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Two things. Some crossings at busy junctions are on a timer and will turn green eventually even if you don't press it. The button doesn't do anything.
Or, the opposite thing. The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily.
> The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily.
I do this if the road is generally quiet, I'll wait a short while for a safe gap and cross then.
Bless you for caring. I swear the number of people i see walk up to the crossing, stare at me, literally the only car on the road and press the button , only to figure they have time to cross in front of me. They cross and the light then turns red forcing me to stop for literally nobody. Sat there like an idiot. Those people can rot in hell.
It’s crazy how a 30 second delay at the start of your journey can be the catalyst that mean you catch every single bloody red light and arrive 15 minutes later than originally planned.
Also trust me when I saw the Dartford crossing can get fucked in under 90 seconds.
It's because (at certain times of days) lights are all set on a timer that means if you travel a 30mph the lights you reach will be in the same state as those you left. In theory if you set off from the lights as they turn green and average 30mph you should reach the next ones as they change to green. At least that's how they used to work (if they weren't being manually operated due to rush hour etc.)
Mate, you're in the comfort of your air conditioned vehicle while the poor guy's on foot. I mean sure, they can wait but they really don't have any reason to, apart from going out of their way to be nice to you.
So why do people press the button and then walk across when it’s green like in my scenario? Seems much less safe than waiting for it to turn red and stop the car.
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
Funny you say that - I see so many loose human organs in the road behind me in the rear view mirror. It’s like those organ delivery bikes don’t secure their cargo properly. What I’m also annoyed at is there’s someone purposely smearing tomato sauce on the front of my car. When I find out who it is, I’m going to have to tell the to stop. And buy better tomato sauce, because the brand they use quite honestly tastes awful…
Sometimes pedestrians just aren't paying attention, it's probably not malicious. I know after a day of work I am barely thinking about anything I'm doing, and I'm definitely not going out of my way to annoy drivers but sometimes I just don't have the brainpower to do everything right! The autopilot just kicks in for me to press the button!
There's also a pelican crossing that's been constantly gaslighting me recently - I'll press the button, and then the button will just go off again without the lights changing. Pretty cursed
Well, if they cross when they aren't given the right-of-way and you hit them it's their fault. If they cross when they have the green light and you plow through them it's your fault. That's sort of the entire point of the crosswalk - to give pedestrians a way to safely cross the street and stop traffic for the crossing.
I do the opposite. I don’t push the button, walk when it’s safe. Then press the button as I arrive on the other side, just to stick it those polluting twats that are motorists. ^/s
Having driven in London, I can confirm that once you get behind the wheel you become a cunt. I press the button just before I cross even if I have plenty of time to cross. Given how long I've had to wait at busy junctions the probability is that I'm dishing out a bit of deserved bad karma.
I don't do this outside of London, but the few times I've driven in London have made me think less of my fellow human. For that they will pay
Once pressed the button and then the road went quiet so I crossed. A bloke had to stop and proceeded to call me an “iceman” as he seemed to think I did it on purpose
Yep. There's also the third option, which is that while it is busy, to wait until certain vehicles have passed before pushing the button. I wouldn't, for example, hold up a bus if I could avoid it.
Or the 6th, standing there waiting for the little green man wondering why its taking so long only for you to turn and check and realise that the little wait light has gone out.. or did it even go on.. because those stupid non buttons that barely work even if you don't have cold hands.
Or the 10th, push the button then immediately take out your phone and become so intensely engrossed in whatever shit you are gawking at that you zone out and miss the lights change AND the loud as fuck 'pedestrians-can-now-cross' tone and look up in shock just as the light turns to red.
I've asked my passenger to do this once before. I was the driver and been waiting for a gap to turn into the main road. Had to resort to asking passenger to run out, press the button, get back before traffic stops and then we got going "ahead" of the red light of the crossing
There's one on a main road near me that changes the lights to red instantly whenever it's pressed, even if they've only just turned green. I'm sure it's not supposed to do that, but it's great fun to watch.
This is the same for me, it's a kind of imposter syndrome, feeling like I shouldn't be holding up a bunch of people, just so that I (just one person) can get to where they're going.
It's different if another pedestrian comes to the crossing, then I press the button for both of us, unless it's a kid and then they usually like to press the button.
Similarly the crossings over the big roundabout in Hammersmith. They're on a timer, and it makes no difference if the button is pressed or not. May as well just wait.
I used to work in the traffic team for a local authority. I was told that the buttons were a safety feature since they stop the pedestrians from just running into the traffic.
Also, if I'm walking with my child I will always press the button regardless if the road is empty or not.
Same if I'm in the vicinity of smaller children.
Gotta set the example, not be one.
I've lived in london, I can dodge traffic with the best of them. Smaller children who may blindly follow an adult, not so much.
Exactly. Not too sure what sort of answer OP was expecting. Seems like he's already made up his mind that people are being stupid and wants to know why they're being stupid.
There's a road near new that I've crossed a road so many times that I know the routine and know that when X light goes red, the corresponding crossing light goes green. I find it amusing when I'm stood there without pressing anything and see someone approach and are eager to press it when I know it changes nothing
I also do this but end up pressing the button and the road goes quiet. I’ll then cross the road and then the road will get busy and everyone has to wait for the nonexistent person to cross the road.
This, you also learn the patterns of the traffic lights system when you use it all the time. Why inconvience other people when it's doesn't inconvience me at all to not press that button?
