ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON YOUR TOUR THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE.
- At the beginning of your tour explain your expectations for safely proceeding through downtown. (Examples: The guide goes first, the parent goes last, students should not run, etc.)
- You and your group of students are a unit, so adjust your pace to maintain the cohesiveness of your group. (Example: walk more slowly, pair up to cross the street so the group doesn’t spread out too far, etc.)
- ALWAYS cross at the crosswalk. Never cross in the middle of the block. Try to cross with a traffic light whenever possible.
- Always ensure that your entire group is ready to cross before entering a crosswalk at a corner or a traffic light.
- As you move through downtown, look ahead and be alert to any possible safety concerns, i.e. political demonstrations, construction, the MAX train, aggressive street people, etc. and detour when appropriate. On the waterfront, be especially aware of bicycles, skateboarders and joggers.
- Even though the parent helper is responsible for helping to keep track of the children, it is ultimately the guide’s responsibility to always keep a mental note of the location of each child.
- NEVER allow yourself to be left alone with the children. If a parent doesn’t have picture ID you may not be able to go into certain sites. You may be able to pair up with another guide and his/her group. (See Emergency Procedure Guidelines)
- Certain areas of each tour offer special access for persons with disabilities. Each tour lists accessibility information for sites on that tour in the tour-specific section of the guide Handbook.
Remember, our tours are designed to be educational and FUN for the guides and the children. Each group will have a different personality which may require the guide to adjust the pace and content of the tour given that day. Since it is impossible to anticipate every possible situation, we rely on each guide’s good judgment.
Policy and Procedure, June 2022