UNFLAGGING CHEER TOPANGA CANYON DRIVERS TREATED TO SMILES\ TRAFFIC CONTROLLER MAKES WAIT TIME MORE BEARABLE.Byline: TONY CASTRO Staff Writer TOPANGA CANYON - Kim Dungee is not just another California roadside attraction A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road, that is frequently advertised with billboards to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. . She is a show-stopper -- literally. A dozen times or so each hour, for most of every workday, Dungee waves an orange stop sign at drivers crawling at a snail's pace snail's pace Noun a very slow speed through the Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. Geography They run for approximately 40 mi (64 km) east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County. on Topanga Canyon Boulevard from Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Coast Highway may refer to:
``Four minutes,'' she'll call out to the first couple of motorists. ``You have to wait for four minutes.'' On Southern California's congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. freeways, that kind of wait can seem like an eternity, creating the low-level road rage See Web rage. that gives L.A. drivers a bad name. And that might be the case through construction-torn Topanga Canyon if not for the neon-yellow-vested Dungee, her bright smile and the next words that flow out of her mouth. ``Good morning! How are you? How's your new year?'' Yvette Lozano, who drives Topanga Canyon between her home in Calabasas and her gym in Venice, says the four-minute northbound stop is one of her day's highlights. ``She has such a great disposition,'' says Lozano, waiting patiently in her sport utility vehicle. ``She is so friendly every day of the week. How can it not put you in a good mood?'' Warm-up acts for late-night comedian Jay Leno Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer who is best known as the current host of NBC television's long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. Biography Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. -- or Leno himself -- could take notice. The 43-year-old Dungee -- a one-time choreographer who moved with her family to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, from the East two years ago -- has the incredible knack of giving drivers the patience of Job in a situation that can be surprisingly dangerous. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," The Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway , an average of 1,020 people a year are killed and 40,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes in construction zones. ``Usually drivers don't like people who stop traffic,'' says George Arguijo, foreman of the construction company that employs Dungee and is overseeing the repair work in Topanga Canyon. ``But people love her out here. I've never seen anything like it.'' Neither have many of the drivers who make their way through scenic Topanga Canyon, otherwise known as California State Route 27. You'll find Dungee posted just north of Entrada Road, at the curve in front of the private Fontaine Road, a white hard hat covering her black and brown spiral curls. Construction trucks traveling the narrow canyon road force north- and southbound traffic to alternate through the work zone. Dungee and her counterpart on the other end of the zone coordinate the traffic flow via walkie-talkies. When she gets word, Dungee flags northbound traffic to a stop and gives her ``four minutes'' spiel spiel Informal n. A lengthy or extravagant speech or argument usually intended to persuade. intr. & tr.v. spieled, spiel·ing, spiels To talk or say (something) at length or extravagantly. . She has been working this area since July -- an assignment expected to continue through June. She has developed friendships with some of the passing commuters, and she often talks to drivers stopped at the front of a line, which can snake back a half-mile. Invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil , the small talk is broken up by warbling on the
walkie-talkie telling Dungee the road is clear to allow traffic through.
If there are 100 cars in line, Dungee issues that many ``good mornings'' or ``have a great days'' and as many smiles and waves -- all genuine, all sincere. Where does she get that kind of friendliness and warmth? ``From the Lord, Jesus Christ Jesus Christ: see Jesus. Jesus Christ 40 days after Resurrection, ascended into heaven. [N.T.: Acts 1:1–11] See : Ascension Jesus Christ kind to the poor, forgiving to the sinful. [N.T. ,'' she says, pointing heaven-ward. ``It's his love for us, and our love for everyone else. ``In the beginning, I think people were surprised. We're all impatient, and I thought they might like being told how much their patience was appreciated by thanking them, waving to them and smiling to them because that's part of who I am. ``And people began responding by waving back, smiling and treating me so good out here. I love them all, and I've had people tell me that I've made an impact in their lives. That makes me feel good.'' One of those people is Dave Lichten, a guitar teacher and a member of the Neighborhood Arson Watch Patrol. ``I drive this road 20 times a day, literally,'' Lichten said while waiting at the site on a recent day last week. ``If it wasn't for her, this place would be in a terrible situation. ``She keeps people smiling, and she should have a fan club. If everyone were like her, the world would be a better place.'' Then, the four-minute wait over, Dungee waved traffic through. ``Bye, Kimmy!'' Lichten said, waving and smiling. ``You, too!'' Dungee answered. ``And have a great day!'' tony.castro(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3761 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Kim Dungee, a traffic controller and flagger for road construction on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, high-fives a driver. (2 -- color) Kim Dungee wishes drivers a good day on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. (3) Traffic controller Kim Dungee tries to keep drivers cheery as they wait in construction traffic. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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