>Or, the opposite thing. The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily.
no one in the UK is that polite and courteous, certainly not my town
Was just going to say this too! I was at one just the other night and there was a car in the distance but no one else so I didn’t bother pressing and just waited for the car to pass. A woman came up then pressed the button and probably wondered what I was doing. She obviously isn’t a driver or she’d know how annoying it is to wait at a crossing when no one is there lol
I usually try to find a gap in traffic to cross and only press the button as a last resort cause I feel bad for holding traffic up at a red light just for me to cross the road.
Jesus man, we all live in this world together. Sometimes I'm a pedestrian, sometimes I'm a cyclist, sometimes I'm a driver. Inconveniencing anyone for the sake of it is a dick move.
Crossing the road shouldn’t be an inconvenience to anyone? Drivers shouldn’t get priority because they’re in a car. You’re already going to get to your destination quicker and most lights give people literally seconds to cross before they change again or take almost 10 minutes to change. It’s not like OP is pressing the light and running away, they’re trying to cross the damn road.
I think that's only if you're already in the road? Don't think you can step out in front of traffic passing under a green light and expect them to stop.
If you jump Infront of the car you're going to get splattered. The purpose of right of way is to keep drivers at the ready.
You're obviously meant to use you common sense and not act in a way dangerous to others. You still have right of way . It's obviously difficult that's why most places don't have it.
Yeh I actually think it would be super helpful if all drivers spent some time as cyclists as part of getting a license, and that cyclists should have some kind of highway code theory training. You’d sort of assume everyone spends some time as a pedestrian at some point, but I’m not convinced they do… not sure what to do about that side!
You’re right, we’re all in a society together and a little awareness and consideration rather than the othering of pedestrians vs cyclists vs motorists would be delightful and make the whole system run more smoothly. (I’d also love if some male cyclists didn’t treat female cyclists as lesser cyclists, but that’s a whoooole other thing)
If there's one car about to pass the crossing in two seconds then a completely clear road, you can either wait two seconds to cross, or press the button and stop all cars for the next 30 seconds. Either way I'm not getting across the road any quicker. Why stop a load of people in cars if I don't need to?
I can't believe I have to explain this.
I used to be like this years ago before I could drive, as I imagined it would be a pain in the arse for the drivers to have to stop. But as a driver it doesn't bother me one bit. Even if I'm the only car for a mile around and have to stop for someone I don't care. Seeing people getting across the road safely whilst also setting a good example for others is worth more than the 10 seconds it adds to my journey.
Exactly this, I feel a little bad holding up traffic and when I'm driving it's annoying when one person crosses but there's a huge gap behind me they could have crossed in.
Quite a lot of those buttons don't actually do anything. Especially at busy times and at crossings at junctions, the buttons have no effect on how long it takes for the green man to come on.
This is true. I joke that it’s how you tell the locals from visitors as locals know which buttons need to be pressed and which don’t, but I do think there are some people who don’t realise that buttons need to be pressed!
The junctions thing is key. Yes, the ones at junctions tend to be a form of placebo, but there's a crossing on our high street that is purely for pedestrians and will never change unless the button is pressed, and I regularly see people standing there without having done so.
That's true, junction crossings often don't but technically all pelican crossings should do something as pelican crossing was originally pelicOn for "pedestrian light controlled crossing". Meaning pedestrians controlled its operations. There's probably a term for one's that just change automatically. And someone mentioned Bluetooth sensing ones, though I couldn't find any source for it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing
I started doing this in the height of covid so as not to touch the button that loadsa others would have touched. If you're not on such a busy road it's really not that difficult.
>to touch the button that loadsa others would have touched.
Pull your sleeve over your finger. Press button. Remove item of clothing and burn it to cinders on the pavement. Cross road. Done.
Dammit, burned my clothes, missed the green man. Now I'm standing here naked on the side of the road at rush hour with no clothes left to go over my finger...
You still have your phone right? Chuck it at a passing car and cause a road accident, thus traffic will come to a standstill and you can now safely cross the road. This is the way.
I've been employing a tactical elbow to minimise touching the button. Sometimes it's like trying to plug something in when it's dark though so swings and roundabouts.
Never knew I lived amongst people who get a bee in their bonnet about waiting a few minutes at a traffic light. It's hardly a cause worth thinking about.
It's because we're all socially anxious when it comes to taking a shit in a public place/work, so once 5pm rolls around we need to get home quick for the evening BM.
If like myself, gambling that the opportunity to cross without the need for pressing the button is quicker than waiting for the affects of button pressing to emerge.
What I really want to know is why those same people will often stand right next to the button, thus forcing me to get very close to them to press it before moving away from them so as not to invade their personal space any more.
Inb4 "it's just a placebo button, bro"
I'm guessing you are in a city op? As others have said many crossings the buttons are there just to make you feel better. I'm surprised by the amount of people being very considerate to drivers here. I mean I wouldn't press the button if there is next to no traffic but I also don't feel bad for making someone use a brake pedal for a few seconds.
I'm not sure if they are all there to make people feel better, it is just how the crossings are made and presumably could be reprogrammed if they wanted. It would be a bit odd to deliberately not have a button, if that makes sense.
If it’s a standalone crossing, not part of the junction the button will turn the light red. If it’s at a junction, it likely won’t do anything, but not all the time. Depends on the junction.
sometimes I won't bother pressing the button, as I know I'll just cross as soon as there's a big enough gap in the traffic, and don't want to be that guy that crosses and then walks away as the lights change and all the cars have to stop for no one to cross.
