For the last six years, rain or snow, Terrence Pitts has never called in sick.
Every day, he puts on his uniform and walks the short eight-minute walk to Latimer Road Elementary School in Surrey.
Pitts is hard to miss, and it’s not because of his bright-coloured vest or big red stop sign.
Whether he is waving or dancing, he commands the crowd while keeping both drivers and people of all ages safe.
“I just love waving to everybody, the kids are just amazing,” he says. “It just warms my heart seeing all the smiles.”
Pitts is admiringly known in the neighbourhood as the crossing guard and he’s a staple in this community.
Vehicles honking and people shouting "thank you" or "bye, Terrence" are endless at the busy intersection any given day of the week.
School principal Susan Yip says they are really lucky to have him.
“Honestly, he sets the tone for the kids in the morning,” she says. "They come in happy. They usually tell us stories about what Terrence has done and what he said and then he sends them off happily at the end of the day.”
At least once a month, she’s receiving emails from parents and people in the community letting her know what an amazing crossing guard he is.
“They let us know how he really brightens their day as they’re driving to work,” Yip tells Glacier Media.
It was Pitts’ stepdad who suggested he take on the job.
“It’s the best job I’ve ever had, it’s the absolute best,” he says.
Yip makes sure everyone is crossing safely twice a day for an hour, Monday to Friday. He makes it look easy, twirling the stop sign as he helps children walk across the road.
“I already love this job but what makes it a whole lot better is the community,” he says. “I am usually just crossing people back and forth and bringing out the smiles on everybody’s face during their commute or walk.”
Pitts makes sure to chat with everyone, whether it's just a hello or asking about their day.
Recently, a stranger posted a video on social media of Pitts. It has been viewed more than 190,000 times by people praising him for his work.
“Has anybody seen this guy before? He is my favourite,” says the person in the video.
Pitts saw the video and said it was "pretty heartwarming."
Sometimes, he might even start dancing to music if people are playing it in the car.
“I guess it’s just all-natural,” he says.
Yip says Pitts makes everybody feel better with his infectious personality.
"So many schools are left without [crossing guards], so we're really lucky... We have somebody who has not missed a day in his six years,” she says.
