They are just a remnant of a by-gone era. Push the button Go ahead! Something to do while you wait for the light. Which no one does anymore unless it was a smart phone app. Lots of places by me the button isn't hooked to anything since it messes up the timing of the lights and traffic flow.
In areas with few pedestrians, the button is required so cars don't have to wait for pedestrians that aren't there. When pressed, it gives the walker more time to cross than the traffic lights would normally allow. This gives slow walkers extra time to make it safely across.
Heck just go to Cambodia. No need for one of these, working or not. You walk into the street slowly, don't make eye contact or you will be expected to give way, and traffic will flow around you. Try that in NYC, Boston, LA, etc. and you will end up road pizza. In fact in Cambodia the center line is just for decoration and the only safety device you need there is a horn. Chaos in slow motion.
Nothing better than watching someone feverishly pushing the button and wait..... rapidly pushing the button repeatedly and wait....... holding down the button and wait.... shaking fist into the air, waiting until cars are coming right at them and then walking out into traffic. I argue that they do serve a purpose. Comedy relief for someone.
Some cities have these funky crosswalk flags that pedestrians carry with them when they cross the road. They pick them up at one end of the crosswalk and then drop them off at the other. Amazingly enough people don't steal them! True story.
In places where the traffic lights are on a timer the buttons do nothing. I do love the scene in Crocodile Dundee 2 where he tells the guy there is a fine for pressing the button more than once...
They are just a remnant of a by-gone era. Push the button Go ahead! Something to do while you wait for the light. Which no one does anymore unless it was a smart phone app. Lots of places by me the button isn't hooked to anything since it messes up the timing of the lights and traffic flow.
In areas with few pedestrians, the button is required so cars don't have to wait for pedestrians that aren't there. When pressed, it gives the walker more time to cross than the traffic lights would normally allow. This gives slow walkers extra time to make it safely across.
Heck just go to Cambodia. No need for one of these, working or not. You walk into the street slowly, don't make eye contact or you will be expected to give way, and traffic will flow around you. Try that in NYC, Boston, LA, etc. and you will end up road pizza. In fact in Cambodia the center line is just for decoration and the only safety device you need there is a horn. Chaos in slow motion.
Sounds a lot like Shanghai. My coworker kept telling us "just go, they're not going to hit you!"
OK, I GET IT, YOU'VE ALL TRAVELED
matthew Maybe Meh will sell airline tickets or bring back Laker Airlines so you too can travel from NYC to London on a flying Greyhound bus.
I cross streetz with a 3rd world mentality
Here in Cape Town drivers are mostly pretty courteous but we do call traffic lights "red robots", which is endearingly quirky.
Worst one of these yet...which actually means it was effing meh
When nobody has insurance nobody wants to hit or get hit
dear god that sounds awful
I like the cute little lane markers on the left. They tried to make it less chaotic but then were all "meh nevermind"
Watching this gave me a mini anxiety disorder.
where is this?
Ethiopia. Blue & white vans are taxis.
Nothing better than watching someone feverishly pushing the button and wait..... rapidly pushing the button repeatedly and wait....... holding down the button and wait.... shaking fist into the air, waiting until cars are coming right at them and then walking out into traffic. I argue that they do serve a purpose. Comedy relief for someone.
Some cities have these funky crosswalk flags that pedestrians carry with them when they cross the road. They pick them up at one end of the crosswalk and then drop them off at the other. Amazingly enough people don't steal them! True story.
Sign should just read, "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this."
I have never come across anything like this. People actually use them? I mean, I see the individual with one but the couple is sans flag
@medz +a million stars for that. Brilliant.
I came across them in Sun Valley, Idaho. I can assure you that they're real and people use them.
I first saw these when I moved to Seattle from St. Louis. Everybody who visits says the same thing I said: "In St. Louis they'd get stolen."
Walk faster!!!
I frequently use the buttons to force a light change when there are no cars to trigger it for me. It also allows more time to cross.
The only thing that irritates me is when there are two buttons, and I can't tell which one is for crossing which street.
In some parts of Los Angeles, there are two buttons. One is for bikes and one is for peds. The ped one gives a longer cross time, I believe.
Relevant.
I almost always wonder when I encounter one of these whether I'm pushing a placebo button.
In places where the traffic lights are on a timer the buttons do nothing. I do love the scene in Crocodile Dundee 2 where he tells the guy there is a fine for pressing the button more than once...
That background song is really really catchy.