On a slightly more serious note: I really wonder what’s going on in your mind when you press that button and cross anyway. Is it just because “I don’t care”, or is there more to it? If so: what?
EDIT: In case it’s because you don’t care: why do you press the button then?
Having been guilty of that at least once - you press the button and then realise there is sufficient gap in the traffic that you didn’t need the assistance of the lights to cross safely. You cross with each step layering the burden of guilt until you escape line-of-sight of the crossing. Then you can continue in blissful ignorance of the two drivers that just lost 20 seconds of their day and 5p in petrol.
And in guessing the Kyoto Protocol had minimal affect as most countries continued on with the attitude ‘so anyway, growth.’
Yeah I’ve done that a few times. These days, depending on the road and how busy it is, I’ll wait a few seconds in hopes that a gap opens and press the buttoj if one doesn’t.
Last week I saw a teenage girl walk past a crossing, push the button, then carry on walking on the same side. I guess that’s some kind of rebellious spirit.
There’s only one light controlled crossing near where I live, and it’s because the crossing is either badly designed or set up.
It’s not an urban crossing with hordes of pedestrians constantly crossing - it was installed probably because of the bus stop on the other side of the road from the old people’s sheltered accomodation, and also because at school times kids cross there to get the bus.
The problem is that the crossing might not have been used for several minutes, but when you reach it and press the button, instead of instantly starting the lights changing, it makes you wait for a full minute or so before starting to change the lights…by which time, there’s been a gap in the traffic and you can cross anyway. This almost malicious design of crossing is going to make this inevitable. It is the pedestrian that is in the howling wind and pissing rain, motorists are in climate controlled 1500kg suits of armour and quite frankly can wait for 20 seconds.
Many of those buttons are made to work like placebo anyways
I think most people have been guilty of this at least once in their life. Sometimes you’re just walking deep in thought, approach the lights and press the button and realised you never really looked at the traffic conditions.
Something similar has happened to me as well, BUT the question arose in my head when I saw this guy walk toward the button confidently, press it without stopping and crossing immediately. Then it got me thinking.
