Video (01:14) : Security guard Roger Brown turned a would-be boring job into one he loved. For 162 straight days, Brown greeted walkers, runners and cyclists near the Stone Arch Bridge.
Cyclists and walkers who use the Stone Arch Bridge for their morning commutes might have noticed something missing Tuesday: the cheery greeting of security guard Roger Brown.
For 162 days in a row, weekends included, Brown served as Interstate 35W bridge construction security at the corner of SE. 6th Av. and the service drive used by construction vehicles near the east end of the Stone Arch Bridge.
But the 45-year-old Local 563 union member wasn't interested just in diligently guarding the street. He called out a "hello" to just about every passerby -- by name -- for more than four months.
Brown was reassigned to 60th St. and Pleasant Av. S. He said Wednesday morning that he already misses the "regulars" he got to know, and wishes he could have said goodbye to all of them.
During the spring and summer, friends grew accustomed to one of his favorite phrases: "I love my job." It's what Brown was always saying, so his co-workers had a new, especially bright vest made for him with the phrase stitched beneath his name.
Brown's charisma on the corner spread to the legion of walkers and cyclists. He punctuated the morning by waving and calling, "Good morning! Have a great day!"
In return, cyclists offered quick waves, and many walkers returned the greeting. Brown turned the daily grind into a personal challenge to make passersby feel welcome. He took special care to remember the names of anyone who learned his.
He kept a list of names to learn with short descriptions in his guard booth. "Cindy the happy lady" read one, and another: "Joe + Sarah, tall dude + red hair."
Betsy Kroon and her dogs, Baxter and Isabella, stopped by every day. "We have a hard time walking by him, because they know he has treats," Kroon said earlier this month.
Leslie Bakst and her 19-month-old, Molly, stopped by for about 20 minutes every day. "It's such a ho-hum job, but he [made] it fun," Bakst said.
By chance, Brown saw Bakst and Molly on his last morning working security. "I miss them," Brown said Wednesday. "It was pretty sad, Molly not understanding this would be the last time she saw me at work."
Brown admits it could have been a boring and hot job if he had done things differently. But he wanted to greet everyone -- even those who hesitated to respond -- until the I-35W construction project was completed.
But, no surprise, Brown is positive about his new assignment.
"It looks like it's going to be a lot of dirty work," Brown said, laughing. "But that's nothing new to me."
Tony Gonzalez • 612-673-7415
