And I, like most people I know, think that those buttons do absolutely nothing. Yet, we all still push them. Okay, maybe they did work at sometime, but not now. Or maybe the wiring was switched and they work at the next intersection down the road! Kind of like the close door button in an elevator - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't! I figure it is a cruel Department of Transportation joke. I imagine them driving by and laughing at all the people pushing the button!
From the time I was a kid, I always thought that by pushing the button I would make the light change sooner. I thought little ol' me had control over the traffic! I am here to tell you that I did some research and that is not true. Here is what I found out: those buttons do work, and then they don't! Some only work between certain hours of the day and some only work during certain times of the year! Huh? Some have been disconnected and some are broken. No doubts here. But I did find one truth - they do not make the time until the light changes shorter! Yes, I am telling the truth! They do not make the light change faster!
These buttons only activate the pedestrian crossing light sequence. These lights are the little guy or the word walk in white and the red hand or the word stop in reddish-orange, although they differ in many countries. (see photos below) And they sometimes make the traffic light stay red longer to allow you more time to cross the street. This is useful in areas where there are a lot of people walking. But these high traffic areas are most of the areas where the buttons have been deactivated. This is because the pedestrian crossing lights go off automatically with each light change cycle. And where the buttons are broken, the pedestrian lights will automatically cycle.
So, you really could be pushing the button for no reason. Giggle, giggle. I know I will laugh from now on at people pushing the button - on the off chance it is one that does nothing. Or that they probably think they will get to cross sooner! Then there are areas of low foot traffic where you will not see the guy walking or the red-orange hand if you do not push the button! Are you confused yet?
Here is the most interesting fact I discovered - some of them also have sounds that go along with the light signals. They are for the hearing impaired. Supposedly - there is a chirping sound when you can cross East and West and a cuckoo sound for crossing North and South! They are not used in low traffic areas or in quiet neighborhoods so as to not create noise pollution! They are worried about noise pollution - have you hear my kids out back arguing! I have never heard the sounds, but would have probably laughed? Why did the chicken cross the road? So he could here the cuckoo? Okay, I probably went to far, but if I can laugh at myself then you all should too!
These walking people and red hand lights - and the words too - will blink to alert you that the lights will soon be changing. Some traffic safety sites say - when this happens if you are in the crosswalk to hurry to the other side and if not then stay on the curb. Even though pedestrians have the right of was in a crosswalk in most states, I would not take my chances with a driver who is in a hurry and has no time for pedestrians trying to cross!
Did you know you can get a traffic ticket for crossing the street when a red hand is showing your way or for crossing the street outside of a crosswalk when one is available nearby? I wonder if that is a moving violation? Speaking of crosswalks - each country and area and even town has their own idea of how they should be painted. Some are just two parallel lines - some have stripes straight across, some are slanted and some have the lines down the side and are stripped! One site said they have seen a crosswalk that crossed town lines be pained one way on one side and another on the other side. Jeez -is that really necessary? Can't they just pick one? Maybe each town can do their design every few years when they need to be repainted! There should be some sort of compromise!
So, to sum it all up, the pedestrian lights are not just placebos - but then again they might be! But, I know after today that I will never convince Brian and Sean of that! We were walking home from school and Brian pushed the button - the light changed almost instantly and we were able to cross right away. He looked at me and said, "Mom I did a great job pushing the button today! Look how fast the light changed! I should push it all the time I am so good at it!" I just smiled and laughed - and then quickly said, "Yes, it was a good job. But Sean still gets his turn." Nice try!
No comments:
Post a Comment