her daughter and goes "we need to wait for the green person don't we? " But like with emphasis on the person. I didn't know what to think 🤔 on the one hand she has a point, it could very well be a woman in trousers, but it just doesn't look very feminine... also I've always called it the green man. I suppose I'm terribly old fashioned to be going around assuming genders?

Everything has always happened somewhere, or will do, because people are nuts.

And in East Berlin ...

You know you can change your vote???

The Ampelmann's hat has always bothered me. How come it has a square top while he is walking but a round top when he stands still?

Ooh that seems sinister. Like the nightwalkers.

Everywhere the greenwalker goes...turns green.

You do you. Inanimate objects - fine, although your dc might get a bit of a shock when they start learning other languages and find out they've been calling a load of things by the wrong gender for years.

Teddies and other cuddly toys -why not let the kids decide how to refer to them?

Animals are either male or female. If you see a bull then you are doing your dc a disservice by calling it a she. Same goes for lions, cockerels, rams, peacocks, and any other living creature where there are obvious differences between the sexes.

And other pp's are right - the original Green Cross Code Man was in fact an actual man dressed in green.I was a teenager when that campaign started, and already a feminist. But this - I genuinely can't see what the fuss is all about. No child is going to stand at a crossing waiting for red to change to green and be traumatised because both figures appear to be male.

There are plenty of feminist hills to die on, and this is not one of them.

The Green Cross Code man says -

Always use the Green Cross Code
Because I won't be there when you cross the road

So he can't be the same man as the one on the pelican crossing.

FWIW the highway code describes it as a 'green figure':

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-for-pedestrians-crossings.html

Lunch time supervisors at my kid’s school!

How dare she assume the green being's species. They might identify as therian.

Misgendering inanimate objects is pretty low on my lis5 of things to worry about, tbh.

It's the same with gingerbread men now being called gingerbread persons 🙄 It has always been known as the green man where I am.

He clearly has a more masculine hip and shoulder structure and thicker neck compared to the majority of female body shapes.
Basic anatomy 🤷‍♀️

Fair enough to the posters who would describe him differently to themselves, it's the performative correction that's daft.

I say Green Person. I also don’t get my knickers in a twist about it either way and would advise the same to everyone! I figured that I’d make the change when my dd was small - the world is so fucking patriarchal, I just decided not to make ‘man’ my default.

It’s a bit like I now say vulva rather than vagina. Better to try and get these corrections in in between the generations.

I would have laughed in her face what an idiot.

You need to get all Wicker Man on her.

Summer is icumen in
LOUD SING COOCKOO

Then she'll have more to worry about than pronouns OP.

Isn’t it funny how we will alway call it the tax man.. I can’t see that one changing.

agreed.

I was in NYC recently with my kids, we usually wait for the 'green man' when crossing the road so I instinctively said this. DC when pointed out the man wasn't green he was white. Something felt very uncomfortable saying 'let's wait for the white man' especially in the US. I found myself genuinely wondering what they call it there. It didn't occur to me it might be a woman.

Oh please do post that pic @scalt I'd love to see it.

I’ve always just said “we need to wait for that red one to go green” or “wait until it says we can walk” but I know it as a green man too. It’s not even a real person it’s a fecking light whoever’s offended needs help.

Yes, or channel XTC - HEED the Green Man!

I remember the 70s public information film .The animated one with the Grandad and the little girl.
I wish I brought me brolly 😁

I'm 56 and its always always always been the green cross man
From the TV adverts in the 70's to teaching my children how to cross the road..... always has been

Oh gosh. What a dick. I would have been so tempted to call her out! YANBU!!