Crosswalk Signs

[cgannon64]

They've been switching all the crosswalk signs in New York from the classic "Walk/Don't Walk" to the terrible, disgusting "Walking Man/Hand" signs. They are too bright, a waste of money, and useless, IMO. They say they are "internationally recognized" but do you really need to speak English to read "Walk/Don't Walk"? Even if you can't read, they're color coded. And if you are color-blind, even a child can figure out when to walk after seeing one other person walk at the appropiate time.

So, what are the signs in your area?

 

[Ohwell]

I'm a commuter so I deal with those evil hands in Manhattan as well. Nearer home we don't really have those signs. Any pedestrians are promptly sniped and dragged into the foliage by the police, much to the delight of motorists.

 

[CivCube]

We have the yellow "stick man" symbol signs around here. I wonder who designed those.

 

[cgannon64]

What was interesting was watching them install them block by block in my old neighborhood. Before I moved and came to high school I walked home, and every couple of days a new avenue would have them installed. And I never saw them do it.

It was like magic.

 

[Shadylookin]

we have the walking guy and the hand also, but we only have one stoplight and as long as you don't block traffic noone has any objections to you walking when it has the hand symbol

 

[The Yankee]

In Brooklyn, they've mostly been replaced with the hand and the naked walking man. I remember someone put some tape over the red hand so it looked like it was giving the finger.

Strangely enough, in downtown Manhattan, all around City Hall and down Broadway, they're still using Walk and Don't Walk...older ones, not even the brighter ones that came in a lot of places several years ago.

 

[The Yankee]

But then again, we don't wait for the light to change....we just wait for the cars to stop coming. We jaywalk all the time....cops do it too....they don't care....it keeps traffic flowing on the sidewalk....especially now that there's so much road and sidewalk repair in downtown that's cramping space.

 

[RedWolf]

Originally posted by cgannon64
They've been switching all the crosswalk signs in New York from the classic "Walk/Don't Walk" to the terrible, disgusting "Walking Man/Hand" signs. They are too bright, a waste of money, and useless, IMO. They say they are "internationally recognized" but do you really need to speak English to read "Walk/Don't Walk"? Even if you can't read, they're color coded. And if you are color-blind, even a child can figure out when to walk after seeing one other person walk at the appropiate time.

So, what are the signs in your area?

What's disgusting about them? We use the "Walking man/Hand" Signs and I rather like them.

They're easy to read even from a distance (if you're a motorist)and they seem to make a lot of sense.

 

[cgannon64]

I think they're a waste of government dollars. And I guess I just like them they way they were and got off on a rant about it.

@ shadylookin: Well, of course what the signs say doesn't really matter - I barely look at them anymore, I mainly look to see if cars are coming.

@ Yankee: Have you heard the rumors that people are actually getting fined for jaywalking now? Supposedly they are desperate for money so they are fining people for strange crimes like jaywalking and riding a bike on the sidewalk...

 

[The Yankee]

Yes. Two damn dollars. But there's strength in numbers of drones on Wall Street.


And those new hand and man do look ugly. At least the NYC ones do.

 

[cgannon64]

The fine is two dollars? That's it? Why even bother fining people, the paper and ink you use to write the fine probably cost more!

 

[The Yankee]

Originally posted by cgannon64
What was interesting was watching them install them block by block in my old neighborhood. Before I moved and came to high school I walked home, and every couple of days a new avenue would have them installed. And I never saw them do it.

It was like magic.

And I thought I was the only one who didn't see that. Not even late at night was someone there. There were also a few more lights going up at Avenue N or Ralph Ave that I never saw anyone do either.

 

[cgannon64]

Its probably a really quick job though, just open it up, put in new bulbs, and leave. They could probably do hundreds of blocks in a day.

 

[The Yankee]

Originally posted by cgannon64
The fine is two dollars? That's it? Why even bother fining people, the paper and ink you use to write the fine probably cost more!

Yes. $2.00

But who would pay it if you can't even just give it to the officer personally? Reminds me of that argument over people fining pregnant teenagers for waiting for a train at the stairs when no one was around or people "improperly using" a milk carton crate to sit on.

 

[The Yankee]

Originally posted by cgannon64
Its probably a really quick job though, just open it up, put in new bulbs, and leave. They could probably do hundreds of blocks in a day.

Yeah, but even new traffic lights supported by the poles and everything went up without any physical action.....

 

[cgannon64]

New traffic lights?

 

[Archer 007]

Changing the lights has to be a dumb idea. What is time for replacements anyway?

 

[Perfection]

Well in New York you got all those immagrants who don't know English...

 

[bobgote]

we have walking green man/standing still red man. also the red man flashes at a time where no-one new can start walking, but people already walking can continue crossing.

 

[Loaf Warden]

We have the walking man and the big red hand here. I don't have a problem with them, but then, I grew up with them. That's always what we've used here, or at least as long as I've been alive.

On another note, "Walking Man and the Big Red Hand" would make an awesome name for a rock group.