Monday, July 05, 2004
Patrol Boys
While I worked at The Board of Trade several years back, I waited for cabs at the corner of Foster and Clark. A nearby Elementary School brought back memories of crossing guards. There was one at this heavy traffic corner as well as a CPD Crossing Maid(?).
While waiting out a cab's arrival, I asked the lad working that corner if they were still called Patrol boys. He said they were. I was glad to hear that. It's a perfect name. And a great athoritive role for a kid in school as well. I don't ever remember a Patrol boy abusing his duties. I have noticed that the official belt worn around one shoulder and waist has changed over the years. When I went to Swift, they were all made of thick dingy white canvas. They have since changed to bright safety orange plastic wear.
Somewhere around here I still have my older brothers Crossing Guard badge worn proudly across the chest pinned to the belt. Awarded after serving a year on your designated corner. It is small, bronzed, and bears a shield depicting a boy and a girl with their belts on holding their hands out in proper guard etiquette.
I was never a Patrol boy myself. Or a hallway monitor, teachers aide, Audio Visual or anything else with responsibility attached while at school. And my brother Lee, who was a patrol boy, later enlisted into the military. Coincidence? I don't think so.
But the most lasting impression of Patrol boys of yore, was the musically sing-song call to the next corner when it was time to leave their post. They would face the next corner and shout slowly "Leeeeeet's Gooooo -ooooo" dropping a few notes at the end in a doppler effect.
As I tagged home I could hear the next corner echo it further on in the same exact presentation only fainter by distance and a bit echoey. At times I believe I could hear a third set of lungs scarcely. To me it singled that I was missing the first Three Stooge cartoon on Bob Bell's (Andy Starr) Three Stooges Theater and the quench for a tall glass of Nestle's Quick beckoned me home.
Leeeet'sss Goooo-ooooooooo.
