Pelican Versus Zebra

More random chat from the car …

RoRo: “Daddy, do you know something?”

Mr Dad: “What?”

RoRo: “Do you know that a zebra crossing is the safest place to cross a road.”

Mr Dad: “Do you know what a zebra crossing looks like?”

RaRa: “Yes!yes! It’s got big yellow balls, like zebra eyes.”

RoRo: “And stripes.”

RaRa: “No RoRo. The balls are yellow … or amber like traffic lights. There are no stripes on them!”

RoRo: “There ARE stripes on the ball sticks! The ones holding the zebra eyes up.”

RaRa: “Ah.. yes. I think you’re right.

Eldest: “And the road, and the road! There are big stripes on the road!”

RaRa: “What road?”

Eldest: “The zebra road. So you know where to cross!”

RoRo: “If you’re looking at your shoes, you see the road stripes. If you’re looking straight ahead,
you see the pole stripes. And if you’re looking up at birds, you see the zebra eyes.
It’s very safe. Unless you’re looking somewhere else. Which would be very dangerous!”

RaRa: “Unless you’re a zebra. Or a bird.”

RoRo: “Yes, zebras can look anywhere and be safe. But probably not birds. Unless they are flying.”

Eldest: “Or it was a Big Bird crossing! With a Red and Green Man.”

Mr Dad: “Err… I think you mean a Pelican Crossing. Still … not that helpful for birds though.”

RoRo: “Or girls, Daddy. Not very helpful for girls either!”

Mr Dad: “Err … what?”

RoRo: “Well , we learnt all about the Cross Pelican in school. No zebra eyes, just men! The Red Man means stop. The Green Man means go. But what if you’re a girl Daddy? What do we do? Huh?”

RaRa: “Find a zebra crossing! They let anyone cross. Even big birds who can’t fly.”

Eldest: “Actually RoRo, that’s not true! Girls can cross. We all used Pelican
Crossings…don’t you remember? We must hold Mummy or Daddy’s hand. Mummy always waits for the Green Man. And sometimes so does Daddy. And then we cross.”

RoRo: “Yes, but they’re not little girls! Daddy is a Man. Red Man, Green Man … Daddy!”

Eldest: “Mummy is not a man.”

RoRo: “Nooo. But Mummy is Big … and Lucky.”

RaRa: Exactly! That’s why our teacher always says don’t cross the road without an adult… Like a Daddy or a Lucky Mummy!