Taking a walk with the Ampelmannchen

Top of mind lately for many Torontonians has been the growing toll of pedestrians killed by motor traffic.

We’re largely a jaywalking society, distracted by headphones and cellphones and gotta-be-there yesterday schedules, so it’s no question that some of these deaths could have been prevented.

If 14 deaths and counting is not enough of a heads-up against oncoming traffic, perhaps we can revisit the lights put forward to guide us. Traffic lights, that is.

Back in the day of a split Berlin, pedestrian traffic lights were actually somewhat of a political statement. In East Berlin, the little man with the hat known as the Ampelmannchen spoke to a priviledged society. He glowed green with a proud strut and his red outstretched arms guarded against oncoming traffic.

The Ampelmannchen is a reminder of the country’s rich history. He’s somewhat of a leader, and with his borgeois hat and effervescence, a symbol that has become somewhat iconic to the region since the end of the Iron Curtain. I can’t speak statistically to his effectiveness for road safety, but I suspect that if he is as commanding on the road as he is historically, he could be a good guide to follow.

If every symbol tells a story, the Ampelmannchen gets a thousand words. Sadly, I think Toronto’s lights are losing their’s.