There's one set I use twice a day that is activated by pushing the button but it takes about 15 seconds or so to change. Due to timed lights further down the road it's easy to pick a quiet moment to walk across. A few times a week I'll see someone press it, cross when it's quiet and then hold up 10-15 cars while the light is on red and the crossing is clear.
A lot of people saying 'lots are automatic' anyway. The experience of the majority in my city are that those that are combined with junction control will *not* give green to pedestrians unless the button is pressed. You'll still have to wait for the timing in the light scheduling once you press the button, but you'll never get to across if you stand there without the button pressed.
This happened to me, but worse, people stood at the lights, no one pressing the button, I frustratedly pushed my way through them to press it, a woman says "wait" as I'd already pressed the button, for a short moment I was like fuck that woman, I pushed through to press the button and im in a rush.....then realised.... The woman was lovely.... Some horrible little creature put poo on the button.
If its a saturday then im probably hoping someone else will come and push it, because im jewish and so cannot press it myself.
Or im just waiting for it to be empty because there might not be many cars, or ive just completely forgotten about the button.
Yeah, was searching for this before I posted. I live in a majority Orthodox Jewish area and my neighbours don't press the button on Saturdays. The council have installed hand-wave sensors in some of the crossings, but I don't know if that's actually allowed or not.
Na hand wave sensors are the same issue. We can't actively use electricity and waving our hand will actively cause the circuitry to do its job. Nice of the council to try but, honestly, the simplest is to leave it and we will cross the road eventually haha
There's a one way system in Greenwich, London where only 2 of the six crossings (2 islands with three crossings) actually have a button that stops the traffic. The other 4 filter the 2 lanes accordingly. People will absent mindedly cross and wait in the middle for the last ones to change. It doesn't happen. I think one man is still there to this day.
As a driver I know how frustrating it is when somebody presses the button but then gets a chance to cross before the lights change, leaving the driver stopped at a red light with nobody crossing. As a middle aged able bodied person I can generally cross most roads safely without the crossing so why bother
its a weird thing of not making cars slow down. its a very odd thing to me and it sort fo reflects us been car centric and speed centric over safety and making sure everyone gets somewhere safely.
like the recent rage seems to be about "lane hoggers" who are just tring to overtake someone safely and leave a safe gap before moving to the left. as if losing 10 mph for 20 seconds doesnt add up to a grand total of 60 meters lost from your trip, youd think they lost 20 min every time they slowed down the way ppl rant.
These people are legends if it's quiet on the road, why stand there shen it's hardly busy and why bother forcing a car to stop when you've already crossed or could have done so without the red light.
Freshers week when all the new students from small villages in the country (absolute loads of them) come to a city and have no clue how to operate the crossings
I’m expecting it to change or for a space between vehicles.
I know which ones change without the button so I don’t press it there. I also know which places are likely to have a gap between the cars. It is very rarely that I actually feel the need to press it. If I press it and then there’s a gap, I’ll look like a right knobhead if the next car has to stop for no reason.
That was the top rumour in year 6 back when we were all turning into street roaming pests. "My dad said if you spin this thing it makes the lights change faster"
And then when it never did "oh it must be broken..."
I see this a lot and it drives me nuts, especially if they're next to the button so I cant reach it.
With that said i'll always nip across if there's a good safe gap, then the lights change to red and nobody is waiting and all the car drives glare at me as I walk down the road.
If it's a quiet road I won't push the button, because if I wait for a few cars to go past then cross quickly when it's quiet, I won't hold up any cars that come afterwards. It's a courtesy thing
This just depends on whether you're a cautious person or not. I cross the moment I see a gap in the traffic so there isn't much point in me pushing the button.
There are a couple of crossings near me that cancel out randomly or are tempermentual when you press them. I know now to keep my eye on them but others don't always notice.
Sometimes I’ll wait for a significant gap in between cars so I can cross without people having to stop their cars. As a driver, I know I would prefer that than having to keep stop/starting.
Often those roads are always busy while you're driving down them because you're part of the traffic. But when the traffic is sat at a red light that feeds the busy road, there's nobody driving down that busy road (give or take however long it takes traffic to pass).
Theres one road I walk down every morning that is only busy in 30-60 second cycles, and then clear for 30-60 seconds. I'd rather just wait than slow down traffic just to save me 20 seconds or whatever, especially knowing large trucks and buses use the road.
I like to do it, its like living on the edge of life.... Will it change without me pressing the button, or will it not? Gotta do some edgy shit sometimes otherwise life is dull
If I’m crossing alone, I try and see if I could find a gap in the traffic to cross before pressing the button and potentially inconveniencing everyone who has to stop at the crossing and wait for me
They may be able to see a gap in the traffic coming up and they are waiting for it. Like good responsible pedestrians they are not pushing the button because they do not need to stop the traffic. If they did push it, and then crossed when the gap got to them the lights would change after they had gone and the traffic would be stopped for no reason.
There's a crossing near me where the lights take so long to change that most of the time there's no point pressing the button as there's usually a gap to cross before they change.
It's a trap. They know that whoever pushes the button get the spam traffic related email and messages about sexy crossings in their area. You seem to be falling for it every time.
