Dad In Elk Grove Helps Kids Cross Busy Street By Wearing Giant Stop Signs
ELK GROVE (CBS13) - It will be hard to talk your way out of a ticket for running a stop sign near one Elk Grove elementary school.
This retired marine says it's his duty to help students of Irene B. West Elementary School cross the street safely and on time.
"The teachers are out here with a 2-foot stop sign, some of the cars don't stop. And you get kids in the crosswalk and the cars aren't stopping, so I made this 4-foot stop sign, plus, I have a presence about me," said Sir Wes Riley, the sign-wearing dad.
This giant teddy bear of a dad high fives and smiles at every kid that crosses his path.
"It gets the kids ready because of the music and helps for the cars to see the big stop sign. And then nothing wrong will happen to us," said a student.
He puts traffic rule breakers back in their lane too.
"I yell at the parents a lot for dropping off in the no-dropping-off zone," said Riley.
The 4-foot sign is made out of styrofoam and wood, weighs about 25 pounds and is covered in shiny construction-grade paint. The straps are repurposed swimming pool noodles, and no stop sign would be complete without a cup holder and built-in speakers.
And while the kids, the school and the community have embraced his kind-hearted gestures, there have been a few drivers new to this veteran's protocol, but quickly turned the corner.
A lot of the parents in the beginning didn't like me, but then when they see me doing it for the safety of the kids, then they say, 'OK, that's cool,'" said Riley.
Riley is at the school Tuesday through Friday.
He took up his volunteer traffic duties about one year ago.
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