When I use a crosswalk, I press the button twice; the second time is to ensure that I actually did complete the circuit.
Most people I see press the button many times. Yesterday I saw a guy rapidly and repeatedly pressing the crosswalk button, and I have no doubt he kept it up until the walk signal was lit.
Does it matter how many times the button is pushed? Or does the only first push register in the system? Does the system say, “Oh! There are 137 people waiting to cross! I’d better change the lights now!”; or does the system mearly change the signals according to its timing?
I think the latter is true. I think that rapid, multiple button-pushing may be a superstition. That is, “Aha! I pushed the button over and over and the light changed!” I think the timing is the same, but the button-pusher doesn’t notice because he’s preoccupied by pushing the button.
So which is it?
“I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry
Wild guess: No, it doesn’t care. I’ve punched the button tons of times, and it still takes the usual amount of time. Typical. The only time the response is faster is at night, and that only takes one push. Elevators never come any faster, no matter how many times you push the button.
I’m a turtle in a box being worshipped. Sure wish I was in the mud.
don Jaime de los Resorbitos
Free the Water Tower 3!
I always thought the special thing about the button was it would force a walk signal and block turners(they’d get no “you have full right of way” green arrow, just a regular green).
Cecil’s test seems to be on a non-intersection location, though, where that wouldn’t be a factor.
Also, Cecil’s button lighted at some times of day. I’ve never seen that one. There must be two useless versions out there.
File CONGRESS.SYS corrupted: Re-boot Washington D.C (Y/N)?
Not all stoplights are on timers only. Many are set to play to the traffic, especially at intersections where one street which is only busy at certain times of the day cross constantly busy avenues. In such cases, the light may be programmed for a long delay between changes, while a weight triggered sensor will quickly change the signal when a car comes up the less travelled road - the crosswalk button will do the same for a pedestrian wanting to cross the busy street. Without that, the traffic on the busy road would constantly be interrupted to change the light for traffic that isn’t there - and don’t you really hate when that happens?
I thought there were coils under the asphalt that picked up the car’s electrical field?
I’ve been waiting at a light on my motorcycle… and waiting… and waiting… But if I position it over the seam in the asphalt, shut it down, then start it again, the light will change. I’d assumed that this was because starting the engine induced a more powerful electrical field that was readable by the coil.
Have I been wrong all this time?
“I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry
You’re probably right about the electronic coils. But sometimes you see a metal plate contraption buried in the road that seem to be triggered by the wheels rolling over them. I thought those were weight related.
We used to think the crosswalk buttons were just there to make you look stupid, but I remember a story in the news about a guy standing in a puddle of water with his dog at a light. He pushed the button, and a short in the system fried his dog. I know, sounds like a UL and probably is, but when I read it, it was a fresh news story, not a “friend of a friend.”
The crosswalk buttons DO work, at least in some locations. While stationed in South Florida I once came to an intersection with a notoriously long red light just as it turned red. The guy in the car ahead of me got out and hit the crosswalk button and the “don’t walk” signal immediately started flashing, saving all of us in line from the typical 3 minute wait.
Also, in my home town, many crosswalk signals are permanently on “don’t walk” until you hit the crosswalk button.
When I was little soemone told me that if you press it once it registered and if you pressed it twice it wouldn’t. Of course I believed them. I would run up and press the button a million times in my youthful vigor and then get worried that maybe I ad cancelled it out. I’d sit there debateing wether or not to pressit again until the light turned green.