Pittsburgh's longest-serving crossing guard caught off guard by mayor's honor

Pittsburgh crossing guard Supervisor Elaine Alter has been dodging traffic for 43 years to safely guide children across busy streets on their way to school.

But Mayor Bill Peduto on Thursday caught Alter completely off-guard when he presented her with the Mayor Sophie Masloff Employee of the Month Award during a surprise ceremony in his office.

“I’m humbled,” Alter said through happy tears. “I did not expect this. Thank you so much.”

Peduto said Alter has come to work sick and missed significant personal events and vacations to be on duty. She also has filled in countless times for other guards who missed work.

“It’s always an honor to be able to give this award to someone who actually worked with Mayor Sophie Masloff,” the mayor said. “For your 43 years of dedication, not only to the people of Pittsburgh, but most importantly the children of Pittsburgh, we want to recognize you this month.”

Alter, 63, of Banksville, started working for the city in 1976. She is the longest serving of Pittsburgh’s 76 crossing guards and one of the longest-tenured employees in the Public Safety Department.

Alter said her husband’s grandmother and mother were crossing guards, and they suggested she apply for the job because it included health care and other benefits. She worked the corner of Beltzhoover Avenue and McLain Street in Mt. Washington for 15 years before moving into offices at the city’s Zone 5 police station. She’s since filled in when other guards were absent.

“You have to love what you do, and I love what I do,” she said. “It’s protecting children, and it’s helping children, and it’s looking out for their best interests and helping people.”

The most dangerous part of the job is distracted drivers, and Alter said she’s had plenty of close calls. She’s witnessed drivers shaving, brushing their teeth, curling hair and reading newspapers.

“They don’t pay attention,” she said. “They do it all. They put the newspaper on the steering wheel. It’s amazing. We have had guards that were hit.”

One of her most memorable experiences happened after a younger driver nearly struck her while speeding along a Brookline street. She scolded him the next time she saw him.

“He was like, ‘Please, just don’t tell my mother,’ ” she said. “He came back with this big, beautiful bouquet of flowers and said, ‘I can’t tell you how sorry I am.’ ”

Another time while working her corner in Mt. Washington, Alter witnessed several suspicious people around the home of an elderly couple. A burglary ring had been preying on elderly people in in the area. Alter said she got the license plate number of their vehicle.

“That’s when there were (police) call boxes on the poles,” she said. “There was actually a phone inside. That’s before there were cellphones. I called the police, and they did get them.”

Alter has no immediate plans to retire.

“I don’t even know if I’ll be ready for it when it’s here, but at some point you just have to say enough’s enough,” she said.