New Yorkers Keep Pushing Useless Traffic Light Buttons
from the even-dogs-learn... dept
Growing up in NY, I remember someone telling me very early on that the buttons on street corners to change lights didn't work. We used to call them "idiot buttons", because only idiots would bother to push them (and, indeed, we used to laugh at those who bothered). I was told (and believed) that they were only there to make people feel as if they had some control over the situation. Watching people press the buttons and seeing nothing happen supported this belief. However, since moving out of New York, I eventually learned that street crossing buttons elsewhere (such as here in California) do seem to work just fine. At this point, I'm so used to using them again that I'd pretty much forgotten the rumor that the ones in NY didn't work - and assumed that I'd been tricked as a kid. However, it turns out whoever told me that was completely right. The vast majority of street corner buttons don't work in New York. They're relics of a different age when they were more necessary. Most have been disconnected, but left in place because it would be too expensive to either connect them or remove them. And, still, the people push. Some are surprised that the buttons don't work, but many keep pushing, just out of habit. Of course, some of the buttons do work - so you get a casino-effect, where people will probably keep pushing on the off-chance that this time the button will work.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Buttons
Now the old zebra crossings with Belisha beacons the pedestrian is king! The traffic HAS to stop and yep no technology involved.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Buttons
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Nothing in New York works
Something not working in New York, should never be generalized to the rest of the world.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Nothing in New York works
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Nothing in New York works
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Buttons
In Boston, it doesn't matter one way or the other. People tended to walk across the street, no matter what the color of the light is. I'm starting to wonder if the buttons work at all around here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Buttons
IMHO, there should be no buttons, pedestrians should get a walk light when it's time and shouldn't have to look at the auto signal, and drivers shouldn't have to look at the pedestrian signals. Intersections where the button really does cycle the light should be clearly marked as such with some feedback that your push actually did something.
Any traffic engineers out there?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Pressing the button is fun!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Pushing Buttons
[ link to this | view in chronology ]