Coyote Blog

6 Comments

1. SB7:

   I don't know whether this is comforting or more disturbing, but that's not unusual and it definitely predates "stimulus" job-creating-or-saving shenanigans. In fact I can't remember if I've ever seen a solitary cop directing traffic at an intersection in DC and I've lived in the area my whole life.

   February 16, 2010, 9:28 pm

2. anon:

   If they gave them each a snow-shovel, they wouldn't need to direct traffic.

   (For the non-DCers: DC didn't do a good job plowing -- many streets have lost 1 or 2 lanes to snow. Painful rush hours are now unbearable.)

   February 17, 2010, 6:27 am

3. Paul:

   Here in Chicago, they use Traffic Control Aides. I'm so glad they assist me by waving me into an intersection when the light is green, and waving me to stop when the light turns red. Since they're not real cops, they can't direct traffic against whatever color the traffic light is. One of the most useless jobs I've ever seen.

   February 17, 2010, 8:17 am

4. John Maynard Keynes:

   You economically illiterate fools! If we would simply replace every signal in the country with a couple of traffic cops there would be 0% unemployment. Some people just don't understand stimulus.

   February 17, 2010, 11:32 am

5. William:

   I'd be willing to believe that directing traffic is a lot more directly beneficial than 90% of the work that police do.

   February 18, 2010, 5:52 am

6. Sameer:

   What's also interesting is that I see cops directing traffic, so naturally drivers focus on the cops and ignore the traffic signals, because the assumption is that the cops directions take priority over the signals. However, the cop then spaces out or goes to talk to someone while making the 'drive through' motion and then the light turns red, so the cop then starts to scold the driver who tries to drive through the red light. Lovely.

   February 19, 2010, 4:23 pm