# Why do pedestrian crossings in Oslo have two red men? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916 "2008-11-29T11:27:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/1 "2008-11-29T11:27:11Z")
The title says it all, really. Is it just for emphasis or what? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/2 "2008-11-29T11:33:44Z")
No picture link? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/3 "2008-11-29T11:34:26Z")
Those pedestrian crossings that do have two red men have them for emphasis. Most crossings don’t, though. There is no legal difference between the two. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/4 "2008-11-29T11:52:44Z")
Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/5 "2008-11-29T16:39:36Z")
Emphasis to benefit the g’$£mned bus drivers. Yes, I nearly got run over by a buss while walking on a green man in Prinsensgate today. Grrr. (You in Oslo, **Princhester**?) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/6 "2008-11-29T18:29:03Z")
Because they’re gay? ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/7 "2008-11-29T20:59:02Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Because they’re gay? Now you need to turn this into one of those “This Has Gone TOO FAR!!!” emails. 😉 Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/8 "2008-11-30T00:41:56Z")
Pics of the crossings under discussion? I googled ‘oslo pedestrian crossing’ and they all looked normal. ---
**Author:** ![malm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@malm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/9 "2008-11-30T01:07:59Z")
because Norway is an odd little country, everything in Norway relating to roads is weird… if you crudely translate the name of the “Norwegian Public Roads Administration”(commonly known as veivesenet, or vegvesenet) you get “the road creature”. vei\veg = road and vesen=creature\being(as in inner being)\administration that should explain everything weird about norwegian roads Edit\*Og, i’m tired. did this make sense? we also have “the Health Creature” ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/10 "2008-11-30T01:32:14Z")
Hey, does that mean we have five dopers in Oslo at the moment? …There is a tower with a centipede on it (Trafikanten) outside the main train station (Oslo S). Anybody want to meet up and get a coffee or something? Have a mini-OsloDope? I’m working tomorrow, so about 17.30 would be great for me. Or, if sunday is out, there is a cute little café at the university library (Blindern, Universitetsbiblioteket, Georg Sverdrups Hus). It’s open during the week. Oh yeah, in addition to the Road Creature and the Health Creature, we have the Tax Creature. Nobody files taxes late here. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/11 "2008-11-30T10:45:05Z")
I was there last Tuesday for a few hours only, actually. I didn’t take a picture then, and I can’t take a picture now because I’m back home. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/12 "2008-11-30T11:18:41Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > Hey, does that mean we have five dopers in Oslo at the moment? > > …There is a tower with a centipede on it (Trafikanten) outside the main train station (Oslo S). Anybody want to meet up and get a coffee or something? Have a mini-OsloDope? I’m working tomorrow, so about 17.30 would be great for me. > > Or, if sunday is out, there is a cute little café at the university library (Blindern, Universitetsbiblioteket, Georg Sverdrups Hus). It’s open during the week. > > Oh yeah, in addition to the Road Creature and the Health Creature, we have the Tax Creature. Nobody files taxes late here. I live at Blindern Studenterhjem, so I’m down for a coffee at GS whenever. I also work downtown (Prinsensgate/Skippergata - no, it’s not what you think.) so I could grab a coffee at Trafikanten whenever. I’m working tonight, though, so 17:30 tonight is out. > [@Princhester](#): > > I was there last Tuesday for a few hours only, actually. I didn’t take a picture then, and I can’t take a picture now because I’m back home. I’ll see if I can’t snap a picture on my way to work tonight and post it tomorrow, but it’s right, there are two red men. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/13 "2008-11-30T11:27:28Z")
Missed my ETA window, but we also have the Custom Creature, the Fire Creature and the Police Creature. Norway’s custom-designed service providing creatures are soon available for export. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/14 "2008-11-30T12:46:58Z")
Ok, why am I picturing this as a Pokemon expansion? “Fire Creature, I choose YOU” BS, huh? How long? (gammel beboer her). ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/15 "2008-11-30T12:52:52Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > Ok, why am I picturing this as a Pokemon expansion? > > “Fire Creature, I choose YOU” > BS, huh? How long? (gammel beboer her). Still fresh behind the ears - moved in back in Feb. Sekshundregangen ftw. (Of all the places to meet a GBer, why am I not surprised it’s this one?) When was your day? To counter your Fire Creature, I pick EQUATION MAN! (“Ligningsmannen,” or the IRS) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/16 "2008-11-30T13:50:19Z")
I’m still unclear as to whether the two red men under discussion here are on a sign or an illuminated signal - if the latter, could it be that there are two of them, independently illuminated, for redundancy - i.e. if one bulb fails, the (important) stop signal still happens? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/17 "2008-11-30T13:57:12Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m still unclear as to whether the two red men under discussion here are on a sign or an illuminated signal - if the latter, could it be that there are two of them, independently illuminated, for redundancy - i.e. if one bulb fails, the (important) stop signal still happens? They are illuminated signals. Imagine the standard European crosswalk signal with a standing red man (for “stop”) above a walking green man (for “go”). Some crosswalks in Oslo have a signal with three lights in a column, with the top two being standing red men. I suspect redundancy has something to do with it but the city road authorities have said that it is meant for emphasis, to call people’s attention to the signal at particularly dangerous crossings. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/18 "2008-11-30T14:02:30Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > …I also work downtown (Prinsensgate/Skippergata - no, it’s not what you think.)… Hmmm. If I were Norwegian, what would I think? ---
**Author:** ![malm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@malm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/19 "2008-11-30T14:05:17Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Still fresh behind the ears - moved in back in Feb. Sekshundregangen ftw. (Of all the places to meet a GBer, why am I not surprised it’s this one?) When was your day? Gammel beboer her også. How’s the fish these days? sei cordon bleu? ---
**Author:** ![malm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@malm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916/20 "2008-11-30T14:15:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Hmmm. If I were Norwegian, what would I think? that area is where the ladies of negotiable affection conduct their business:rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pedestrian-crossings-in-oslo-have-two-red-men/474916.md?page=2)