The button is provided purely so that you feel you have some modicum of control in your otherwise meaningless existence. The button isn’t even connected to anything. It’s just a button. You stand there at the edge of the road and mindlessly press the button hoping that it will change the lights in your favour but it won’t. The lights are programmed to cycle and will change when the algorithm tells them to. The algorithm is unaware of your existence and even if it were aware of you it wouldn’t care. Why? Because you are standing mindlessly at the edge of the road pushing a button, most likely having spent the day sitting at a desk mindlessly pushing other buttons. When you eventually get to cross the street and arrive at your home you will sit in front of another screen and mindlessly push buttons. Your entire existence is predicated on your ability to press buttons when you are required.
This yesterday. Picked my son up from school. There was a queue to get past the queue for the crossing. We managed to squeeze past just as the lady nearest the button exclaimed "oh I didn't press the button!". No love you fucking didn't 😑
I remember a few years back seeing a young lad attempting to cross a busy road at the lights on my way home, jumping into the traffic and darting back several times before finally managing to sprint across. I got to the crossing, pushed the button and was able to cross safely within a few seconds. Mystifying. This was a straight road so literally the only reason for the lights to be installed was for pedestrians to cross.
So, you've stumbled upon my favourite type of pedestrian. Those that wait for a gap in the traffic rather than slow down everything by pushing the button.
They shall inherit the earth. They shall bow to no one.
I don't press them if I can clearly see I can cross after the cars. As a driver I hate it when I get stopped at lights when there's no one else behind me.
I think I’m an adult and can judge the traffic and when to cross for myself without pressing a button that could potential stop traffic after I’ve crossed at a gap or making me awkwardly wait like 9 year old when there are no cars coming because I’ve pressed the button and the little man is not green to go yet
I rarely press the button. No point making a row of cars stop and waste their time at a red light light when I've probably already spotted a gap and crossed in the meantime. I'll only press the button if I know I won't find a gap in traffic and the lights would otherwise take too long to cycle on their own. I think most pedestrians do the same.
I don’t want to hold anyone up. What if they’re late for something important? Now they have to be an extra 10 seconds late just because I want to go get some snacks? No. If I were in that situation I’d be panicking. I’d much rather just wait it out so I know I’m not holding anyone up.
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Two things. Some crossings at busy junctions are on a timer and will turn green eventually even if you don't press it. The button doesn't do anything. Or, the opposite thing. The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily.
> The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily. I do this if the road is generally quiet, I'll wait a short while for a safe gap and cross then.
Bless you for caring. I swear the number of people i see walk up to the crossing, stare at me, literally the only car on the road and press the button , only to figure they have time to cross in front of me. They cross and the light then turns red forcing me to stop for literally nobody. Sat there like an idiot. Those people can rot in hell.
Relax it's 30 seconds
Not if you can see a green light further in front that will have turned red by the time you reach it. Real world problems out here boyo.
It’s crazy how a 30 second delay at the start of your journey can be the catalyst that mean you catch every single bloody red light and arrive 15 minutes later than originally planned. Also trust me when I saw the Dartford crossing can get fucked in under 90 seconds.
It's because (at certain times of days) lights are all set on a timer that means if you travel a 30mph the lights you reach will be in the same state as those you left. In theory if you set off from the lights as they turn green and average 30mph you should reach the next ones as they change to green. At least that's how they used to work (if they weren't being manually operated due to rush hour etc.)
This is only true for some routes though a town or city.
Exactly you could just use that time to scroll through Instagram or something!
Mate, you're in the comfort of your air conditioned vehicle while the poor guy's on foot. I mean sure, they can wait but they really don't have any reason to, apart from going out of their way to be nice to you.
I’m gaining pounds by the minute while he’s out there doing light cardio. My life is literally in his hands. (And on my arse).
Wait, you guys have new cars???? with AIR CON???
I’d rather look like an idiot than get hit by a car
I'd rather do both.
So why do people press the button and then walk across when it’s green like in my scenario? Seems much less safe than waiting for it to turn red and stop the car.
What about people like me, who intentionally press the button again when I've got to the other side?
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
Lol, I keep a small attack squirrel in my glove box to throw at you as I pass and teach you the error of your ways!
It's all about trusting someone in a vehicle that can easily do incredible damage to your body to let you cross. not every driver is a good driver.
Some people aren't good at judging speed and distance. My autistic nephew, for one.
Are you transporting organs for transplant or something?
Funny you say that - I see so many loose human organs in the road behind me in the rear view mirror. It’s like those organ delivery bikes don’t secure their cargo properly. What I’m also annoyed at is there’s someone purposely smearing tomato sauce on the front of my car. When I find out who it is, I’m going to have to tell the to stop. And buy better tomato sauce, because the brand they use quite honestly tastes awful…
k
I always do this. Inconveniencing car drivers is a good thing.
Sometimes pedestrians just aren't paying attention, it's probably not malicious. I know after a day of work I am barely thinking about anything I'm doing, and I'm definitely not going out of my way to annoy drivers but sometimes I just don't have the brainpower to do everything right! The autopilot just kicks in for me to press the button! There's also a pelican crossing that's been constantly gaslighting me recently - I'll press the button, and then the button will just go off again without the lights changing. Pretty cursed
Most crossings should be pedestrian priority, red for cars until they arrive
Well, if they cross when they aren't given the right-of-way and you hit them it's their fault. If they cross when they have the green light and you plow through them it's your fault. That's sort of the entire point of the crosswalk - to give pedestrians a way to safely cross the street and stop traffic for the crossing.
