Trib P.M. the Link - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
By Jodi Weigand
Ted Burley contends with winter snow, summer sun and aching feet as he walks Downtown streets seeking out those who need help navigating the sometimes bewildering Golden Triangle. He’s one of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s safety ambassadors who helps people who aren’t familiar with Downtown and acts as informal security officers. He’s also a poet and a sword collector.
How did you become a safety ambassador?
It was a bit of an accident. It just so happened that I was at McDonald’s on Smithfield Street, and one of the ambassadors had come in to get his lunch, and he accidentally left his extender mike behind. I brought it back, and I told them I was interested in a job. They gave me (an) application, and a few weeks later, I received a call.
Was it difficult familiarizing yourself with Downtown?
I’m still learning. The one thing I would encourage the city to do is contact all of the businesses and get them to put addresses on the outside of their buildings, because it’s hard when you’re trying to get someone somewhere, because they have a street address, but the building doesn’t have a number on it.
How many miles do you walk during your eight-hour shift?
I have never actually counted, but, according to my feet, when I go home at the end of the day, I think I’ve walked to Russia.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen Downtown?
The Furriesconvention. It was the first time I had ever seen or heard of them, and it was so interesting walking down the street seeing people in full costume. I got a chance to talk to some of them, and they were very interesting to talk to. What do you like most about your job? As odd as it is, I think it’s talking to some of the homeless people. They have a lot of fascinating stories. Over on Forbes, near Smithfield, there’s a woman. She’s been Downtown since I was a kid, but until I started this job, I never talked to her. She has a lot of life experience; she’s done a lot of things and loves to talk. She’s a fountain of information, and she’s taught me some things.
So your work inspires your poetry?
I get different inspirations for writing. The first poem I ever did was titled “The Gift,” and it was called that because that’s what it was. A friend of mine, he got married, and I wasn’t working at that time, and I couldn’t buy anything. So I wrote something, printed it out on nice paper and framed it. I also wrote a prayer that we used for a church service. How did you get into sword collecting? I liked martial arts when I was younger, and it just kind of went from there. I have seven. Most of them are replicas from TV. I have one from “Zena,” several from “Highlander” and one called a rapier that’s like the ones used in “The Three Musketeers” movie.
To view the article from Trib P.M., Tuesday, April 29, 2008, click here.
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