# Traffic lights with stop/go signs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241 "2024-12-27T20:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/1 "2024-12-27T20:49:52Z")
From an episode of _Bewitched_: [![](https://i.imgur.com/OFxkp96.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/OFxkp96.jpeg) I vaguely seem to recall seeing these in old cartoons before, but can’t remember seeing one in live-action media and definitely never in real life. Were these once common/standard? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/2 "2024-12-27T20:57:26Z")
That is absolutely and old style. Better yet, some of the early ones were from Acme. They should have been very rare by the time Bewitched was on, as these signals were getting phased out in the 1920s I believe. Here’s one apparently in use in the 1950s. > **[LA 1950's | Traffic signal, Los angeles, California history](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/561472278539003906/)** > > This Pin was discovered by Dave Schemansky. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/3 "2024-12-27T21:15:15Z")
The proper term for them is a “semaphore traffic light” or “traffic semaphore”. You can google those terms for more info and lots of pics. Apparently there is still one in operation on Sunset Boulevard. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kPyE60lrrok/maxresdefault.jpg "Fully Working Acme Semaphore Traffic Light!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPyE60lrrok) > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Better yet, some of the early ones were from Acme. Heh. I remember them from old cartoons but I wasn’t aware that many of them were made by Acme. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/4 "2024-12-27T21:49:28Z")
There is a stop / go traffic light in the opening moments of Double Indemnity, from 1944: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EcjfAAOBQx0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHuAYACtAGKAgwIABABGGsgayhrMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDL6vHCaXJM9H19tREy1ctHHeMX7Q "double indemnity opening") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjfAAOBQx0) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/5 "2024-12-27T22:00:30Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > They should have been very rare by the time Bewitched was on, as these signals were getting phased out in the 1920s I believe. It’s also very possible that they used one like that specifically to make it easier for the audience to see Samantha make it change, which I presume she did at some point. That and/or it’s what the studio had on hand. Also, in black and white, it’s going to be easier to see what the signal is displaying. In B&W the audience may not notice the light changing or be able to quickly tell if it’s supposed to be red or green. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/6 "2024-12-27T22:06:42Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s also very possible that they used one like that specifically to make it easier for the audience to see Samantha make it change, which I presume she did at some point. Yes at 18:14 into the episode [as seen on the Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/bewitchedcomplete_202310/Bewitched+S01E06+Little+Pitchers+Have+Big+Fears.mp4). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/7 "2024-12-27T22:27:14Z")
It’s not playing for me, but I’m assuming it’s the one where she learned how to drive. For whatever reason there’s one random exchange between Sam and the teacher that always stuck in my head. Nothing special about it, he told her she was too far in the middle and when she asked how you can be too far in the middle, he told her she was straddling the white line. I have no idea why those few lines still run through my head more often than they should given I haven’t seen it in probably 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/8 "2024-12-27T22:30:00Z")
It’s probably the bells but I always associated those signals with railroads. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/9 "2024-12-27T22:30:45Z")
If it is the driving lesson one, Paul Lynde plays the instructor before he returns Uncle Arthur. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/10 "2024-12-27T22:34:34Z")
No, it is one about a neighbor boy with an overprotective mother. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/11 "2024-12-28T11:38:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s not playing for me, It didn’t for me until i logged in… > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > one about a neighbor boy with an overprotective mother Do you know what was the episode called ? (there are several …) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/12 "2024-12-28T12:31:40Z")
It is right there in the video link: “Little Pitchers Have Big Fears”. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/13 "2024-12-28T13:49:59Z")
Strange. When i click the link it starts at a different episode - i don’t know which one - although the correct one’s name is highlighted. If i move the time thingy to the start, it starts at the now correct episode. 🤷 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-lights-with-stop-go-signs/1012241/14 "2024-12-28T17:39:54Z")
They certainly would have helped Jeff bridges in Starman: (Starman is driving the car, and speeds across a recently turned red light, causing crashes for the other motorists) [Starman]: Okay? [Jenny Hayden]: Okay? Are you crazy? You almost got us killed! You said you watched me, you said you knew the rules! [Starman]: I do know the rules. [Jenny Hayden]: Oh, for your information pal, that was a _yellow_ light back there! [Starman]: I watched you very carefully. Red light stop, green light go, yellow light go very fast.