From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Imagine a day when pedestrians frantically wave bright yellow flags at oncoming traffic while they scramble across the city’s busy streets.
Well, it’s here–and it’s one low-tech solution to Bridgeport’s serious vehicle versus pedestrian problem that debuted Tuesday as a pilot program downtown. And clearly it’s going to take some getting used to.“To me picking up a flag to walk across the street seems a lot of work,” said Pam Pirog, who works at Housatonic Community College.
“I think they’re silly,” said a city staffer, who did not want to be identified. “Somebody’s going to hit me whether or not I’m carrying a flag in my hand.”
Full story here.
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Just when you think you’ve seen it all, up pops a picture of Councilman Holloway walking across the street holding a yellow caution sign. I don;t know whether to laugh or cry at this ridiculous idea. We really spent $1,000 on these flags, really?
I have known Jimmy Holloway for years and I am disappointed in him and his idea. Jim, motorists ignore all sorts of warning devices.
BTW if you can’t cross the street without a yellow flag, you are an IDIOT. What magic does the yellow flag have?
Jim, I think it’s time to retire.
One thing is for sure. Nobody saw this one coming.
Pedestrian to oncoming car: “HA! You can’t hit me, you scoundrel. I have a forcefield flag.”
Brian Lockhart, CT Post: The paper has reduced your reporting ability to this kind of bullshit? You and the paper used FOI to get council receipts and paperwork relating to the illegal use of stipends and the illegal donating to charities by the council and yet after two weeks still no report, instead we get to read this crap. Shame on you and the rag known as the CT Post.
Another outstanding investment of taxpayer money. Most excellent. Can’t wait to run down to city hall and join what will surely be a long line waiting to get hands on one of these puppies. Just one question, how will I cross the street safely if they run out? 😉
Not to worry, Sal. There is no traffic downtown–odds of you being hit are slim to none.
Andy, it cost more than $1,000. It was probably inspired by one of the council’s junkets. They went to Salt Lake City recently. Cost? At least $25,000.
Not mentioned in the article is many streets in Salt Lake City are 100 feet wide. I noticed (I spent some time there in 2002) residents there are very respectful of laws, including traffic laws. In Bridgeport you are concerned people have no drivers license, insurance or registration.
Yes, the Mayor has a press conference and the CT Post editors dispatch a skilled writer to cover this drivel. Investigative reporting? What’s that?
Hey Jim, I think you need a beer.
I asked a council person how he could vote to spend money on this drivel and he stated there was no vote to spend money on this junk. Well I am on a roll so I asked this council person if he was aware of the amount of money we spent on construction management. He said no, it’s not council business but BOE business. Well he is wrong but I told him in the last three years we have paid O&G construction $100,000,000 for construction management plus we paid the construction management lawyer $870,000. Why hasn’t any city official questioned these numbers? Just what did O&G do for $100,000,000?
This is the “newest” most ridiculous “only in Bridgeport” moment! Really, this was approved? A “little yellow flag” is going to stop speeders? I am wondering how this will work for those who would need it the most. The elderly using two-handed walkers and canes? Will they carry them with their teeth? How about the disabled and wheelchair bound? Will they be giving out matching football helmets just in case? There have been great inventions in the past couple of years, or so I hear. They are called stop signs, traffic lights and speed bumps. I also saw, when I was up in Alaska, they used people to help others cross the street. I think they were called “cross walkers!” Brilliant move, Bpt. What’s next, baseball cards in your wheelchair spokes so the cars can hear you coming?
I am surprised they did not buy brackets for the wheelchair and walker crowd. I will contribute a deck of playing cards to save the baseball cards.
Any pedestrian who is confident this yellow flag is going to stop traffic for them to cross had better have a personal injury attorney and an ambulance on speed dial. I’m picturing North Main St. during rush hour and some poor person waving this little flag in an attempt to have cars stop to let them cross. Good luck with that–you’ll need it.
They need these flags to help them get to Tiago’s quicker for their freebies. Yeah, that Tiago, whom they hired to a six-figure gig while screwing the unions with the “there is no money” crap. They found it for him as well as their own raises, though.
BTW Holloway, why are you getting your picture taken on city time?
Can we a bucket of white flags to hang outside of City Hall? It will be for all the taxpayers who surrender and give up. There is only so much nonsense, waste and taxation we can take. Give us a break. Seems like council members devoted more time to this than the stipend issue, driveway issue etc. What a joke.
Even Police Chief Joseph Gaudett, who joined Holloway and Mayor Bill Finch at a sidewalk news conference to discuss the flags Tuesday, acknowledged, “This is kind of an out-of-the-box idea for New England, for Connecticut, for Bridgeport.” But, he said, the city is willing to try whatever it takes to help keep people safe.
Brian Lockhart, Mayor Finch and Chief Gaudett have not been willing to “try whatever it takes to help keep people safe” and the proof is the way the TIPS (Trustworthy Information for Public Safety) was ignored and failed to be publicized for over one year. That program was planned and organized privately and with no public money during its first year (though the annual expense probably would be about $800). Postage-paid envelopes with first-class postage were prepared to allow any citizen to send info about guns, gangs, violence, drugs, etc. ANONYMOUSLY to a special officer at Police HQ. Public cooperation, especially by the elderly and fearful would be enhanced, lives saved and quality of life improved.
Attempts to interest the City Council, the Mayor or the Chief of Police to participate in the publicity of this program were ignored including a meeting with the public safety PR representative who said he did not want to deal with political issues 15 months ago.
Did CC representative Holloway advance the idea as a Council person or as a City employee? Curious, the initiative was not recognized by other Council members, isn’t it? Did Brian Lockhart research the locations, time of day and other info about the pedestrian injuries and deaths? It is not fully stated.
Do you sense we are at a point where elected officials only show up in the paper with photographs for activities that are essentially irrelevant to the majority of City residents? In this case it is not the amount of money that is most ridiculous, or the attempt to provide for “public safety,” but the evidence this project is more another opportunity for a photo op then a serious opportunity for the Council representatives to do something for folks all over the City. Brian, when will the CT Post be reporting on the $30,000 of taxpayer funds spent by 15 Council persons as gifts to charities, also with no agenda notice, meetings or minutes? Is the taxpayer an endangered species in Bridgeport? Time will tell.
The CT Post is run by a bunch of suburban housewives who think if you write about flowery bullshit everything will be beautiful. When is the last time this paper wrote an investigative piece it published? You can give this paper and its editors tons of proof concerning illegal activity and nothing is ever printed.
Over two weeks ago they received information from the city through FOI showing misappropriation of funds by a majority of the common council. It even showed council members using their stipend account to by groceries and pay for cable TV.
The post has an editorial writer who writes a weekly column. What does he write about? His freaking dog, his freaking family, his freaking vacations and whatever freaking else he can think of. Does he write about city problems? NO.
This paper is not even good enough to put on the bottom of a bird cage. Shame on them.
First, is there a problem with people being run over by cars in Bridgeport? If so I haven’t read about it. Secondly, is everyone in Bridgeport given a flag or does a person use the flag and replace the flag in the newly installed flag holders for the next person? Finally, who is responsible for making sure the flags are being replaced after each use?
I’ve known Holloway for over 40 years and this is easily the dumbest solution to a perceived problem I have ever heard. C’mon, man!
As I see it, we will need a flag person to make sure both sides of the street have the proper number of flags. This person will also be responsible for replacing broken or stolen flags. I would guess a Finch ass-kisser will get the job and a salary in the $90s.