A 90-year-old woman named Maggie Potson who worked as a traffic warden for 44 years has finally retired. She was rewarded for never missing work all through her service year.
Maggie has been working as a crossing guard (Traffic Warded) since 1978. She has been working at the same spot,PS 282 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, at 6th Avenue and Lincoln Place for 44 years which locals often refer to as “Miss Maggie’s corner.”
She took up this role after a department store she worked at folded up. Maggie said she learned about the crossing guard position through a friend and applied for the role.
Poston resumes her post at 9:30 a.m. and returns in the afternoon with a petite fixture positioned at her corner. She was known and loved by everyone who passed through there specially for her greetings.
The season determines where Maggie stands for the day. In winter, she chooses to stand on the school’s side of the street while in summer, she takes comfort under the tree shades at the other end.
She mentioned that it is usually difficult for her on snowy days but more difficult on rainy datys. Maggie’s supervisor, Ripo-Ramos who has known her for 18 years stated that she has never missed work and is always on guard.
”She’s rarely ever taken a day off in the last 45 years she took the post. “She’s got, like, I don’t even know, maybe 1,000 hours of sick leave piled up. She doesn’t take it. She amazes me,” Ripo said.
Maggie is also noted for not napping in between shifts. She spends her weekends at church and later bonds with her two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and numerous grand𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and great-grand𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
For the 40 years, Maggie has been stationed at the same intersection. She stated that nothing much has changed there except that there is now much traffic but everyone still obeys her..
“It’s nice, quiet. Everybody minds their own business. I have no problem, I tell them stop, they stop. I tell them go, they go,” she said.Ripo-Ramos menttioned that they were surprised when Maggie clocked 90 years as they have alsways thought she was 83.
Upon Retirement, Maggie said she is looking forward to exploring the world and taking a trip to Jamaica. “I’ve been working all my life. All my life, It’s time to travel,” she said.