Remember When............

[JenB]

Hmmmm the link I posted via my iPad doesn't seem to work on my computer, perhaps this one is better.

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVAB3GNWF5FXVADHEHM6OUUA76IV-NATIONAL-PEDESTRIAN-CROSSING-WEEK-EMPHASIZES-SAFETY-IN-CROSSING/query/wildcard

[rayard]

 For reference the original unedited post contained comment about mobility scooters on the pavement, it is now removed.
rayard.

[JenB]

Carol, this is all rather fascinating.

I just found this (rather tedious) 1949 parliamentary question in the House of Lords about the Pedestrian Crossing Week referred to in your snip, and apparently among other things, elephants were used to publicise it 

......Pedestrian Crossing Week, a week which, as noble Lords no doubt have noticed, has started in certain areas with the spirit of carnival, supported by elephants and other animals.

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1949/apr/06/use-of-pedestrian-crossings

[mazi]

Thank you Carol. that is really interesting.    

I can't see where mobility scooters come into it either.  .   Perhaps a misunderstanding of 'electric scooters' that are mentioned which can be such a menace on our footpaths as well as being illegal in most of the country. 


Was the little boy you Mike  .    Sorry I was not thinking you are much too young to be  in a 1949 film.

It could easily have been me, I was eight and a half then.

Incidentally who remembers policemen on point duty, one major junction in the centre of town had a white box for them to stand in.
I remember him stopping all four lanes of traffic to remonstrate with me on my bike as I sneakily turned left, hoping he would not notice.


Mike

[Erato]

I've never seen a mobility scooter; not sure I know what one is.  I could sure do without motorcyclists who think that the way to deal with one-way streets is to drive on the sidewalk, though.  It's illegal, of course, but it's the standard Ecuadorian practice and the cops pay no attention to it.  I live in a neighborhood that is a maze of one-way streets and I've nearly been wiped out several times.

[JenB]

Incidentally who remembers policemen on point duty, one major junction in the centre of town had a white box for them to stand in.

This famous one in the centre of Durham controlled the traffic approaching the Market Place from three different directions  https://www.durhamnarpo.org.uk/2013/01/pc-bob-bell-durham-market-place-about.html

[BumbleB]

Crikey - how did anyone even notice the policeman, never mind take notice of his instructions?

Back to the electric vehicles - on holiday in the south of France this spring/summer, we were on a fairly quiet campsite BUT there was at least one electrically-operated vehicle - manned by young children - which sped around the site totally unsupervised 

[JenB]

Crikey - how did anyone even notice the policeman, never mind take notice of his instructions?

He controlled the traffic lights some distance away on the narrow approach roads.

[BumbleB]

Many thanks - at that time I was living in a small village in rural Cheshire, so I have very little knowledge of life in towns and cities.  I did visit my grandmother in Halifax in the early/mid-1950's and was then taken to Morecambe for a couple of weeks.  Horrendous thought now, but my mother would take me to Manchester and put me on a bus to Halifax, telling the driver that I would be collected!