[Closed] Reluctance to press button on pelican crossing - why?

If I push the button, some immigrant or freeloading benefit scrounger might cross without contributing at all.

1 in 10 trigger a trapdoor. It's just not worth the risk.

9 times out of 10 it makes no difference.

The little green man, is just part of the general traffic light sequence.
If you do/dont press the button, it'll still take the same amount of time to cycle through to green.

Only makes a difference if its isolated set of lights.

rarely press it because y'know there just might be a gap in the traffic? Where I can cross after I've looked? instead of standing there like a fricken zombie with my face in the phone

Just a thought

I see it as a sign of weakness. Should be able to use common sense to cross a road, not need a flashing light.
Doesn't apply if you are blind obviously.

Only makes a difference if its isolated set of lights.

Like a Pelican Crossing.

yep,if there's a gap coming up I can cross then and not stop traffic by pressing the button - stopping traffic means a bit more polution results.

What bugs me is people automatically presssing it regardless of whether there's a gap coming up.

I always push the button.

If the pedestrian phase part of the normal sequence at those lights, sometimes pressing the button will give more time than not pressing it.

If there's a chance of crossing through a gap in traffic anyway, I'll still take it.

Basically, I just like holding up motor traffic.

Press it 3 times rapidly, then 3 times slowly and the lights change quicker

I always press it cos you never know when some nobhead will come round the corner speeding whilst updating his fb status, splatter me across the road which would then be my fault for not pressing it.

They also only tend to put crossings where there is too much traffic so stopping them for peds may just make em think walking thats an idea.

Non of which matters in practice though because the wait times are set so long (by the car people who manage this stuff) that by the time the green man appears I've made a dash for it .

In fact in many situations crossing actually reduce peds priority as traffic turning onto a road should give way to someone crossing anyway, they dont off course and dont have to once you install a crossing.

Press it 3 times rapidly, then 3 times slowly and the lights change quicker

And grab the little knob underneath so you don't need to watch for the lights changing 😀

9 times out of 10 it makes no difference.

The little green man, is just part of the general traffic light sequence.
If you do/dont press the button, it'll still take the same amount of time to cycle through to green.

Only makes a difference if its isolated set of lights.

It depends.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23869955

Press it 3 times rapidly, then 3 times slowly and the lights change quicker

Hogwash.

Better 'mitt skateboard'

If the wait sign is illuminated then you don't need to press the button.

If it isn't then press it.

Simple enough

Even for you lot 😉

Never touch it..round here everyone has germs...

Or weakened immune systems caused by never touching anything.

I sometimes wait to see if there's going to be a lull in traffic if I'm not in any kind of rush. I remember getting an earful of abuse from a taxi driver because I pressed the button then ran across the road anyway. I didn't even impede him as he was going through the lights as I was pressing the button, he just saw me cross in his mirror and then he felt the need to stop and berate me.

A frank discussion was had. Adult language was exchanged and nothing was solved. Some people are wound too tightly.

"Never touch it..round here everyone has germs..."

"Or weakened immune systems caused by never touching anything."

Ooh, contentious! 😀

I usually prefer to find a gap rather than stop all the traffic. It's part of my contribution to reducing global warming.

"I always push the button...
...Basically, I just like holding up motor traffic."

😆

I often push the button even if I don't need to cross. This could potentially aid someone who subsequently comes along and does need to cross. Then, they have a much shorter wait, as the system has already been activated. And if no-one does need to cross, it gives drivers the opportunity to stop and blow their nose, change the CD, have a quick bite to eat or simply enjoy their surroundings for a moment.

If you combine long and short presses in this sequence

-... .- - -- .- -.

you can summon the assistance of Batman.

(This is a police secret so keep it to yourselves).

Just tried this^^^

No Batman yet but there's a tiny chicken just appeared.

Perhaps he wants to cross the road?

This is the sequence, right?

-... .- -. - .- --

^ 😆

Quality work.

I often push the button even if I don't need to cross.

On a previous commute, at one point I had to turn out from a minor to major road T-junction. This was always rammed and, being rush hour, nae ****er will give you an inch.

However, about ten yards down the main road to the right was a pedestrian crossing. So I used to get to the Give Way line, hop out of the car, jog down the road to press the crossing button, which would dutifully give the led lights, green man just as I'd got my seat belt fastened again allowing me to pull out with ease.

Bravo PP 🙂

This is the sequence if you want to cross faster
.--. .. -.-. --- .-.. .- -..-

This is the sequence if you want to [s]cross[/s] pass faster
.--. .. -.-. --- .-.. .- -..-

FTFY

Or alternatively

This is the sequence if you want to cross [s]faster[/s] like your cock's been caught by a fisherman
.--. .. -.-. --- .-.. .- -..-

Either way, I'd be running.

Edit:Nice stealth cock edit,makes my response look weird... 😆

It's nice not to stop traffic unnecessarily.

It's called not being a dick, some folk don't get it.

It's nice when cars stop to let people cross without having to be told to do so by a red light too...

Finally!
Yeah, look and THEN decide if the button needs pressing. Don't press then look ffs!
Blummin button pushers 😀

No-one uses buttons these days. Anyone below the age of 15 only uses 'touch screen'.

If I don't press at the crossing in town the I could genuinely wait for about 5mins to cross. It's just a constant unbreaking stream of vehicles. Big road through town though...... If it's a little crossing then probably just wait for a gap.

The PedX's in Edinburgh city centre are a joke, they should IMO be a green man between every change but they all run on a predetermined cycle this encourages people to run out as they can't be bothered waiting for the whole thing to cycle through. I get annoyed at how the cars take priority in the City Centre.

I once had an Edinburgh taxi driver blame the entire snarl up of the city on the one zebra crossing (i.e. no buttons just a the flashing beacons) on Chamber St outside the Museum of Scotland. He went on about it for at least 12-15mins (perhaps with a wee bit of nudging by me, just for sport 🙂 ).

What I fail to understand is people making a dash across the road a few metres from a pelican crossing, especially at busy times of the day. You know the ones, those who see a gap one way and make it to the white line then have to wait for a gap in the second line of traffic. They must have very important places to go and need to be there RIGHT NOW!

I don't bother pressing if I can see I'll be able to nip across in a few seconds. But I also have wondered why people don't press it when there is a solid stream of traffic, at crossings where they're not linked to junctions.

On the other hand, I've also wondered why there are buttons at all on junctions where it demonstrably doesn't make a blind bit of difference whether you press or not.

civilised societies would have a default green for pedestrians whilst someone manoeuvering a vehicle through an urban area should have to stop and press a Beg Button to be allowed to proceed.

#prioritisingactivetravel

Can you imagine if pedestrian crossings had never been invented?
Then someone came up with the idea of PEDESTRIANS BEING ABLE TO STOP DRIVERS AT WILL?????????????????????????????????

Newspaper comments sections explode

It's nice not to stop traffic unnecessarily.

It's called not being a dick, some folk don't get it.

1. I [i]am[/i] a dick;
2. It balances out all the times I have to wait to cross, even though the [s]cars[/s] [i]drivers[/i] would only be slightly delayed from getting to the back of the next queue.

press the button...pah!!!

you never played Frogger OP? 😉