Crossing with a smile
UCLA alumnus Michael Miyake, originally a part-time traffic controller for the crosswalk on De Neve Drive, now works full-time helping students cross.
By Alexia Boyarsky
Nov. 9, 2010 4:06 a.m.
As students walk toward the crosswalk, UCLA alumnus Michael Miyake walks with them.
Sometimes with his arms outstretched or simply gesturing with his hands, the traffic controller at the crosswalk on De Neve Drive at the bottom of Rieber steps sees himself as a barricade between the students and the cars.
It is this personalized approach to his job that has made Miyake a popular presence on the Hill.
“He makes the job very personal and always looks you in the eye,” said Athina Doria, a first-year economics student who passes Miyake every day. “He’s a consistent figure and makes you feel safer.”
A more tangible representation of student appreciation appeared on Thursday in the form of a Facebook page in Miyake’s honor that has attracted about 2,000 fans. The creator of the page could not be reached for comment.
After graduating from UCLA in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Miyake worked as a freelance accountant with a number of finance firms until 2005, when the economy tumbled and employment opportunities decreased.
Miyake then began accepting jobs from an employment firm to make extra money. The firm had a partnership with UCLA, and Miyake started working part-time as a traffic controller. As job opportunities in accounting continued to dry up, Miyake fell back on traffic controlling as a full-time occupation.
“The crosswalk job started out as my second job for more money, but due to the poor economy, it’s now my only job,” he said.
A self-described “workaholic,” Miyake said that despite the job being less than ideal for him, he still strives to do his best at it.
“I wouldn’t be happy sitting back and just collecting unemployment. I need to work, and I always try hard to do my very best,” Miyake said.
Although some students said the crosswalk itself is not very dangerous, they still appreciate the dedication that Miyake shows when he walks individual students across or makes sure to stop every car to allow students to pass.
“There aren’t really many cars that go fast through that intersection, but it’s just nice to know that there is somebody there who really cares about the students’ safety,” said Brigette Bleicher, a first-year global studies student and a member of Miyake’s fan page.
While Miyake does not have a Facebook profile himself, he said he is flattered by the gesture.
“When you like your job and the environment and you work hard, people notice, and I think the students are responding to that,” Miyake said.
The job also allows Miyake to experience a side of the campus he didn’t see when he was a commuter student. As a traffic controller on the Hill, he feels a part of the residential community and experiences life as a student living on campus, he said.
“As a commuter, you get out of touch with the campus and don’t really develop those bonds, but now I feel like I’m reliving a little bit of the experience that I missed when I went to school here,” he said.
The job also allows Miyake to interact more with students and develop some friendships. Although he said that a lot of people talk to him on a daily basis, he doesn’t usually remember their names.
“My favorite is seeing people that I know from last quarter,” Miyake said. “Whenever they walk I recognize them and say hi.”
