5 ms·
Of course it does something in this instance. Otherwise the light would never change to the barely-used crossing. There’s a pervasive myth about elevator butto
by function_seven 3y ago
Of course it does something in this instance. Otherwise the light would never change to the barely-used crossing.
There’s a pervasive myth about elevator buttons and crosswalk buttons being there as placebos. Yes, I’m certain there are instances where—when the traffic lights regularly cycle all day long—they might be placebo buttons, but the vast majority of them will at least lengthen the cycle time for your direction, and if appropriate will trigger a change sooner than it would have occurred otherwise.
- calamari4065 3y agoThe close door button in the elevator in my office does nothing, nor does the crosswalk button on the major intersection in front of the office. I've timed it. It does nothing. The elevator button thing is not a myth, it's actually quite common. As is crosswalk buttons that do nothing.
- function_seven 3y agoThe door close button: Yeah, you're right. I was thinking of the lobby call buttons. Ignore that I said anything about that. (Of course the button is still wired up, it just only works in fire service mode in those cases) As far as crosswalks go: Yeah, on major intersections where light cycling is guaranteed to happen all day, the button may not accelerate the change. But that doesn't apply to "lonely crosswalks", and I bet that same button will work in the middle of the night if the cross-street happens to die off during those hours. I caveated that in my comment.