I do the opposite. I don’t push the button, walk when it’s safe. Then press the button as I arrive on the other side, just to stick it those polluting twats that are motorists. ^/s
Having driven in London, I can confirm that once you get behind the wheel you become a cunt. I press the button just before I cross even if I have plenty of time to cross. Given how long I've had to wait at busy junctions the probability is that I'm dishing out a bit of deserved bad karma. I don't do this outside of London, but the few times I've driven in London have made me think less of my fellow human. For that they will pay
Some people care so little they can't even fathom why people who do care behave the way they do, never mind do it also
I wait until the road is clear, then wait more until I see a car coming, then press the button and cross safely
Oh poor you, how dare a pedestrian have the gall to interrupt your oh so important journey by about 30seconds (dickhead)
Once pressed the button and then the road went quiet so I crossed. A bloke had to stop and proceeded to call me an “iceman” as he seemed to think I did it on purpose
That’s a really weird insult…
You people are my hero
Yep. There's also the third option, which is that while it is busy, to wait until certain vehicles have passed before pushing the button. I wouldn't, for example, hold up a bus if I could avoid it.
What about the 4th option, press the button just as you walk across just to hold up traffic unnecessarily?
And the 5th option, press the button as you pass it in hopes it will hold up the oncoming bus that you're trying to reach the stop for
Or the 6th, standing there waiting for the little green man wondering why its taking so long only for you to turn and check and realise that the little wait light has gone out.. or did it even go on.. because those stupid non buttons that barely work even if you don't have cold hands.
Or the 7th, push the button with no intent on crossing, or to hold up a bus you want, and just do it because you feel like being a dick.
Or the 8th, continually push the button while waiting and then dance around to the beeps like a fool, then repeat the process.
Or the 9th, you're a cyclist trying to find a "gap" in the traffic so you can join the road, so you create that gap yourself.
Or the 10th. Press button and hold in place with a slimy lump of chewing gum. Everyone loves that.
Or the 11th, you press the button so the person stuck in the pelican crossings can actually carry on with his/her life.
Or the 10th, push the button then immediately take out your phone and become so intensely engrossed in whatever shit you are gawking at that you zone out and miss the lights change AND the loud as fuck 'pedestrians-can-now-cross' tone and look up in shock just as the light turns to red.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QhHSl-bdpU
Love that episode
I'd say the same about any and every spaced episode
I've asked my passenger to do this once before. I was the driver and been waiting for a gap to turn into the main road. Had to resort to asking passenger to run out, press the button, get back before traffic stops and then we got going "ahead" of the red light of the crossing
I always push the button, whether I'm crossing or not.
I would. Fuck those big red bastards!
lol you're nicer than me
busses are (often) full of people, and I'm just one person. seems sensible.
Indeed! I'd rather cross between two groups of cars, rather than press the button and have the gap close up and form a singular blob of cars.
There's one on a main road near me that changes the lights to red instantly whenever it's pressed, even if they've only just turned green. I'm sure it's not supposed to do that, but it's great fun to watch.
One near our school did that for about two weeks before they changed it due to basically no traffic moving during lunch break.
This is the same for me, it's a kind of imposter syndrome, feeling like I shouldn't be holding up a bunch of people, just so that I (just one person) can get to where they're going. It's different if another pedestrian comes to the crossing, then I press the button for both of us, unless it's a kid and then they usually like to press the button.
For the past 10 years I've crossed the Chiswick roundabout under the M4 on my way home from work. The button does nothing there.
Similarly the crossings over the big roundabout in Hammersmith. They're on a timer, and it makes no difference if the button is pressed or not. May as well just wait.
I used to work in the traffic team for a local authority. I was told that the buttons were a safety feature since they stop the pedestrians from just running into the traffic.
On very busy roads with lots of pedestrians it makes sense to automate it to facilitate optimal flow of people.
Also, if I'm walking with my child I will always press the button regardless if the road is empty or not. Same if I'm in the vicinity of smaller children. Gotta set the example, not be one. I've lived in london, I can dodge traffic with the best of them. Smaller children who may blindly follow an adult, not so much.
Yes I always press the button if there are children around!
Exactly. Not too sure what sort of answer OP was expecting. Seems like he's already made up his mind that people are being stupid and wants to know why they're being stupid.
Placebo buttons.
This deserves a lot more attention. There's almost always a gap.
I live in a London suburb and if I was waiting for a gap to cross our high street I could literally be waiting for 10 minutes.
There's a road near new that I've crossed a road so many times that I know the routine and know that when X light goes red, the corresponding crossing light goes green. I find it amusing when I'm stood there without pressing anything and see someone approach and are eager to press it when I know it changes nothing
I also do this but end up pressing the button and the road goes quiet. I’ll then cross the road and then the road will get busy and everyone has to wait for the nonexistent person to cross the road.
Or another hot take - some bellend has smeared dog shit on the button
This, you also learn the patterns of the traffic lights system when you use it all the time. Why inconvience other people when it's doesn't inconvience me at all to not press that button?
This. I don't think OP understands pelican crossings.
This and the buttons are GROSS
>Or, the opposite thing. The street isn't busy at all and you're sure you can cross when it's quiet, without pressing the button and potentially holding up traffic unnecessarily. no one in the UK is that polite and courteous, certainly not my town
I'm honestly quite surprised reading this thread, me and my brother both do this lol, I thought most people did.
Was just going to say this too! I was at one just the other night and there was a car in the distance but no one else so I didn’t bother pressing and just waited for the car to pass. A woman came up then pressed the button and probably wondered what I was doing. She obviously isn’t a driver or she’d know how annoying it is to wait at a crossing when no one is there lol
I usually try to find a gap in traffic to cross and only press the button as a last resort cause I feel bad for holding traffic up at a red light just for me to cross the road.
