I hate the new fucking traffic lights!
I don’t care if I have to wait a bit before I can go but I fucking hate that through some amazing technology I can’t fucking see if it’s green until I’m already in the intersection and right underneath it. Otherwise it looks totally black.
I literally have to drive into the intersection, watch for other cars and look straight up to see if it’s green. If there is other traffic I can usually tell but if not I just go and hope for the best.
You should be able to see a fucking traffic light from even the widest intersection. I’m sick of just hoping for good luck whenever I drive around here. —Light up my life
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2010.
ah… you forgot the first step….
step 1. put on glasses….
step 2. check your ride….
step 3. drive.
sort of on the subject and been on my mind for years: what’s the deal with intersections where you have to push the button for a walk signal; if you don’t push it the don’t walk sign stays on; what exactly is the point of this; what does ir t prevent/increase safety of; I don’t get it ; I’m not bitching per se just asking if anybody knows
the force field doesn’t activate if you don’t push the button.
You’re essentially on your own at that point.
Where are these traffic lights? The ones I see are bright and easy to see. I love the “smart” intersections….I no longer have to wait 7 minutes for a light to change. My only gripe are those motorcycles that don’t weigh enough to set off the sensor to tell the light to change.
OP must be color blind
I bet the OP is from Bedford, try the one’s leading into the Sunnyside Mall…not the Pete’s side, the former cdn tire side. You cannot see those in the daytime at all.
At night they are super bright but in the day time they are non-reflective and cannot be seen at certain angles. Luckily there’s gernerally enough other traffic to tell whether you can go or not.
martym, I think the pedestrian lights are there for intersections with left turn signals. When the cars have left turn signals, pedestrians don’t get the walk sign.
no ntw I understand the cross signal does not go to walk on a advanced green until it goes reg. green: I’m talking a regular pedestrian signal that won’t give a walk signal until pushed and won’t give one if you push it after the green has come on .
me no speak engrish you confuse me martym
red bad green good yes?
oh you bad round eye you try and trick me just cause i from far away 🙂
me trick you NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I think you should ask a civil engineer.
Da hell, hahaha. Blind as a bat.
marty – pedestrian actuated lights give more flexibility to traffic planners when programming the actual vehicle signals.
Most intersections now use buried wire loops to understand when traffic is waiting for a light change. If there are no pedestrians around to actuate the walk light then it means the traffic signal controller can shorten the cycles to get traffic moving on the other side of the intersection. When a pedestrian light is actuated the normal timing cycle (ie. 15 secs walk light, 10 seconds flashing hand) comes into play.
This setup can also make sure that higher traffic streets of an intersection get priority until a pedestrian (or motorist) wants to cross. Think Mumford Rd at the West End Mall lights late at night – most traffic will be coming along Mumford and not from the mall sides after hours. It’s easier to keep a green light for traffic on Mumford and only change when a pedestrian or automobile wants to cross Mumford.
Sounds like the LED lightsets might need a diffuser mod.
I’ve been at intersections where you cannot see the lights…completely black like the op said…unless you are either the first car at the intersection or slightly ahead, into the intersection.
I don’t drive so it wasn’t just me, anyone else in the car noticed the same thing. Some lights can’t be seen in sunlight, you can catch a glimpse of green as you pass under them, once you’ve already started to go but if you’re turning, you can’t see them at all if your car is at an angle, only when you are perfectly straight and within a few feet of the light.
They are extra bright at nighttime but daytime is “hit or miss” driving
thanx VOR you are truly a a true voice amongst the unreasonable 🙂
Awwwww (blushing), thanks!