The Flagger

Read Mike Dawson's story: In our two-lane region, there is much we suffer trudging along our side of the yellow line.

The slow turners. The school bus stops. The cell-phone gabbing tailgaters.

Then, there is the flagger.

With trepidation, we face our decider. Wielding that scepter, the flagger can swing our moods with a roll of the wrist. A sigh at STOP; glee at SLOW.

Yesterday afternoon, an Orange County DPW flagger had his sign turned to SLOW on Kings Highway in Warwick.

But despite the sign, despite the flagger's bright orange clothes and despite our daily dealings, a motorist struck the flagger, injuring him critically.