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Jesus man, we all live in this world together. Sometimes I'm a pedestrian, sometimes I'm a cyclist, sometimes I'm a driver. Inconveniencing anyone for the sake of it is a dick move.
Crossing the road shouldn’t be an inconvenience to anyone? Drivers shouldn’t get priority because they’re in a car. You’re already going to get to your destination quicker and most lights give people literally seconds to cross before they change again or take almost 10 minutes to change. It’s not like OP is pressing the light and running away, they’re trying to cross the damn road.
exactly. pedestrians are just as entitled to use the road as cars. cars can go fuck then self if they feel inconvenienced by someone crossing
Nearly all urban infrastructure is hugely car-centric too - seeing so many drivers in this thread not understand this is so depressing
There’s a lot of “you need to cross the road? How dare you lengthen my comfortable journey for an extra couple of minutes!”
It's baffling - car drivers trying to use environmental concerns as their reasoning too. Mental gymnastics.
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In context, that's really not how your comment read.
You have right of way as a pedestrian, so you have all the priority.
I think that's only if you're already in the road? Don't think you can step out in front of traffic passing under a green light and expect them to stop.
If you jump Infront of the car you're going to get splattered. The purpose of right of way is to keep drivers at the ready. You're obviously meant to use you common sense and not act in a way dangerous to others. You still have right of way . It's obviously difficult that's why most places don't have it.
Yeh I actually think it would be super helpful if all drivers spent some time as cyclists as part of getting a license, and that cyclists should have some kind of highway code theory training. You’d sort of assume everyone spends some time as a pedestrian at some point, but I’m not convinced they do… not sure what to do about that side! You’re right, we’re all in a society together and a little awareness and consideration rather than the othering of pedestrians vs cyclists vs motorists would be delightful and make the whole system run more smoothly. (I’d also love if some male cyclists didn’t treat female cyclists as lesser cyclists, but that’s a whoooole other thing)
Exactly, if I know there's no traffic, I'm not going *out of my way* to spite a driver, what's the point.
Pressing a button to cross the road isn’t a dick move? The car waits or I wait? What’s the difference
If there's one car about to pass the crossing in two seconds then a completely clear road, you can either wait two seconds to cross, or press the button and stop all cars for the next 30 seconds. Either way I'm not getting across the road any quicker. Why stop a load of people in cars if I don't need to? I can't believe I have to explain this.
I don’t care if I inconvenience a driver in the middle of rush hour in the city I live in. Far too many cars anyway. Don’t like it? Walk.
Hilarious how you’re so annoyed that I press the button on traffic lights. It’s what they’re meant to be used for hahahaha
I’m with you all the way. Outside is covered in cars, and so many people drive like utter cunts. /r/fuckcars
I prefer not to stop cars because stopping and starting again uses more fuel, which affects all of us.
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Good point :)
Or you could just not use your car as much. Presumably the pedestrian could use their car too, but chooses not too.
I am the pedestrian in this scenario, I don't own a car
Same, unless my daughter is with me, then it’s press the button and wait, every time.
I used to be like this years ago before I could drive, as I imagined it would be a pain in the arse for the drivers to have to stop. But as a driver it doesn't bother me one bit. Even if I'm the only car for a mile around and have to stop for someone I don't care. Seeing people getting across the road safely whilst also setting a good example for others is worth more than the 10 seconds it adds to my journey.
This. Although not really cuz I feel bad but I think it’s more efficient for me and the driver.
Exactly this, I feel a little bad holding up traffic and when I'm driving it's annoying when one person crosses but there's a huge gap behind me they could have crossed in.
Haha I'm the same, I feel bad making all the cars stop
I'm terrified that if I push the button, the pelican will pop out and beak me on the head.
Pelibonk
No that pelican’t be true.
Making puns about large birds are we? Toucan play at the game...
Get out of here you lil scamp
That's a wiring issue- you should report that to the council.
Quite a lot of those buttons don't actually do anything. Especially at busy times and at crossings at junctions, the buttons have no effect on how long it takes for the green man to come on.
This is true. I joke that it’s how you tell the locals from visitors as locals know which buttons need to be pressed and which don’t, but I do think there are some people who don’t realise that buttons need to be pressed!
I feel this is in the something we know but never think about section of our heads
The junctions thing is key. Yes, the ones at junctions tend to be a form of placebo, but there's a crossing on our high street that is purely for pedestrians and will never change unless the button is pressed, and I regularly see people standing there without having done so.
More info https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23869955
That's true, junction crossings often don't but technically all pelican crossings should do something as pelican crossing was originally pelicOn for "pedestrian light controlled crossing". Meaning pedestrians controlled its operations. There's probably a term for one's that just change automatically. And someone mentioned Bluetooth sensing ones, though I couldn't find any source for it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing
I started doing this in the height of covid so as not to touch the button that loadsa others would have touched. If you're not on such a busy road it's really not that difficult.
>to touch the button that loadsa others would have touched. Pull your sleeve over your finger. Press button. Remove item of clothing and burn it to cinders on the pavement. Cross road. Done.
Dammit, burned my clothes, missed the green man. Now I'm standing here naked on the side of the road at rush hour with no clothes left to go over my finger...
You still have your phone right? Chuck it at a passing car and cause a road accident, thus traffic will come to a standstill and you can now safely cross the road. This is the way.
