It was early on a Saturday morning. I was on my way to the park, hoping to find my way into some pickleball games, when I pulled up to a stoplight and immediately noticed her.

It was hard not to notice her on the curb along the right side of the street. She was wearing one of those orange safety vests, the kind construction workers wear, with reflective strips. She also held a long pole out in front of her, its tip resting on the ground.

Just after I stopped at the edge of the crosswalk, she stepp...