Just a note to show that Philly's crossing-guard situation is not unique:
At a school somewhere in the general area of the British Isles, a "lollipop lady" stands guard twice a day, alert for speeding cars and mindless pedestrians.
The only problem: The school has been closed for four months, and the pupils have moved to a school a good distance away.
Sharon Grice, 46, patrols a beat where no students cross, while no one patrols the area where the students do cross.
"I've told my bosses that it's a waste of time me being here, but they say I have to stay put," Grice has been quoted as saying.
And some Brits still wonder why the Empire collapsed.

Posted at November 26, 2004 12:58 PM