FIONA MARSHALL,
Madam, - I was horrified to read that Dublin City Council has had to organise "aggression managment courses" for its school traffic wardens to help them to deal with road rage incidents.
It seems they are the new target of raging drivers, who are verbally abusing them, in some cases the wardens have reported that some drivers have even driven around them, in one case causing serious injury.
Seamus Kelly of Fingal County Council road safety section said the number of complaints about wardens about drivers behaviour "is reaching alarming proportions". Have these bullying motorists no children? Have they no regard for the sterling work that our "lollipop" ladies and men do each day?
I watch in awe our lollipop lady, Mary, from St Kevin's School, Greystones, Co Wicklow. As well as having to see the children safely across the road, she has to deal with the added pressure of building machinery coming in and out of the school grounds - due to a school extension being built. She fairly assesses the traffic and stops it in even intermissions. Mary knows every single child in the school by name, even the new tots! If you ask her about her job she will smile and tell you "I love it". She even gives the children lollipops on special occasions.
Surely all the Marys throughout the country have enough to contend with. I place my children's lives in her hands. God forbid that some lunatic should decide to drive around her. - Yours, etc.,
FIONA MARSHALL,
Kilcoole,
Co Wicklow.