Lollipop man Bob Pole, 73, threatened, abused and sworn at by drivers in Leicester
Lollipop man Bob Pole has been abused, sworn at and threatened by motorists as he guides children across the road.
The 73-year-old great-grandfather, who has been a lollipop man in Knighton, Leicester, for eight years, said: "It is just getting worse and worse."
He spoke out about the daily barrage of abuse he has to put up with in a bid to get drivers to slow outside St Thomas More School, in Knighton Road.
Mr Pole said: "I cannot believe how fast some of these drivers travel up and down here when they know there is a school.
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"All I am trying to do is to get a lot of little children safely across a road and into the school. Many seem to react as if I am personally trying to ruin their day."
Mr Pole, of Wigston, who has four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, said he was threatened recently.
He said: "There were two men in a car and I had stepped out with my lollipop to stop the traffic to allow children to cross.
"They took exception to my stopping them and shouted abuse at me.
"The car had already stopped and then one man got out and approached me.
"He was shouting very loudly and was very aggressive. He came near to me and said 'Have we got a problem?'.
I told him I did not have a problem but that he would have one with the police if he did not leave.
"This is the type of rubbish that some drivers are capable of. Why? It seems to be just because they have to slow down or maybe stop to let little children cross the road to get to school."
Mr Pole, a part-time cellarman at the Horse and Trumpet pub, in Wigston, said it was not just male drivers who subjected him to abuse.
He said: "Sometimes the women are worse. I can't believe some of the abuse that comes out of their mouths.
"I think drivers should think twice about their speed and their behaviour. I am here to help protect the children and I love my job."
Parents of pupils at the primary school supported Mr Pole's call for drivers to slow down.
Elizabeth Pateman, 30, of Knighton, whose five-year-old son Samson goes to the school said: "It is awful. I have seen and heard some of the abuse directed at Bob the lollipop man.
"It is terrible that parents and children should have to hear this. The drivers who do this should be ashamed.
"Bob is a lovely man and all the children love him to bits. He is always smiling and helpful and is only doing his job."
Head teacher Pat Mason also appealed to drivers to go slower on the two main roads outside her school.
Mrs Mason, who has been at the 278-pupil school for 18 years, said: "We have always had a problem with car going too quickly near the school.
"The main problem is in Knighton Road but there are also drivers speeding along Ratcliffe Road at the back.
"Mr Pole is a lovely man who does a great job for us.
"If this gets drivers to think twice and to slow near all schools, then that would be great."
Comments
by knightonSG
Friday, November 30 2012, 4:14PM
“Mr Hugo Boss – I think you have missed the point of the article – it was all about Bob Pole and his valuable contribution to the community in his retirement years. Helping children like your Step-daughter across the road safely.
I would say that 99.99% of the Knighton community who use St Thomas More school do not share your views – Mrs Mason is an exceptional Headteacher and just like the hugo boss designer, has very high standards – it's very odd that you should have selected to use this alias – it would be better suited to have use an alias like…Mr Cantankerous?
Knighton Parents Support Group..”
by Bigroy1340
Thursday, November 29 2012, 10:44PM
“There is little respect for the old today. They are abused robbed ripped off and attack and seen as easy targets. But , I say this to the youth, if you think it is bad now, just wait till you get old, because it is getting worse. What goes around comes around.”
by dcrane
Thursday, November 29 2012, 10:18PM
“I have to agree with greenpugilist - it sounds as if Mr Pole is indeed a hero.”
by jimbob6163
Thursday, November 29 2012, 3:55PM
“Every stop pole should have a Camera fitted by the council and anyone not obeying or swearing at a warden should prosecuted by the police, they are doing a job to protect our children and grandchildren.”
by knibbsie
Thursday, November 29 2012, 2:32PM
“My daughter goes to this school - I don't know what Hugo-Boss is talking about - I have on many occasions seen cars causing hassle to Bob and I think most parents who attend the school and use his valued services will have seen this too! It should be obvious even to a complete idiot that speeding near a school is on the worse side of unacceptable - the possible consequences are horrifying - look at those kids who were killed at the bottom of the Hinckley Road and that wasn't even near a school! As for Mrs Mason she has always been most professional to us and she does a sterling job for the school - however she is a human being and if Hugo Boss's comments are anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised if she spoke down to him if faced by that class of codswallop - I would too!!!”
by New_Walk_View
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 11:45PM
“Elizabeth Pateman, 30, of Knighton, whose five-year-old son Samson goes to the school said: "It is awful. I have seen and heard some of the abuse directed at Bob the lollipop man.
"It is terrible that parents and children should have to hear this. The drivers who do this should be ashamed
They should be more than ashamed. They should, as G_C_Lee says, be taken to court and fined - at the very least - while the knuckle-dragging oaf who actually left his car to physically intimidate and threaten Mr Pole should have the book thrown at him.
What happened to the PCSOs who used to be a common sight in this part of Knighton? Perhaps they could arrange to spend some of their time monitoring this area.
@ Hugo-Boss
I suspect - based on your graceless remarks about the head teacher - this is a wind-up but if it isn't and you really believe what you've written, perhaps you ought to be attending the school, too. One of the purposes of an education is to equip people to move beyond the view that `If I haven't seen it personally, it isn't happening'.”
by Peter20101
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 4:46PM
“Helmet mounted waterproof video cameras
http://tinyurl.com/c38csdh”
by bikeresteban
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 3:18PM
“So he's making it up then is he Hugo-Boss?”
by bikeresteban
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 11:24AM
“It's a sign of the times. So many people are wrapped up in their own little selfish worlds that they haven't got a thought for anybody except themselves.
On my regular lunchtime walks around Anstey it never ceases to amaze me how fast the majority of drivers go through the village totally ignoring the flashing speed limit signs which are obviously a complete waste of money.
I agree with C G Lee that a video camera mounted on his hat would be a good idea. My brother was verbally abused and threatened on his push bike by a motorist who was subsequently caught and fined because my brother caught it all on his helmet mounted video camera.
What also I struggle to comprehend is how many people speed around with their young children in the car putting them at risk of serious injury as well.”
by C_G_Lee
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 9:54AM
“This really is disgraceful. Perhaps Bob should be supplied with a video camera fitted to his hat like some police officers, so that offenders can be taken to court. Either that or a plain clothes police officer watching him for a while. This sort of behaviour against a 73 year old man doing his best to ensure the safety of young children cannot be tolerated.”