Castanet

I've seen many people speed by flaggers ignoring the signs, slow down guys!
You couldn't pay me the $15 an hour to do it, but I also think if I were to become a flagger I would accept and know the risks that come with the job. Takes a special kind of someone to do that job.
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#212499

YES, they are very special people.
They work in weather conditions that I couldn't.
On paving jobs over fresh asphalt in 40C temps.
In the rain.
In subzero and icy road conditions.
On dangerous, blind curves.
Day and night.
I have never seen a bathroom close to where there are flaggers, so they must have to wait until a relief person can get there.
Standing for 8 hours and having to set-up and take-down all the required road signs and cones.
Standing close to fast moving traffic and making sure that they don't get hit in the head by a side mirror.
Putting up with impatient drivers who can't understand why they are being made to wait.

All of this to keep the motoring public safe in all weather conditions.

My hat is off to them. Thank you to all flaggers! You are underappreciated for your contribution to our safety.

Safety while doing their demonstration today was definitely not priority, Hanging into the lane of traffic on the highway. One guy darted out in traffic with his "stop" sign up for what I'm not sure. This wasn't a construction zone so they should have keep clear and at a safe distance from moving traffic no matter what point they are trying to prove.

skydawg wrote:Safety while doing their demonstration today was definitely not priority, Hanging into the lane of traffic on the highway. One guy darted out in traffic with his "stop" sign up for what I'm not sure. This wasn't a construction zone so they should have keep clear and at a safe distance from moving traffic no matter what point they are trying to prove.

Yeah, they should just let a driver continue on, even though the flagger has just heard through their earpiece that something sudden and catastrophic has just happened up ahead and could kill that driver.
Be ready, be aware, these flag people are there to protect your sorry......... car.

Replace the majority of human flaggers with mobile traffic lights on a timer or one person controlling them as necessary.
Have seen them before, they work great.

fall wrote:Replace the majority of human flaggers with mobile traffic lights on a timer or one person controlling them as necessary.
Have seen them before, they work great.

Is an electronic sign going to go out and set-up and take down signage/traffic pylons at the start and end of every shift?
Is an electronic sign just going to magically appear at a landslide, traffic accident, or avalanche site and immediately know what to do to direct and caution motorists for their own safety?

How can a timer predict current traffic? That's like a traffic light turning RED in front of you when there is no cross traffic waiting.

Replace the majority of human flaggers with mobile traffic lights on a timer or one person controlling them as necessary.
Have seen them before, they work great.




that won't worn in most cases. I use flaggers quiet often and I have times that I need to close the road now not wait for a timer to tell me I can.

Too many times I have experienced flagger who are not paying attention, on the cell phone, (not radio) radio on chest, flag being held in such a position that you don't know if it's safe to proceed or not. One recently on sex smith / 97 with all traffic stood still, pointed to three vehicles at three different points and waved his arms to go, fortunately being a mind reader I knew he ment; you first, you second, you third, go for it. I really cannot see a traffic control training session advocating that command. Please respect the flagger, flagger, don't care how long you have been on duty, be explicit in your actions and stay safe.

agree 100%

John Crawford wrote:Too many times I have experienced flagger who are not paying attention

The best one is the girl I saw recently who was standing on a side of a road with her cell phone out and typing something with both her hands. The "SLOW" sign was stuck in a traffic cone nearby while she was simply standing next to it working extra hard, obviously. She looked up, saw a vehicle that wasn't doing something to her high standards and without putting away her phone just shouted "Hey, pay attention you a$$hole!" and continued typing away on the phone right after.

The irony in this little scene was so overwhelming.