Return of the Flags

After some letter-writing and phone calls to the mayor and city council members, vanishing Wallingford crossing flags have been resurrected. During their first appearance, our toddler found them magical. She had recently learned the power of the word “No,” so we anxiously latched onto and encouraged her enthusiam. We said hello and goodbye to the flags as we drove by. At bath time, we sang a song about the flags to the tune of “We All Live In a Yellow Submarine.”

Then, thanks to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), they were gone.

But this week, the flags are back. In fact, they’ve been sprouting up all along 40th North. According to Seattle Residents for Improved Pedestrian Safety, the SDOT has adopted a new “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on the flags for the time being. SDOT Director Grace Crunican emailed the grassroots flaggers:

While I am unable to give you an answer at this time as to whether pedestrian crossing flags can be considered before the Master Plan, we will respond to you early in the new year with a decision. In the meantime, we will take no further actions to remove flags or endorse their use.

Yesterday, we asked our daughter what she thought of the return of our orange vinyl friends.

“I do not like them, no thank you,” she said.