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Daily News reporter Victoria Ritter helps children cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel helps children and their guardians cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Daily News reporter Victoria Ritter helps children cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel hands over a stop sign to Daily News reporter Victoria Ritter on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Daily News reporter Victoria Ritter helps children cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel helps children and their guardians cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel helps children and their guardians cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel helps children and their guardians cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Daily News reporter Victoria Ritter helps children cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

Midland crossing guard Tom Babel helps children and their guardians cross the street on Sept. 13, 2022 on the corner of Adams Drive and Washington Street.

This week, I went back to school. Well, not exactly back in a classroom, but just across the street.

Exactly three weeks after Midland Public Schools began its 2022-23 academic year, I found myself getting lessons in crosswalk safety.

The September morning dawned with a distinct autumnal chill in the air – at this point of the year, anything below 60˚F is brisk. Shortly before 8 a.m., I wrapped myself in a warm sweater, scarf and light jacket and drove to the corner of Washington and Adams streets, almost directly in front of Adams Elementary School. There stood Tom Babel, a seasoned crossing guard.

Babel had been up and working earlier than I had been awake, starting his shift at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Chapel Lane. Afterwards, he was able to drive home and walk barely a block to his post near Adams Elementary.

According to Lt. Dan Keeler of the Midland Police Department, Midland currently employs 17 crossing guards, with three more to soon begin their duties. Of those 20, 14 are primary crossing guards and six are substitutes.

The Midland Police Department not only hires the crossing guards in Midland but also provides training for them. A few weeks before school starts, crossing guards go through a four-hour session where they learn first aid, safety measures and how to use the equipment.

Babel was resplendent in his neon yellow safety vest and wielded a flashing stop sign – both provided by the Midland Police Department.

“During the winter, it’s really good to have (the flashing stop sign),” Babel said.

After filling me in on what to expect, Babel allowed me to take the stop sign in hand and help kids cross, as long as he accompanied me in the crosswalk. I tried it a couple times, first to get used to standing vigil and watching for any cars that might be turning. By the second and third go, I took a leaf from Babel’s book and sent a couple kids off with a friendly “Have a good day.”

Babel demonstrated constant vigilance, helping students cross both Washington and Adams to reach the school on the north side of Adams. He patiently waited for the walk/don't walk signal to turn white before venturing into the middle of the crosswalk, holding his blinking sign aloft. Every so often, he would come back to our corner and walk briskly to Washington, where students, even a few parents, were patiently waiting.

But Babel didn’t have to manage things alone. He had help from a couple student safety patrol officers from Adams. The safety patrol students help hold fellow students back from the street until they see Babel step out. He said the safety patrol's presence is very helpful in the afternoons, especially when he ushers kids across Adams and then Washington.

In addition to the drivers, parents and students, Babel kept his eye on his watch and the electric sign in front of the school, watching as the minutes ticked closer to the start of the school day. Around 8:35 a.m., he ushered the safety patrol officers across the street so they could get to school on time.

Babel’s care for the kids was evident not only in his dedication to his job, but how he engaged with them. He took a moment to marvel over trading cards one student brought along and later commented to a parent how their child was a big help on the safety patrol.

As Babel’s shift came to an end, my regular workday was just beginning. I drove downtown, catching sight of a few other crossing guards wrapping up their own shifts. I took Babel’s conversation to heart, monitoring my speed and watching the crossing signs to gage traffic light changes. Perhaps now I’ll make more of an effort to give a friendly wave to the crossing guards I pass every day. They are just as important in keeping kids safe as teachers, parents and bus drivers, also offering encouraging words and a smile. I could at least do the same for them.

Shop talk with a real crossing guard

Tom Babel of Midland has worked as a crossing guard for eight years. He is stationed at the intersections of Washington and Adams as well as at Jefferson Avenue and Chapel Lane, both in the morning and in the afternoon. He has kept his same locations since he started.

Why did you decide to become a crossing guard? It’s just something to do. I’m retired.

Do you mind getting up early, working in all kinds of weather? I was a construction electrician for almost 20 years after I got out of the Navy. I was used to getting up early. I used to work in the weather. And I have the clothes for it. You just got to know how to dress.

What do you enjoy most about being a crossing guard? The kids, especially the middle school kids because they’re a little bit older and you can banter with them back and forth.

What are some of the challenges to being a crossing guard? Drivers. They don’t want to do the speed limit. They try to make a right turn on red when I’m in the street. A few years ago, I almost had a kid get hit on a bike (on Jefferson) because a driver was in a hurry.

People don’t know what the speed limits are. Most of these streets that we’re on are 25 mph, and it’s 25 mph in front of a school. (Drivers) whiz by.

What makes a good crossing guard? Being aware, especially with the little kids. It’s not too bad because a lot of them are walked by their parents. But you got to keep an eye on them. Also, you’re watching the traffic. It’s not too bad when you have control signals, but when you’re on a corner that doesn’t have a control signal, you have to be aware of drivers.

What’s one thing you’d like people to know about being a crossing guard? I think drivers need to be more aware of their surroundings. When you’re in a car and driving, that’s what you’re supposed to do – to drive it, not to be on the phone or texting. That’s my biggest (irritation) – people not paying attention.

Is there a job or activity that you haven’t tried or are curious about? Do you have a job that people know little about and do you want to share your experience with readers? If so, contact Victoria (Tori) Ritter at vritter@mdn.net.

Victoria Ritter grew up in Midland and after earning a degree in English at Grand Valley State University, returned. She joined the Daily News as its newsroom clerk, and eventually began editing obituaries, and in 2016 wrote her first article. She loves the arts, from reading and creative writing to catching a movie or singing in her church choir.