They just want to help children safely across the road on their way to and from school. Yet lollipop people are having to wear body cameras after an increase in abusive and dangerous drivers. How did things get so out of hand?
T
here aren’t many jobs that often involve jumping out of the path of speeding cars – but for the lollipop people of Britain today, this is the sad reality. And it doesn’t stop there: aggression, swearing and middle fingers are just a few examples of the intimidation and abuse they face on our roads.
“Oh my God, I mean, abuse of lollipop people? What has the world come to?” says Lynne Gorrara. It’s a crisp, sunny afternoon in Ipswich and the 61-year-old is holding a towering stop sign above her head, clearing a crossing for a stream of schoolchildren. This spot – on a narrow residential road, with a hospital in one direction and shops in the other – is notorious for abusive drivers.
It’s hard to miss Gorrara and her colleagues, because, as she says, they are “lit up like a Christmas tree” in their neon jackets. Unfortunately, this makes no difference. Motorists have, on occasion, hurtled towards them at 50mph, some even waving as they pass. Of course, the lollipop people are not the only ones in danger. “It’s really scary, because you’re constantly watching the children – that’s my priority,” says Gorrara. “When you know they’re not going to stop, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got everybody else out of the way, too.”
