Crossing Guards in Zebra Stripes

Motorist in La Paz Bolivia don’t have a lot of respect for the red traffic light. They do on the other hand, pay more attention to Zebras often waving theatrically amidst careening motorists. Wouldn't you?

At the cities nine busiest intersections, drivers are now used to seeing the costumed assistants helping children and the elderly cross the street.

But just who's inside the zebra costumes? The Christian Science Monitor reports it's actually a corps of 100 at-risk youths who put in a four-hour day five days a week, earning 400 Bolivianos monthly (about US$57). Maybe it's no coincidence considering the heat and somewhat dangerous nature of the job that health insurance is also part of the package.

Given the freedom to horse around a bit on the job, the "zebras" have proven to be highly effective. Not only are they trained in traffic control but also in crowd dynamics and street performances. Even though they're a bit off the grid when it comes to law enforcement, police seem to tolerate their often comical antics since making it to the curb has become a less precarious experience.

The Zebra corps is actually part of a broader program for 3,000 high-risk youths between the ages of 15 and 22 working on city improvement jobs. Since 2007, the zebras have been active at events and festivals in the city and even speaking in schools about the risks of drunk driving.

I guess they have a lot of tales to tell about the dangers of that ol' watering hole.

Photo courtesy bjaglin via Flickr.