Safety seems to be an increased concern seeing as how the
city has gotten students involved in making crossing signs like the one above. Using
familiar images, the decoded message screams, “STOP, LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE
CROSSING”. Will people actually always do so? That’s highly unlikely. Be that as
it may, choosing to place it by an intersection just off of Myrtle Ave, I must
say is quite an intelligent decision. The traffic there is horrendous. Waiting for
the light to change is so infuriating, that many practically just throw
themselves into the clutches of danger. Each time someone makes it to the other
side, you can almost hear that sigh of relief which in itself says, “Oooh, I’m
still alive”, even from across the street. My view on its location is that of a
positive one. To have it within about 5 blocks of an intermediate school where
students are less guided there than they are while in elementary school, and
about 6 blocks from 7-Eleven which is a major hang out spot for those students
after dismissal is a brilliant idea. I feel that more signs like this one
should be put up, especially near Myrtle Avenue. Implementing crossing safety
procedures or reminders like this one is beneficial not only for the children, but
for those adults who like to challenge death by deliberately sprinting to the
other side against all odds. I pass the area weekly and have yet to see this
sign, maybe because I don’t take the time to look at the signs; I just wait for
the cars to slow down. Either way, safety is something we shouldn’t take so lightly.
Everyday people get hurt because of things they can’t control like war or just
struggling to get by, and we have taken our bodies for granted time and time
again as though it were nothing. Come to think of it, the fact that the city is
now including children in the making of public safety signs, should be a sign
to us adults that it’s time for a change, a positive one. So come on people,
let’s get it together, me included.
Lead Artist: Chris Soria
Assistant Artist: Cheryl Johnson
Participants: 6th Grade Students of I.S.77
Medium: Printed Metal Sign
Year Completed: 2010
Location: 927 Seneca Avenue Ridgewood, NY 11385
Partners: NYC
Department of Transportation
