Government Moving Beatles Abbey Road Crossing?

The London Sun reports that British officials are proposing moving the famous road crossing that was featured on the Beatles Abbey Road cover. The reason is because tourists taking photographs are causing accidents.

Abbey Road Ward Councilor Lindsey hall says that since the year 2000, there were 22 accidents at the Abbey Road Crossing. She adds, “Maybe it’s time to end this once and for all and move the zebra crossing.” Another government official, Judith Warner stated, “I have asked our transport department if the crossing is in the most appropriate place.” A spokesman for Westminster City Council debated, “There is nothing to indicate any more cause for concern than any other road.”

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Well here’s a silly suggestions, how about a traffic light? Break out your calculators and figure out how much money the Beatles bring in tourism. Now subtract the cost of a traffic light that would give fans half a minute to snap a photo. Still a big number.

And, do you think that fans aren’t going to still cross the road if the stripes aren’t painted there? It’s not like they are the same stripes as the original album cover anyway. The tourist attraction is the spot in the road, not the paint on the pavement.

This all just after the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the photographing of the Abbey Road album cover. Thousands of fans visited the spot on the anniversary. The Beatles tribute band “Sgt Peppers Only Dartboard Band” dressed in replica clothing and crossed the road to recreate the famous pose.

Photographer Iain Macmillan took the original photograph. He was chosen because of work he had done for Yoko. The photographer only had about fifteen minutes to take the album cover photograph. He stood on a ladder in the middle of the road and snapped only about 8 photos of the John, Ringo, Paul and George crossing in front of Abbey Road Studio while a policemen held traffic.

There was no writing on the album cover. Not even the band’s name. Creative director at Apple records, Josh Kosh, insisted the Beatles were the most famous group on earth and they did not need their name on the cover. The record company said they’d never sell albums unless they said who the band was. I suppose it all worked out all right in the end.

- Beatles Geek Pete

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