Thomas Gibbons presses the button on the illuminated walk sign, then runs back and forth to help people cross. He raises his hand high to signal drivers.
As the children and their parents reach the other side, he calls out “Take care!” or “Have a nice day!”
The 69-year-old wakes up at 5:20 a.m. every weekday. He wants ample time to prepare for his first shift of the day and drive the 3 miles from his home in West Roxbury to his intersection in Brookline Village.
The Boston area is experiencing a shortage of crossing guards. According to the city of Boston’s website, 54 crossing guard positions are open in the city. This is not the case, however, in Brookline, where all 26 positions are filled and the hourly wage for crossing guards is 30% higher than in Boston. Crossing guards in Boston earn up to $22.47 an hour, while all crossing guards in Brookline earn $29.14 an hour.
Gibbons said he doesn’t do the job for the money, though. The position keeps him busy and gives him a mission each day.
“If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be committed,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons starts his shift at 7:30 a.m. at the busy intersection of Boylston, Washington and High streets.
Sally Cohen said she knows her daughter will be safe walking to the William H. Lincoln School when Gibbons is at the crosswalk.
“He is a stickler for the rules, which I appreciate,” she said.
Every time a group of kids stands close to the edge of the sidewalk Gibbons watches intently.
He doesn’t try to learn their names and has two reasons for that.
“Number one is I’m bound to forget,” he said.
He also figures that if he calls some kids by their names, others will feel hurt.
Gibbons grew up in Brighton, studied law enforcement at Boston State College, which has since been absorbed into the UMass Boston, and moved to Houston after graduating.
He worked at Southwestern Bell, where he spent his time knocking on doors and in manholes installing telephone lines.
“I loved it,” he said. “It wasn’t even like going to work.”
During a stint as a telephone repair technician, he met his wife, Kathleen, who was working as a phone operator for the company.
The couple moved back to Boston. He found a job at the New England Phone Company.
They had two children. Their son, Patrick, is completing his annual training as a captain in the Army Reserves in Japan. The daughter, Kelly, works as a speech pathologist in the Walpole school system.
Gibbons has worked odd jobs since retiring in 2017. None of them stuck for long. He became a mail carrier for a week before quitting.
Four years ago, Kathleen was working in the office for the now-demolished Pierce School on Washington Street. She heard they needed a crossing guard outside the William H. Lincoln School on Walnut Street. Gibbons filled in – and fell in love with it.
“I am providing a service, and it’s rewarding,” he said. “It’s not like a job.”
He was stationed in front of the Lincoln school for a year and a half, then moved further down Walnut Street to the intersection with High Street. He moved another 100 feet down High Street to his current post this December.
Kids are more respectful of traffic etiquette than adults, he said. If a child tries to cross without the sign illuminated, Thomas educates them on how to be more safe. He does not do the same with adults.
“Jaywalkers don’t make it easy,” Thomas said. “I can’t tell adults how to cross the street.”
Drivers can also be reckless, of course.
“Everyone is trying to get somewhere,” he said. “They are desperate to get out of town or wherever people have to go.”
Gibbons said he once witnessed a negligent motorist drive on the High Street sidewalk to avoid backed-up traffic.
Kids often give him gifts. As much as he loves Dunkin’ gift cards, there are the “little notes” thanking him for helping them cross the road and the silly jokes he makes.
When his morning shift is over, he drives back home for a break. Gibbons eats lunch with his wife. If there’s time, he’ll work out at the YMCA.
He will be back 40 minutes early for his afternoon shift.
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.