Crossing lights?

[things]

Hi all,
I just saw a post on another forum, and apparently there is a code that can change all the other traffic lights red, and you can cross straight away. So basically you walk up to the button, enter thses pulses, and it will let you cross??? The code was:
3 short pushes
2 long pushes
1 short push
2 long pushes
3 short pushes
Numerous people have tried it, and apparently it works. I have yet to try it myself, but anyone know if there is such a thing?

 

[theinfamousbob]

I've heard about it before; apparently it's used for emergency personnel crossing the street or something.

I'll have to try it downtown sometime. That should prove interesting.

 

[things]

yeah, thats what i think it is for too. I don't know if it will work everywhere, but i'm going to try it here tommorow, should be awesome if it works!

 

[HarveyH42]

I barely trust the lights when they function normally, but we get a lot of tourist traffic. They come from all over the world, with different rules and habits, most are distracted (maps, cellphones, arguing, eating, taking pictures). Fortunately, I seldom need to cross roads with lights anymore. I'd imagine there are several emergency and test codes. It would be interesting to get a look at the control program.

 

[Pommie]

Sounds like a myth. Why would police etc. spend time pressing silly buttons, they just put up their hand and walk. Even someone covered in dust can walk out in the road and stop the traffic!!

Mike.

 

[crusty]

Hi all,
I just saw a post on another forum, and apparently there is a code that can change all the other traffic lights red, and you can cross straight away. So basically you walk up to the button, enter thses pulses, and it will let you cross??? The code was:
3 short pushes
2 long pushes
1 short push
2 long pushes
3 short pushes
Numerous people have tried it, and apparently it works. I have yet to try it myself, but anyone know if there is such a thing?

wouldn't by the time you spent punching all that into a button, that it would probably be timed out anyways?

Kinda reminds me of this..
https://www.metacafe.com/watch/455690/coke_machine_jackpot_magic_original_upload/

 

[rmn_tech]

When you press the button it basicaly sets a latch. So any further presses will have no effect until the circuit is reset, either by the light sequence or as in modern systems pedestrian detecting radar senses that the crossing is clear.

So entering any type of code is a waste of time.

 

[theinfamousbob]

When you press the button it basicaly sets a latch. So any further presses will have no effect until the circuit is reset, either by the light sequence or as in modern systems pedestrian detecting radar senses that the crossing is clear.

So entering any type of code is a waste of time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_crossing

Contrary to popular belief that the buttons are placebos, most buttons do work, but some only at certain times of day and even certain times of the year.

Only thing is I never see buttons around anymore.

 

[mneary]

When you press the button it basicaly sets a latch. So any further presses will have no effect until the circuit is reset, either by the light sequence or as in modern systems pedestrian detecting radar senses that the crossing is clear.
So entering any type of code is a waste of time.

Your location (country, state, etc.), experiences, and source of data would be helpful.

 

[things]

well some people have done it, and it worked for them?

 

[audioguru]

I have timed a traffic light without pressing the pedestrian button and with pressing the button.

It doesn't speed up the light change. It just extends the duration of the light for me to walk across before it changes so I don't get run down.

 

[rmn_tech]

Your location (country, state, etc.), experiences, and source of data would be helpful.

Location Uk

Experience Common sense

Traffic control on main roads especially during busy periods is not left to the whim of a few pedestrians.

Most pedestrian lights are tied to traffic light sequencing on nearby traffic (junction) control lights. With these lights pressing the button does nothing other than light an indicator for the pedestrian to show that the button was pressed. With control of the pedestrian light being handled by the main traffic control system. It also informs the main system that at the correct time in the main control sequence it needs to alter the state of the crossing light

 

[audioguru]

Some of our new pedestrian crossing lights have a countdown that shows exactly when a pedestrian might get run down: FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO squash!

 

[HarveyH42]

Some of our new pedestrian crossing lights have a countdown that shows exactly when a pedestrian might get run down: FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO squash!

We have those here too. There is an orange hand for stop while it counts down. Kind of had an urge to cover three of the fingers with black tape sometime...

 

[audioguru]

Kind of had an urge to cover three of the fingers with black tape sometime...

They are made with an optional middle finger sticking up when the countdown is finished but my city didn't want to pay extra for it.

 

[theinfamousbob]

They are made with an optional middle finger sticking up when the countdown is finished but my city didn't want to pay extra for it.

We don't need the finger here. Cars run enough lights that it's like a finger to pedestrians.

 

[things]

I tried it at school yesterday, and it appeared to work, although i might wait till they just went, so i know they won't change normally. Usually there are other people waiting to cross, and tapping the button gets anoying

 

[Hank Fletcher]

This thread jogged my memory of another thread (I think on this forum, too?), where someone made the suggestion that to avoid red lights, all you had to do was plan your route so that you alternate directions (e.g. North one block, East one block, North one block, East one block, etc), always taking the direction (e.g. North or East) that was green at the moment you arrived at the intersection.

It kind of bugged me at the time, but it took some thinking to figure out why. The odds (let's say for five intersections or so) of getting to your destination (presuming it's at exactly 45 degrees to your starting point) without being stopped by a red light are against you.

There would have to be an exact combination of green-light intersections in your favour for this to work. For instance, if you have to go five blocks right and five blocks up, the lights in your favour at each intersection would have to come in the order of right, up, right, up, etc. Or, the lights could come in your favour of exactly five right and five up, or some exact combination in between that and the alternating pattern.

What's more likely to happen is that, for instance, you might get five right in a row. Now you've either got to get exactly five up in a row, or back track, or go out of your way.

Kudos to anyone who can come up with a forumula calculating green light odds given any number of intersections, angle to your destination, and the number of blocks between starting point and destination.

 

[theinfamousbob]

This thread jogged my memory of another thread (I think on this forum, too?), where someone made the suggestion that to avoid red lights, all you had to do was plan your route so that you alternate directions (e.g. North one block, East one block, North one block, East one block, etc), always taking the direction (e.g. North or East) that was green at the moment you arrived at the intersection.

It kind of bugged me at the time, but it took some thinking to figure out why. The odds (let's say for five intersections or so) of getting to your destination (presuming it's at exactly 45 degrees to your starting point) without being stopped by a red light are against you.

There would have to be an exact combination of green-light intersections in your favour for this to work. For instance, if you have to go five blocks right and five blocks up, the lights in your favour at each intersection would have to come in the order of right, up, right, up, etc. Or, the lights could come in your favour of exactly five right and five up, or some exact combination in between that and the alternating pattern.

What's more likely to happen is that, for instance, you might get five right in a row. Now you've either got to get exactly five up in a row, or back track, or go out of your way.

Kudos to anyone who can come up with a forumula calculating green light odds given any number of intersections, angle to your destination, and the number of blocks between starting point and destination.

Don't they usually trigger in rows in larger cities? So accordingly, it'd be easier to travel straight, then turn, then straight again instead of 45-degreeing everything.

Some interesting stuff here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Diagram

 

[shokjok]

If you know how to reprogram the traffic control box, the road world can be YOUR domain.