Horrified children look on as lollipop man struck by car on school crossing
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Shocked children and parents saw the lollipop man suffer a suspected broken leg
  • MouldyCat@feddit.ukEnglish
    17·
    2 days ago

    Couldn’t find much more info about the crash than is in this article. The driver was charged with driving dangerously while under the influence of illegal drugs (two separate charges). I was initially curious to know how serious it really was, given that a 70 year old chap was hit and was left with a “suspected broken leg”. Just seemed anomalous is all.

    Older folk are known for having bones as brittle as chipsticks, so how did he get away with only a suspected fracture? I’m no expert but that must mean the fracture was not dislocated, as that surely would be immediately beyond suspicion. Even with greater pedestrian survivability these days thanks to better car design, this would seem a lot.

    What I did find from the few articles out there about this does indicate it was indeed a really serious crash, as the road was closed off for about an hour. The police language used also seems more consistent with a high speed incident rather than a low speed nudge into the lollipop man. So how did he get away so lightly?

    I did find one extra detail - two vehicles were involved. Yet only one person has been charged. I’m thinking that what might have happened is our kindly lollipop-wielding friend walked onto the crossing to allow kids to cross, and one car duly came to a stop, but then the drugged-up participant in the proceedings who was too preoccupied snorting lines off the dashboard to notice, walloped into the back of the first car at speed, shunting it forward into said lollipop geezer.

    Well it’s all I could think of that would explain it all.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    4·
    1 day ago

    Crossing guard

    A crossing guard, lollipop woman/man/lady/person, or school road patrol is a traffic management personnel who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedestrians.

    TIL. Strange terminology, you Brits have. Anyone from the culture have any insight as to the use of this term?

    • Monkyhands@feddit.dkEnglish
      10·
      1 day ago

      In the UK, the crossing guards have a round sign on a long handle to signal stop/go - it’s shaped like a lollipop.

      • MouldyCat@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        14 hours ago

        Unlike in the US, where they carry a gun, and are authorised to use deadly force if anyone attempts to inconvenience car drivers by crossing the road.

      • Theoriginalthon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        17 hours ago

        I’d also add that at zebra crossings we have a pole with a sphere on the top that flashes yellow, also looks like a lollipop and the person there for the skids carries the same type of thing

  • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1674·
    2 days ago

    Come on British people… “Lollipop Man”?

    I get it, carries the street sign. But like, give the old timer volunteers some semblance of dignity and say “Crossing Guard” or something…

    Edit: downvotes don’t make it sound any less dumb. And you’re all very silly.

    • yermaw@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5·
      2 days ago

      Oh its worse than that. A lot of us still say “lollipop ladies” even for men. Not intentional misgendering, just habit. In the same way we still call female firefighters “firemen”.

      • spud@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        13 hours ago

        This is true, I can say my postman’s a woman without experiencing any cognitive dissonance at all

    • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      56·
      3 days ago

      Lollipop man or lady is what’s its always be known as. It is dignified as people are very grateful to the people who do these jobs and its an affectionate name.

      Crossing Guard sounds american, and a bit hostile to be honest. Lollipop man sounds warm and kind, which is also nice for children. The official UK government name is “School Crossing Patrol Officer” - no thanks.

      Edit: also Lollipop lady/man is also used in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand apparently.

    • wiccan2@thelemmy.clubEnglish
      38·
      3 days ago

      We don’t need any more Americanisms in our language.

      It’s a term that’s been used for decades and the people who do the job are proud of the title.

      • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        449·
        3 days ago

        you’re taking this wayyyyyy too seriously.

        If the name of a person who helps kids cross safely is such an important part of your cultural nationalist identity… that’s pretty weird man… strange thing to get defensive over. Didn’t even think it was a nationalist thing, but you’re making it one.

    • mannycalavera@feddit.ukEnglish
      312·
      3 days ago

      What a stupid thing to make a comment about. You know that thing in the picture is known as a Zebra crossing. But I bet you’d say:

      Come on British people… “Zebra crossing”?

