NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM, and the host for tonight, George Noorey states that the pedestrian crossing button that activates the Walk/Do Not Walk doesn't actually work. It just turns to WALK when the lights turn red. Hmm, is he right? I don't think so. There's a system like that at my college campus, and at night it would stay green all night long. The only time I've seen it turn red was when that button is pushed.

There's definitely a light near my house that goes to yellow instantly when you push the button. And yes, it then proceeds to red.

(what a useless topic for my 500th post!)

Ok, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM, and the host for tonight, George Noorey states that the pedestrian crossing button that activates the Walk/Do Not Walk doesn't actually work. It just turns to WALK when the lights turn red. Hmm, is he right? I don't think so. There's a system like that at my college campus, and at night it would stay green all night long. The only time I've seen it turn red was when that button is pushed.
it depends. most lights are timed, but there are also pressure triggers. when the trigger isn't pressed, then the light doesn't change. else the timer starts and the light changes after a set time.

so when the trigger isn't pressed, and the walk button is, then the light will change.

or that's how it is in Hawaii... :p

There's definitely a light near my house that goes to yellow instantly when you push the button. And yes, it then proceeds to red.

(what a useless topic for my 500th post!)
you want it to be something like "My [insert noun] is better than your [reinsert noun]!" thread?

Ok, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM, and the host for tonight, George Noorey states that the pedestrian crossing button that activates the Walk/Do Not Walk doesn't actually work. It just turns to WALK when the lights turn red. Hmm, is he right? I don't think so. There's a system like that at my college campus, and at night it would stay green all night long. The only time I've seen it turn red was when that button is pushed.
Depends were you live really. His could just be on a timer, but here the lights have sensors that initiate the light changed based on the time of day, and number of cars waiting. Here the pedestrian button will cause the light to change within a minute; if you don't press it, it will never change.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_153.html

Here the red man just disapears after it goes through it's cycle, and doesn't come back until someone presses the button. That means though that if you press the button during a time when it would normally be green, you have to wait until it goes right around again before it changes. Or you can just ignore it and walk.

We don't have many of those buttons around here. There's not even so much as a crosswalk (as far as I know: there's construction going on right now) at one of the most dangerous intersections, which is the one I would have to cross if I were to walk to school, and is the reason I don't. I live 1.7 miles away from the school, which is three-tenths of a mile too close to merit me riding a bus, apparently.

Ok, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM, and the host for tonight, George Noorey states that the pedestrian crossing button that activates the Walk/Do Not Walk doesn't actually work. It just turns to WALK when the lights turn red. Hmm, is he right? I don't think so. There's a system like that at my college campus, and at night it would stay green all night long. The only time I've seen it turn red was when that button is pushed.

He's wrong. If the button isn't pushed, the pedestrian crossing light won't change. The traffic lights will still change if they're on timers (as opposed to motion sensors) but the pedestrian lights won't, at least not down here in Florida.

Around here, crosswalk signals are just for shits and giggles. I don't think buttons do shit and the thing says Walk when the light turns red, then it turns to "NO DON'T WALK, YOU WILL DIE" when you are in the middle of the road.

Depends. There's one near my house that until a few months ago it didn't matter whether you pushed it or not, the light would change on a timer and the green man would appear. Now, the lights are still on a timer, but the green man doesn't appear unless you push the button.

It's dumb if you ask me. But it means they can program them different in each case.

i wouldnt believe anything i heard on coast to coast without at least a dozen reputable independant sources agreeing with him

i got to hear about psychic healing of horses last night (apparently the atheists version of faith healing). turns out that thinking hard (and intuiting the horses preferred name) can heal a horse even when its getting state of the art medical care. go figure

pedestrian crossing buttons work differently in different locations just like stop lights do.

They definately work here. I've tried them at 3 o clock in the morning where there is no traffic and they work.

Normally in urban areas the light and walk signal is timed, like that my university as well, you don't push the button unless you want that annoying buzz sound as well.

Buttons are for hosers. I prefer just to walk across all 8 lanes of traffic at random.