ROCKPORT — Anyone who commutes along Route 1 through Rockport knows the daily routine of stopping while linemen from Central Maine Power work overhead. The flaggers who control traffic got my interest and I decided to stop and find out who they were. I mean, we see the trucks, but we don’t really interact with the workers up high. It was time to put a name with the faces: The flaggers who stop traffic and then let it proceed.
 
David Crommett is from South China and has been a flagger for 10 years. His comment on the faces in the cars that look back on him was pretty much what I expected to hear.
 
“Sometimes I get some fingers, and with others there are a few choice words thrown my way, but for the most part people are pretty nice," he said. "There are a lot of people on cellular phones not paying attention. They look up and see you at the last minute and have to stop quickly. People who are always in a hurry, those are the ones who get mad.”
 
Joe Anderson is from Waterville and has been on the job for 11 years. He said it was a year-round job.
 
“It can get pretty rough in the winter," said Joe. “We do half-hour shifts and then a relief comes on so we don’t overheat, or freeze to death.”
 
Joe agreed with David that for the most part people are pretty nice, but there are those few….
 
“I had one this morning,” said Joe. “A woman drove past me before she stopped. She did stop and I motioned for her to back up. I had decided I wasn’t going to let her proceed. People just don’t pay attention. I’ve seen drivers reading papers and putting food in their mouths. I’ve come close to getting killed on this job more than once.”
 
He said that driver’s attitudes pretty much stay the same year-round; it doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter.

"They just seem to always be in a hurry to get somewhere," he said. "The nice ones, if they wave or nod, I’ll wave back.”

Flaggers must be certified to work as such by their employer. The employer must follow guidelines set forth by the Maine Department of Transportation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The guidelines state exactly where a flagger can stand, the type of clothing that must be worn for daylight and nighttime use and a hard hat.  

The word “flagger” is a misnomer as it relates to using a flag to control traffic. A paddle with “STOP” on one side and “SLOW” on the other is used now. The DOT states that flag use should be limited to emergency situations.

And what happens if you do choose to ignore the flagger?

According to Craig Cooley, of the Rockport Police Department, failing to obey a traffic flagger is a traffic offense and a driver can be issued a summons for it. The ordinance basically reads that an operator of a motor vehicle shall obey a person who is reasonably identifiable as a public safety traffic flagger. The fine is $310, so it’s better to keep a watchful eye and spend a few minutes waiting if directed to stop.