I have been told something about traffic lights...

wez130 · 2 Jun 2009 at 20:56

theres a set of lights near me, that, if no traffic is coming from the left/right, as you approach, they change, they don't rely on the flashing of lights, or a camera on them, they must have some kind of sensor though as it's foolproof, even works with scooters lol.

On the flip though, the exact same lights, if someone presses the button to cross, the traffic lights go res, 10 seconds pass, the green man comes on, then goes red after 20 seconds, then another 10 seconds pass and finally the traffic lights go green.

BigglesPiP · 2 Jun 2009 at 21:02

It's a myth, it's simply a method for blind people to tell when it's OK to cross if they are around multiple crossings.

A lot of people swear it speeds up the process, and refuse to listen to reason. But it only seems quicker when you use it because it has given you something to do.

jas72 · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:18

quick push of the button deposits 400 types of urine and faeces on your finger....

LukeTW · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:21

I used to do it when i was a kid to

Don't use them now though :rolleyes:

cheets64 · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:33

Its for blind/deaf people.

All signalled crossings have facilities for partially sighted or hearing impaired pedestrians. Rotating tactile cones are fitted beneath the push button unit which turn when the green man is displayed (see photograph) or audible bleepers that sound when the green man is showing. In some situations both may be fitted.

GeForce · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:38

A lot of traffic lights have inductive loops in the road where a car would stop if it were waiting for a change of lights.

Anything metal over it will cause a change in inductance, which the control circuitry interprets as a vehicle waiting for the lights, and makes the lights change. However, sometimes scooters or small bikes don't induce an EMF quite a large enough EMF to trigger a change.

Justintime · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:46

Just do like most peds i see, look, make sure the lights green and the road is empty, press the button but cross on green anyhow, hold up the car that was coming then he gets caught on your red that you did'nt bother waiting on

tomoW1 · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:55

It annoys me when people stand at the lights and don't press the button, then they wonder why it takes so long.

BigglesPiP · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:57

tomoW1 said:
It annoys me when people stand at the lights and don't press the button, then they wonder why it takes so long.

Why?

When I do this it's because I already know the lights follow a sequence, and the button is merely to entertain me. I'm actually just waiting for a gap in the traffic.

Sinque · 3 Jun 2009 at 01:05

BigglesPiP said:
Why?

When I do this it's because I already know the lights follow a sequence, and the button is merely to entertain me. I'm actually just waiting for a gap in the traffic.

A sequence which changes once you press the button to let it know you want to cross.

PardonTheWait · 3 Jun 2009 at 01:07

jas72 said:
quick push of the button deposits 400 types of urine and faeces on your finger....

So does touching the floor or a door handle or a wall or a railing or the earth's atmosphere

BigglesPiP · 3 Jun 2009 at 01:38

Sinque said:
A sequence which changes once you press the button to let it know you want to cross.

That would be one where I do press the button.

But 99% of crossings in Southampton and Liverpool are on junctions and will show green to the pedestrians regardless of whether the button was pressed.

And I still ignore these completely and cross when it's clear.

Marky · 3 Jun 2009 at 01:40

Used to do this when I was younger and it never worked

Infact, I saw a kid do it today and it immediatly turned red and we could cross the road :eek:

Coincidence I say

Craig321 · 3 Jun 2009 at 01:43

tomoW1 said:
It annoys me when people stand at the lights and don't press the button, then they wonder why it takes so long.

It annoys me when people press the button when there are hardly any cars around. The road is clear but they still insist on pressing the button, stopping the one car that is coming and crossing only when it beeps.

ash6290 · 3 Jun 2009 at 02:09

i dont know why but i like the feel of it when is turns

Zogger · 3 Jun 2009 at 13:19

the more you press it the quicker it stops traffic. If you press it enough times it actually stops traffic in the past before you started pressing it.

Le_Petit_Lapin · 3 Jun 2009 at 13:32

wWhat do the blind people do if they have no knob where they want to cross?

LukeTW · 3 Jun 2009 at 14:11

ash6290 said:
i dont know why but i like the feel of it when is turns

lol!!

Dutch Guy · 3 Jun 2009 at 14:16

Dev2 said:
Press the big button faster and faster, it knows then that your in a rush and decrements the time remaining time by each unit of time (seconds in this case) corresponding to the number of times you hit it. Really?

No but people do it anyway.

Also applicable when calling an elevator, if you manage to press the button 5 times in a second the elevator comes to you immediately

platypus · 3 Jun 2009 at 14:19

Craig321 said:
It annoys me when people press the button when there are hardly any cars around. The road is clear but they still insist on pressing the button, stopping the one car that is coming and crossing only when it beeps.

It may annoy you but in a fair few countries its illegal not to do this.

Anyway, what is one stopped car compared to inherited habitual road safety?