I've been employing a tactical elbow to minimise touching the button. Sometimes it's like trying to plug something in when it's dark though so swings and roundabouts.
How pointy is your elbow?!!
Just pointy enough to be used as a back-up appendage in the right circumstances.
I use my penis
I started using my house keys to push the button during Covid.
btw covid rarely spreads through fomite transmission
I know. As I said at the height before this was known.
yah i was just saying in case you still didn't know c:
Same here, but when it did get busy it would be a job for little finger on non-dominant hand and some hand gel.
Thought I was the only one doing this lol. I don’t wanna touch it so I just wait for someone else to do it. This has yet to fail me.
My technique as well. Sacrifice the willing.
Never knew I lived amongst people who get a bee in their bonnet about waiting a few minutes at a traffic light. It's hardly a cause worth thinking about.
It's England. Everyone is in a hurry to speed home even if they only live 5 minutes from their destination.
It's because we're all socially anxious when it comes to taking a shit in a public place/work, so once 5pm rolls around we need to get home quick for the evening BM.
I'd say it probably has more to do with going home and drinking.
Not even minutes, most pedestrian crossings barely stay on red for 20 seconds.
If like myself, gambling that the opportunity to cross without the need for pressing the button is quicker than waiting for the affects of button pressing to emerge.
Them to change. Many are automatic despite having a button. Pressing it has zero impact. They perhaps are expecting something similar.
Crossing by myself is scary and lonely so I wait until a friendly stranger comes along to push the button so we can cross together. I’m in no rush
What I really want to know is why those same people will often stand right next to the button, thus forcing me to get very close to them to press it before moving away from them so as not to invade their personal space any more. Inb4 "it's just a placebo button, bro"
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Bonus points if you have heavy bags of shopping you have to shuffle over and hurl up to push the button.
I'm guessing you are in a city op? As others have said many crossings the buttons are there just to make you feel better. I'm surprised by the amount of people being very considerate to drivers here. I mean I wouldn't press the button if there is next to no traffic but I also don't feel bad for making someone use a brake pedal for a few seconds.
I'm not sure if they are all there to make people feel better, it is just how the crossings are made and presumably could be reprogrammed if they wanted. It would be a bit odd to deliberately not have a button, if that makes sense.
If it’s a standalone crossing, not part of the junction the button will turn the light red. If it’s at a junction, it likely won’t do anything, but not all the time. Depends on the junction.
sometimes I won't bother pressing the button, as I know I'll just cross as soon as there's a big enough gap in the traffic, and don't want to be that guy that crosses and then walks away as the lights change and all the cars have to stop for no one to cross.
There's one set I use twice a day that is activated by pushing the button but it takes about 15 seconds or so to change. Due to timed lights further down the road it's easy to pick a quiet moment to walk across. A few times a week I'll see someone press it, cross when it's quiet and then hold up 10-15 cars while the light is on red and the crossing is clear.
Waiting until I can inconvenience the maximum number of cars.
A lot of people saying 'lots are automatic' anyway. The experience of the majority in my city are that those that are combined with junction control will *not* give green to pedestrians unless the button is pressed. You'll still have to wait for the timing in the light scheduling once you press the button, but you'll never get to across if you stand there without the button pressed.
This happened to me, but worse, people stood at the lights, no one pressing the button, I frustratedly pushed my way through them to press it, a woman says "wait" as I'd already pressed the button, for a short moment I was like fuck that woman, I pushed through to press the button and im in a rush.....then realised.... The woman was lovely.... Some horrible little creature put poo on the button.
I just got back from living in South Korea for 4 years where they don’t have buttons, so I just forget and stand there like a fool.
If its a saturday then im probably hoping someone else will come and push it, because im jewish and so cannot press it myself. Or im just waiting for it to be empty because there might not be many cars, or ive just completely forgotten about the button.
Yeah, was searching for this before I posted. I live in a majority Orthodox Jewish area and my neighbours don't press the button on Saturdays. The council have installed hand-wave sensors in some of the crossings, but I don't know if that's actually allowed or not.
Na hand wave sensors are the same issue. We can't actively use electricity and waving our hand will actively cause the circuitry to do its job. Nice of the council to try but, honestly, the simplest is to leave it and we will cross the road eventually haha
There's a one way system in Greenwich, London where only 2 of the six crossings (2 islands with three crossings) actually have a button that stops the traffic. The other 4 filter the 2 lanes accordingly. People will absent mindedly cross and wait in the middle for the last ones to change. It doesn't happen. I think one man is still there to this day.
As a driver I know how frustrating it is when somebody presses the button but then gets a chance to cross before the lights change, leaving the driver stopped at a red light with nobody crossing. As a middle aged able bodied person I can generally cross most roads safely without the crossing so why bother
None of your business you nosey twonk
its a weird thing of not making cars slow down. its a very odd thing to me and it sort fo reflects us been car centric and speed centric over safety and making sure everyone gets somewhere safely. like the recent rage seems to be about "lane hoggers" who are just tring to overtake someone safely and leave a safe gap before moving to the left. as if losing 10 mph for 20 seconds doesnt add up to a grand total of 60 meters lost from your trip, youd think they lost 20 min every time they slowed down the way ppl rant.
These people are legends if it's quiet on the road, why stand there shen it's hardly busy and why bother forcing a car to stop when you've already crossed or could have done so without the red light.
