Anyone who frequents the intersection of 6th Street and F Avenue is used to seeing the school crossing guard who spends each school day there, but how many Coronado residents actually know the man behind the stop sign, Bruce Campbell? Mr. Bruce, as he is affectionately known by students who attend Village Elementary School, Coronado Middle School, and Coronado High School, has been safely escorting students across this busy intersection for the last three years.
Quiet with piercing blue eyes, Mr. Bruce appears to be intimidating and has a commanding presence. Frequently most students and parents only hear him speak once he stands in the middle of the crosswalk with his stop sign held up as he says, “Come on! Let’s go!” When someone thanks him for getting everyone safely across the street, Mr. Bruce usually responds with a simple nod of the head.
Born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan, Mr. Bruce is a former Seaman Third Class, who was discharged from the Navy due to bronchial asthma. He moved from his home state of Michigan to California in 1987 to be with his family, and never looked back.
Many residents would be surprised to learn that the man who stands guard at one of the most important intersections here in the Crown City once worked as a “trouble shooter,” investigating crimes involving drugs and burglary. This gentle grandfather-like figure, who has no children or grandchildren himself, once worked as a high-risk security guard for inmates, guarding them in hospitals, protecting doctors, nurses, and medical staff from violent criminals. He also worked in Chula Vista at the Rohr Plant, where he helped the Port of San Diego in the arrests of twenty-six people who were stealing copper.
Mr. Bruce is a no-nonsense kind of man, who has “seen it all” prior to becoming a school crossing guard. It almost seems comical that someone who had such a series of rugged careers would now be content to work with children and their parents all day, but he loves working here in Coronado. He doesn’t like to talk to the kids about his previous careers because he doesn’t want them to hear about some of the dangers that exist on the other side of the bridge.
His earlier jobs involved dealing with criminals, and now he gets to spend the day appreciating people with the purest of hearts, children. When asked what he likes best about being a crossing guard, Mr. Bruce simply answered, “Taking care of the kids, making sure they get across the street safely.” He added that being able to spend the day outside, where he gets to enjoy the beautiful weather, is certainly another perk, but added, “The kids are the most important part of the job.”
While working as a crossing guard is certainly not nearly as taxing as working as a high-risk security guard for inmates, this job doesn’t come without its own periodic frustrations. Mr. Bruce says that traffic is his biggest concern because, according to him, “People in cars are always in a hurry.” He worries about people who are busy texting while driving, and is constantly on alert knowing that sometimes drivers’ “minds are elsewhere.” Protecting the children is his utmost concern, and he is proud that there have been no injuries or accidents on his watch.
While parents throughout Coronado are busy making sure their children are ready for school each morning, Mr. Bruce leaves his home in Ramona each morning at 5:30, and arrives at his post at 6:40 am. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, he stays there at the intersection of 6th Street and F Avenue until 3:15, and on Wednesdays, which is an early release day, he leaves at 1:50. It usually takes him about an hour and fifteen minutes to make it back across the bridge and back to his home in Ramona each afternoon, a commute that would make some people cringe, but Mr. Bruce doesn’t mind the commute at all. He wants Coronado residents, especially those who have children who attend the local schools, to know how much this job means to him. “I’m an honest person. I enjoy my work here. I look forward to coming to work each day.”
In his spare time away from work, Mr. Bruce, who is single, is a horse enthusiast, but, anyone who walks or drives past him during the down time of the school day will notice that he vigilantly sits there on his chair all day “scanning” the intersection. Asked why he doesn’t bring a book to keep himself occupied, he explains, “It only takes a second of not watching for something to go wrong.” In today’s day and age when most people can’t go long without checking their phones every few minutes, Mr. Bruce is content to wait for the occasional student who needs to cross the street to travel from the Middle School to the High School or to stop traffic for a physical education class that needs to cross the street. Mr. Bruce, who clearly takes pride in his work, takes his responsibility seriously. Each day he arrives with a packed lunch from home, ready to spend his day ensuring the safe passage of all. The next time you pass his intersection, whether on foot, on bike, or in a vehicle, a sincere yet brief, “Thank you, Mr. Bruce,” will certainly elicit a signature nod of the head from one of Coronado’s unsung heroes.
