2 ms·

It depends on the light. Some lights don't change unless they sense a car or pedestrian going the other way. Some run on a timer so they change automatically. O

It depends on the light. Some lights don't change unless they sense a car or pedestrian going the other way. Some run on a timer so they change automatically. On others, the light will change but the walk light will not come on if you didn't push the button (these ones drive me insane). Then there's the ones that only activate a chirp for the blind people. Then, finally, there are the fabled buttons of lore that do absolutely nothing. Oh, and some are just broken. I still haven't come across the placebo buttons though so I'm willing to doubt their existence.

brazzy 4y ago
> I still haven't come across the placebo buttons though so I'm willing to doubt their existence. IIRC the "placebo" buttons, where they exist, were not installed as such, but simply deactivated after the traffic light control system changed, since uninstalling them would be more expensive.
ChrisRR 4y ago
> I still haven't come across the placebo buttons though so I'm willing to doubt their existence. How do you know you haven't?
iggldiggl 4y ago
In my home town in Germany (and probably other cities as well, only I've realised I've never really paid attention to that subject while visiting other cities), the little tactile arrow marking the crosswalk direction plus a tactile buzzer for blind people is mounted together with those buttons, so even when a certain direction and its parallel crosswalk always get green by default (and therefore there's no need ever to push a button), a button housing still gets installed for the buzzer and arrow. The only difference is that those kind of non-buttons are painted a different colour, plus with the older style of buttons that you physically have to push in order to operate a switch, on those non-buttons the push-plate is fixed in place and cannot actually be pushed. (Some people occasionally still try to.) With the newer style of button that operates via some sort of electronic touch sensor and therefore has no moveable parts to begin with, the only distinction might be the colour? (Not sure, because the intersection I regularly pass by on the way to work still uses the old-style buttons…)

brazzy 4y ago

> I still haven't come across the placebo buttons though so I'm willing to doubt their existence. IIRC the "placebo" buttons, where they exist, were not installed as such, but simply deactivated after the traffic light control system changed, since uninstalling them would be more expensive.

ChrisRR 4y ago

> I still haven't come across the placebo buttons though so I'm willing to doubt their existence. How do you know you haven't?

iggldiggl 4y ago

In my home town in Germany (and probably other cities as well, only I've realised I've never really paid attention to that subject while visiting other cities), the little tactile arrow marking the crosswalk direction plus a tactile buzzer for blind people is mounted together with those buttons, so even when a certain direction and its parallel crosswalk always get green by default (and therefore there's no need ever to push a button), a button housing still gets installed for the buzzer and arrow. The only difference is that those kind of non-buttons are painted a different colour, plus with the older style of buttons that you physically have to push in order to operate a switch, on those non-buttons the push-plate is fixed in place and cannot actually be pushed. (Some people occasionally still try to.) With the newer style of button that operates via some sort of electronic touch sensor and therefore has no moveable parts to begin with, the only distinction might be the colour? (Not sure, because the intersection I regularly pass by on the way to work still uses the old-style buttons…)