A few days ago I was crossing an intersection close to a school. A few volunteer ladies were guiding the traffic and a tsunami of children. What impressed me was the firmness with which these volunteers were guiding the traffic. Some of the drivers, including some parents, were a little intimidated. Over all though there was a great satisfaction in the air.

Other than hazard warning type jackets these volunteers were carrying stop signs. Beyond that there was nothing else that expressed the status of these volunteers. No official hat. No coordinated colour dress. No badge. Nothing. In short there was no way for me to recognize how great there volunteers are beyond this crossing. We can all agree they deserve more.

Recognizing volunteers or any other act of kindness is important for encouraging these. It is very contagious in nature. People love to be recognized. People love to be an authority figure. Games have proved it that we love recognition or authority even in virtual worlds. Ask any Yelper who is the Duke of any cafe.

Recently I got to spend a lot of time in Starbucks. Starbucks send me a Gold Card a few days ago. Despite being aware of the psychology of these rewards, I am attracted to them. You can see through me pride with which I present my gold card when commoners pay cash.

Recently I came across a great example of using recognition or badges to encourage safe driving. In South Korea if you are an accident free cab driver you are given a title “The Best Taxi Driver” or in Korean 모범 택시기사. These special driver are allowed to wear a special band across their chest. They have a special type of hats. Their dress, their badges, and their hats make them obviously identifiable. These drivers wear these very proudly. It is an honour to be a Best Taxi Driver.

Most of these drivers volunteer to conduct traffic. You can sometimes see them around schools. Helping kids navigate their way home and effectively imparting a lesson in ethics and pride in excellence.

Here are three pictures of  two volunteers: The Best Taxi Driver, a Parent, and a Police Office conducting traffic. I know most of you can not read Korean, but I am sure you will have hard time recognizing who is who.

The Best Taxi Driver

The Parent Volunteer

The Police Officer