Abbey Road zebra crossing now protected

Beatles fans who make the pilgrimage to Abbey Road in London treasure photos such as this –– marching like the mop-tops across the zebra crossing that's kitty-corner from the recording studio. My husband and I dodged mid-day traffic, of which there is a surprising amount, to get this photo.

On the "Abbey Road" album cover the street appears quiet. Perhaps it really was a sleepy residential lane in 1969, when the Fab Four posed for the iconic photograph. (The studio is to the left, behind the low white wall.) But today Abbey Road is busy, busy, busy with buses, taxis, and lorries. Yet most drivers are patient, allowing throngs of goofy acting tourists to pause the flow of commerce briefly for their once-in-a-lifetime photo or video.

Now the British government has "protected" the zebra crossing for its cultural and historical importance. Abbey Road Studios, itself now "listed" by the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, put in the request to include the zebra crossing, and it was granted this week. The crossing has been given a Grade II listing, the most common protected status, meaning that a building or monument is recognized as nationally important and of special interest. The crossing "can be altered but only with the approval of the local authorities, which would make a decision based on the site's historic significance, function and condition," according to news reports.

See how popular the crossing is at www.abbeyroad.com/visit/ –– it's fascinating to watch all the commotion, and includes audio. Mind the time difference.