Wichita Falls Pundit
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One Intersection - One Officer
An idea for directing traffic in the big city of Wichita Falls.
I write this in the spirit of the old Texas Rangers (law enforcement division) tale about "One Riot, One Ranger". Look it up if you're interested.
Due to a power interruption, the traffic signals at Seymour Highway and Loop 11 - the loop that doesn't loop - were out. Two WFPD officers were in the intersection attempting to direct traffic. This was their first mistake. This is not a complex intersection. There is no need for two officers.
I could see the officers looking at each other, trying to coordinate their efforts, while the motorists tried to decide which officer to look at for direction. The process is simple. Enter the intersection and stop all traffic. Then, let traffic flow from the north-south turn lanes. Stop that traffic, and let traffic flow from the north-south "thru-traffic" lanes. Then, repeat the process for the east-west traffic. There's nothing complicated about it. It's easy work for a single officer. An Acme Thunderer whistle helps.
To make the situation even worse, the officers were not using the correct body position and standard hand signals that motorists could easily see and understand. They were facing the traffic they were trying to direct. Their non-standard hand signals were not easily seen because their hands were in front of their bodies. One officer was using a "come here" type motion, something you might use to summon a child.
The officers should have had their front & back sides facing halted traffic. Moving traffic should see the officer's side view. But, again, there should be only one officer in the intersection, and that officer should be using standard, full-motion hand signals. If you're going to confuse drivers with non-standard hand signals, do it with one officer, not two.
I've directed a lot of traffic. Clearly, these officers had never had practical instruction on this task. Perhaps training could be given by Military Police or officers from agencies who direct traffic daily. What I saw did not reflect well on the WFPD.
Lt. Chet Chester III, Retired. (Grandson of the late Officer Chet Chester of space alien fame.)