St. Cloud Superman Has Some Competition for ‘Top Area Roadside Icon’

St. Cloud Superman has some competition as the area's premiere roadside icon. The new kid on the block is the guy who conducts traffic at St. Cloud area stoplights.

I had seen some chit chat about this new character online before, but have yet to see him myself. The word online was that he usually "conducts" traffic at the stoplight at University and 9th Ave S. I spotted him at the stopping on Hwy 10 and St. Germain.

When I saw him it was a super foggy, and busy Friday morning, and he was on the corner by Wendy's "directing traffic" with the enthusiasm of a traffic cop in an old-timey movie. Everyone should have a hobby they are passionate about.

And while I admire the enthusiasm, it was a bit distracting. It got me thinking about the legality of it all. As I mentioned, it was a really foggy day with a lot of traffic when I saw him, so I asked Assistant St. Cloud Chief of Police Jeffrey Oxton if pretending to direct traffic was legal.

The only way that this would be a problem was if it fell under the state public nuisance statute:

609.74 PUBLIC NUISANCE.

Whoever by an act or failure to perform a legal duty intentionally does any of the following is guilty of maintaining a public nuisance, which is a misdemeanor:

(1) maintains or permits a condition which unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers the safety, health, morals, comfort, or repose of any considerable number of members of the public; or

(2) interferes with, obstructs, or renders dangerous for passage, any public highway or right-of-way, or waters used by the public; or

(3) is guilty of any other act or omission declared by law to be a public nuisance and for which no sentence is specifically provided

So technically St. Cloud Traffic Guy isn't in violation of anything, but make sure you're following the stoplight's traffic guidance.