"Silly Walk" crossing unveiled in Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse replaced the road crossing sign at its town hall with a sign inviting people to do the "Silly Walk" when they cross the street. The sign shows a man with a bowler hat and brief case, flinging his leg high up into the air.

The new sign is a reference to a Monty Phython sketch, in which actor John Cleese is an official for the Ministry of Silly Walks.

The idea for the Silly Walk crossing was brought forward by Aloys Bijl, a fan of Monty Python and absurd British humor, NOS reports. He saw such a sign at a crossing in Sweden, and wanted to bring the reference to the 1970 sketch to Spijkenisse. "Cleese parodies an official at a ministry: how crazy can you make it? Sometimes strange things happen in a town hall, hence this place", he said to the broadcaster.

Alderman Jan Willem Mijnans of the municipality of Nissewaard, which covers Spijkenisse, thought it was a great idea. "It's nice to see people cross the street with a smile. We hope that many people will do it."

The crossing at the town hall is one of the busiest in Spijkenisse, but pedestrians don't have to worry about their safety, Bijl assured. "Wether you walk normally or silly, the traffic rules remain in force. So the cars have to stop as usual."

Two years ago Eindhoven also honored the Silly Walk with a mural its Dommel tunnel.