When asked about crossing guards, most people tend to think about the one or two crossing guards that waves at them when they pass by a school. Not many people know who they actually are, and what they do outside of this job.

With 22 crossing guards placed throughout the city of Manhattan Beach and over 6600 students in the entire district, it is up to these people to be the first to step into the busy intersection to ensure the kids’ safety. Contracted by a company, the crossing guards are assigned a specific intersection each day during the busiest time, when students get out of school.

Jeff Bugge, a retiree from a trucking company, loves having something to do in his free time, while also getting to interact with the elementary students that he sees when he’s on duty. Linda Phillips and Rita Newell cover possibly the busiest intersection in town, the corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd. and N. Redondo Ave. by Manhattan Beach Middle School. They are also able to interact with students on a deeper level with an actual conversation rather than just crossing them everyday.