A school patroller, Jeanne has been securing children at the garrisoned crosswalk for a quarter of a century. "It's an education, the pedestrian crossing," she says.
If one day she had been told that she would become a patrol, she would not have believed it. But she would have smiled. The smile is a verb that sticks to your skin. Before being a school patroller, Jeanne is a tireless woman.
Born in 1963 in Neuchâtel, she grew up in the midst of two brothers and apprenticed as a saleswoman-cashier. It was in 1984 that she settled in Gland with her husband Walter: "It was the first of April, without laughing. Initially, my husband was a farmer and worked on his parents' estate, which was eventually sold. He became a road mender for the state and was hired by the municipality of Gland. As for me, I was able to be transferred to Migros. "says the mother.
Be on the look-out
In 1986 and 1987, Jeanne gives birth to the two children of the couple. It was necessary to stop working but... "I am a person who likes to be busy," she slides like a confession, always smiling. The tone is given: very quickly, to combine activity and toddlers, the young mother embarks on childcare. A few years later, in 1991, Jeanne took over the camaraderie of their building in the rue does Ales, while Jeanne worked part-time as a sales assistant at two service stations. All at the same time!
"Now I have calmed down, but I like being active, I need to see people," adds the Glendora. No wonder then that walking and cycling are also part of his daily life.
Taking the uniform
"A lady from my building was a patroller and offered me to join the group, but at that time it was still too early. I became interested when my daughter started school, "says Jeanne. She begins as a substitute, then is engaged in the afternoons; the sales assistant has been wearing the reflective vest full-time since 2012.
The municipality is responsible for providing theoretical training to the new "agents" and the road safety of Lausanne teaches them the right gestures. Because yes, it's all about safety first and foremost: "We avoid talking too much with children when they cross, it can quickly become a mess. It's an education, the passage. I must be at my business. "
If the patroller never had to complain about major accidents during her working hours, any way to leave a child alone: "It happened to me to bring home children after my patrol, having warned the parents. They get tangled sometimes, between moments of the day mom, supervised homework, etc. "
Motivation intact
Cut time, work outdoors... The job does not have everything to please. Yet Jeanne is still not tired. "It certainly requires good availability, but for me it's ok, I'm well organized. And everything pleases me: contact with children, their parents, to be of service. "
But this great enthusiast can still rest: on vacation, she does not dream of crosswalks or signs. "And I'm happy when I come back. There is more traffic than before. It's true. But no day is alike. I still have something to do until retirement but if I'm still healthy after, why not continue? "
Meanwhile, Jeanne will find his schoolchildren next Monday, for a twenty-sixth return.
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