If you have ever driven along Grovelands Drive in the mornings or after school then chances are you would have seen or been waved at by John Moreton.
The 76-year-old Camillo resident has served as Groveland Primary School’s traffic warden for the past 16 years after initially relieving in the position for only a few days.
Mr Moreton said he was drawn to the role as he was bored sitting at home as a retired man.
“I had to do a written test, a verbal test and also had to stand there and show how I would put my flags out,” he said.
“I then completed some relief work at John Calvin School and then all the way down to Kardinya and up to Kalamunda Road for the high school.
“Then after that I was put at Grovelands Primary for a couple of days relieving but then the lady that was there had to go to hospital and she didn’t return to the job.”
The cheerful traffic warden said he had many happy memories of his time spent along Grovelands Drive, helping multiple generations of parents and children cross the road safely.
He would always wave at every passing bus, car or his favourite form of transport, motorbikes and would wear a Christmas hat for the last few days of term four to help bring some Christmas cheer into the children’s lives.
However one close call involving driver distraction remained an unpleasant memory for Mr Moreton.
“Before the roads were widened near Grovelands Primary I was standing out there one day and I looked both ways, blew the whistle and the children had gone from where they are supposed to stand, almost to the centre of the road and this car zoomed past,” he said.
“It was one of the mums and she was going that fast and that quick that it knocked my flag clean out of my hand…she was that close.
“That was the most frightening incident I had.”
Mr Moreton officially retired from the position at the end of term three but said he would still be there doing the job had his body allowed him too.
“I miss it and it is damn annoying that I can’t do it anymore,” he said.
“There is one lady that comes through now who I helped cross the road at the same spot when she was in year four or five.
“She now brings her children to the crossing and she is not the only one.
“It give me goose bumps just thinking about them.”
