THE CROSSING-KEEPER

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 18

THE CROSSING-KEEPER

«. WHY THE GREEN FLAG? . ANSWER- SELF-EVIDENT A paragraph that-has been going the rounds reads as follows:— "There is little likelihood of.the Railway Department altering its system of green flags and lights at railway crossings to indicate danger. A departmenta opinion makes it clear that the criticism of the existing system, which. was made in the Christehurch Magistrate's Court last week, is not likely', to have any effect. A change-over, it is pointed out, would be an expensive and lengthy business, and the gain is not; considered to be worth the trouble. The present system of signals is based on those in use the world over, and different colours could not be adopted without making the Dominion the sole exception to the recognised signal colours. Moreover,- the Department points out that motorists should realise that a man waving a green flag at a level crossing.is not doing so to indicate that the road is clear for all comers. The Department's view is that it is the duty of motorists and. pedestrians to familiarise themselves with road signs at level crossings just as anywhere else." The paragraph, while stating the Department's position, is not calculated to remove, but, rather,' create confusion in the mind of- the motorist. The actual position is simply this, that the crossing-keeper exists primarily for the Eailway Department, not for the general public. You are hardly likely to find a crossing-keeper on a crossing unless some kind of rail traffic is due. When the line is "clear" for road traffic the crossing-keeper betakes himself to the little box provided for him, or to the signal-box, or whatever, otlier duty he is called upon, to fujfll between, times. The crossing-keeper carries two flags—a red and a green. Both are for the train-driver, not for the motorist. The red is the danger sign—for the engine-driver. The gfeen is the safety flag—for the engine-driver. 'It means come on,' or, rather, "all clear," just the same as the green lights on the signal posts. - ,'■■;. The mere presence of a crossing-keep-er on a crossing should be sufficient'in: itself, to cause the motorists to take care. It means that -rail traffic is due. The motorist's own commonsense ought to be sufficient to tell him that the flags are for the train-drivers, not for the motorists. Were a red flag to be waved at a crossing the enginedriver would immediately do his utmost' to bring his train to a stop. It could only mean one thing to him —danger. There are crosings. where keepers are on . (Tuty more or Jess all the time.,; Christehurch has at least one such. It is natural that the keeper should appear to use, and even actually use his green fl g to halt road traffic. He may even push the flag practically Into the face of a careless or non-observant ■ driver but none the less the flag is "flagging the train," not the road traffic, in contradistinction motorists may note that the new type of automatic danger signs against traffic at level crossings flashes red lights, not green ones. These lights are for the' traffic; they are not for the. engine driver, and do not show against the trains.