      Say something like black and white designated crossing zone or something…

      🤡

      • TWeaK@feddit.ukEnglish
        6·
        2 days ago

        The fun thing is we name all the variations on traffic light crossings too, eg pelican, puffin, toucan crossings. It’s bloody lovely.

      • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        215·
        2 days ago

        We call it a crosswalk… because it’s where you walk to cross the road…

        See how easy it was to reply WITHOUT insulting, condescending and being rude? I know you saw the downvotes and were “hohoho, I can’t wait be meanspirited to this guy!!”…

        What part of my original post warranted this level of attacks? It says A LOT more about you, than me. And really, at this point, with the brigading downvotes, it say a lot about feddit.uk userbase too.

        Edit: Especially @wiccan2@thelemmy.club who keeps post stalking me to downvote every little thing I say regardless of context… Even when I’m not responding to them, or in a same thread as them, or providing alerts to them… they’re actively scanning this thread for any post I make just to downvote it… unhinged behavior.

        • wiccan2@thelemmy.clubEnglish
          13·
          2 days ago

          I’m checking into the thread when I see notifications for it and I’m down voting you because your being an arsehole.

          I find it disturbing you think I’m unhinged when you are the one making multiple comments in this thread and devolving to stalking anyone who responds to you to accuse them of having alts or attacking you.

          I made one reply to you and it seems to have sent you into a massive tantrum, I never attacked you, called you names or insulted you in any way.

          If I’m reading a thread and see a comment that I don’t think is a valuable contribution to the conversation it’s my right to down vote it. It’s not my fault that nothing you have to say in this thread is of any value.

          Hopefully you’ll calm down and get the help you so clearly need.

          • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
            110·
            2 days ago

            yea… that’s totally normally behavior… totally…

            continually scouring a thread to check if one person has posted something, not even related to you, just to downvote them… totally normal, not at all obsessive/stalkery behavior… but bright side, this time it is a direct reply to you, so I get it when you downvote this one. Go ahead, do your thing.

            • wiccan2@thelemmy.clubEnglish
              5·
              2 days ago

              I never said I was continually scouring the thread to check on you, that is a reality you have invented.

              I’ll be blocking you now as it seems you have nothing to contribute but pointless accusations against anyone you disagree with.

              Seek help, you need it.

              • Bitchiest of Bitch@lemmy.worldEnglish
                3·
                2 days ago

                Bahahaha this cunt can’t afford to seek help. Calling an ambulance bankrupts these people so doubt they can seek any decent level of healthcare to help with everything that is wrong with them.

                Actually this probably explains why they are so paranoid that they literally accused 3 users of downvoting their stupidity using alts. 🤣

                And since they are claiming they maybe an expat in the Philippines: sana nilunok na lang ng nanay mo ang tamod ng tatay mong ulol ka.

              • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
                19·
                2 days ago

                okay bye then, so I shouldn’t see any more stalking downvotes from you or your bot account “duckseason” right? Since I’m blocked, you’re definitely not just saying that and then still using alts to downvote? Because we’ve already established you’re a crazy person stalking this thread for me… so… I just want to clarify.

    • Bitchiest of Bitch@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2810·
      2 days ago

      Why don’t you ‘people’ focus on the bullshit that’s in your fucking country instead of sticking your fucking nose in other people’s language, terminology and culture. Fucking cunt.

      You people elected a literal walking Cheetos and you think you have some sort of authority on criticising cultures. You’re a joke.

    • Nighed@feddit.ukEnglish
      30·
      3 days ago

      As a kid, they’re a person holding a huge yellow and red lollipop! So all the kids call them that anyway, so the name sticks (much like a dropped lollipop).

      • TWeaK@feddit.ukEnglish
        10·
        2 days ago

        More to the point, they’re generally beloved by children and parents, and almost everyone really.

      • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        213·
        2 days ago

        hey, thanks for responding respectfully and informatively… instead of, yaknow, the others hurling insults, blaming me for causing the worlds problems and creating a bot account just to downvote everything I said because I asked a question on a harmless issue… the bar is in hell, and you passed it, thank you.

      • SailorFuzz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        211·
        2 days ago

        poor soul, they got you too.

        You said “joke” and these people are deadly, deadly serious about their lollipop man…