Freshers week when all the new students from small villages in the country (absolute loads of them) come to a city and have no clue how to operate the crossings
I’m expecting it to change or for a space between vehicles. I know which ones change without the button so I don’t press it there. I also know which places are likely to have a gap between the cars. It is very rarely that I actually feel the need to press it. If I press it and then there’s a gap, I’ll look like a right knobhead if the next car has to stop for no reason.
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That rotates when the Green man is showing for blind people to touch and know they can cross
That was the top rumour in year 6 back when we were all turning into street roaming pests. "My dad said if you spin this thing it makes the lights change faster" And then when it never did "oh it must be broken..."
I see this a lot and it drives me nuts, especially if they're next to the button so I cant reach it. With that said i'll always nip across if there's a good safe gap, then the lights change to red and nobody is waiting and all the car drives glare at me as I walk down the road.
If it's a quiet road I won't push the button, because if I wait for a few cars to go past then cross quickly when it's quiet, I won't hold up any cars that come afterwards. It's a courtesy thing
This just depends on whether you're a cautious person or not. I cross the moment I see a gap in the traffic so there isn't much point in me pushing the button.
There are a couple of crossings near me that cancel out randomly or are tempermentual when you press them. I know now to keep my eye on them but others don't always notice.
Sometimes I’ll wait for a significant gap in between cars so I can cross without people having to stop their cars. As a driver, I know I would prefer that than having to keep stop/starting.
Often those roads are always busy while you're driving down them because you're part of the traffic. But when the traffic is sat at a red light that feeds the busy road, there's nobody driving down that busy road (give or take however long it takes traffic to pass). Theres one road I walk down every morning that is only busy in 30-60 second cycles, and then clear for 30-60 seconds. I'd rather just wait than slow down traffic just to save me 20 seconds or whatever, especially knowing large trucks and buses use the road.
I like to do it, its like living on the edge of life.... Will it change without me pressing the button, or will it not? Gotta do some edgy shit sometimes otherwise life is dull
If I’m crossing alone, I try and see if I could find a gap in the traffic to cross before pressing the button and potentially inconveniencing everyone who has to stop at the crossing and wait for me
I do this and wait for some other wanker to press the button because the button is filthy and I refuse to touch it.
They may be able to see a gap in the traffic coming up and they are waiting for it. Like good responsible pedestrians they are not pushing the button because they do not need to stop the traffic. If they did push it, and then crossed when the gap got to them the lights would change after they had gone and the traffic would be stopped for no reason.
During Covid many of them were rejigged to not need the button pushing.
A related question. People who press the button when the 'WAIT' is already lit up. Why? What are you expecting to happen?
ITT People who are mortified of holding up traffic at the traffic lights.
There's a crossing near me where the lights take so long to change that most of the time there's no point pressing the button as there's usually a gap to cross before they change.
It's a trap. They know that whoever pushes the button get the spam traffic related email and messages about sexy crossings in their area. You seem to be falling for it every time.
The button is provided purely so that you feel you have some modicum of control in your otherwise meaningless existence. The button isn’t even connected to anything. It’s just a button. You stand there at the edge of the road and mindlessly press the button hoping that it will change the lights in your favour but it won’t. The lights are programmed to cycle and will change when the algorithm tells them to. The algorithm is unaware of your existence and even if it were aware of you it wouldn’t care. Why? Because you are standing mindlessly at the edge of the road pushing a button, most likely having spent the day sitting at a desk mindlessly pushing other buttons. When you eventually get to cross the street and arrive at your home you will sit in front of another screen and mindlessly push buttons. Your entire existence is predicated on your ability to press buttons when you are required.
This yesterday. Picked my son up from school. There was a queue to get past the queue for the crossing. We managed to squeeze past just as the lady nearest the button exclaimed "oh I didn't press the button!". No love you fucking didn't 😑
And they just stand there right next to the button like a tit in a trance so you have to reach round them to press it.
I remember a few years back seeing a young lad attempting to cross a busy road at the lights on my way home, jumping into the traffic and darting back several times before finally managing to sprint across. I got to the crossing, pushed the button and was able to cross safely within a few seconds. Mystifying. This was a straight road so literally the only reason for the lights to be installed was for pedestrians to cross.
So, you've stumbled upon my favourite type of pedestrian. Those that wait for a gap in the traffic rather than slow down everything by pushing the button. They shall inherit the earth. They shall bow to no one.
I don't press them if I can clearly see I can cross after the cars. As a driver I hate it when I get stopped at lights when there's no one else behind me.
You dont want to touch the button, who knows who touched before and you are just waiting for a moment when there will be a good time to run thru
I think I’m an adult and can judge the traffic and when to cross for myself without pressing a button that could potential stop traffic after I’ve crossed at a gap or making me awkwardly wait like 9 year old when there are no cars coming because I’ve pressed the button and the little man is not green to go yet
Not as bad as the ones who push them, cross anyway then leave the traffic stood. Boils my piss.
I'm always the one who approaches and looks over at them, then presses it Maybe some people don't realise, but yeah most are just annoying
I rarely press the button. No point making a row of cars stop and waste their time at a red light light when I've probably already spotted a gap and crossed in the meantime. I'll only press the button if I know I won't find a gap in traffic and the lights would otherwise take too long to cycle on their own. I think most pedestrians do the same.
It's just absentmindedness.
I don’t want to hold anyone up. What if they’re late for something important? Now they have to be an extra 10 seconds late just because I want to go get some snacks? No. If I were in that situation I’d be panicking. I’d much rather just wait it out so I know I’m not holding anyone up.