Why do pedestrians.....

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

Can anybody tell me why pedestrians press the button on a crossing, and then when the road is clear cross it without waiting for the green light?.

I get really frustated waiting at a crossing when their is no-one to cross. This happens at the Iceland crossing regularly.

Ee, am I goin off on one again....

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[karter]

Libra, thats living in the city for you, i know what you mean though about that crossing though....

[Brendan]

Your suspicions are correct. We just do it to annoy you.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

It's Carol Vorderman's fault.

[citizenED]

Because the lights don't go red immediately - human nature!

[Cassius]

So what should we do - we have pressed the button, the road has cleared and yet we should stand and wait for the light to change even though the road is clear. Right...........

[SimonM]

It is much fun pressing these buttons at every Pelican crossing one passes, even if not intending to cross the road...>:D

[spadetownboy]

which is actually an offence under the road traffic act.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I have uncanny timing, I will press the button and it will still be red and the road will suddenly clear...thereby I am left with a dilemma...shall i wait for it to turn to the green man even though the road is clear? or should I cross though it is a red man and a clear road? if I have kids I will wait until it is green since I am teaching them the green cross code but if I am by myself I will dart across the road.

To be fair the green cross man is only on for about 3 seconds before it turns red again so who cares??

[Zo?]

It's because Southwark crossings are dopey - they have put the delay in the wrong place!!

If the crossing hasn't been used in 10 minutes, it should change almost as soon as the pedestrian presses the button, and then have a delay before it can be used again - this is what they do everywhere else! But at most Southwark crossings, even if it hasn't been used for an hour you still have to wait for ages for the lights to change...

(The one at the bottom of Friern Road is an exception - it works like they should, but most of the others have it all wrong!)

[grandpafred]

We were here first!!!

[KalamityKel]

Coz we can't be bothered to w8 for a car to come along and drive thru the red light anyway :p

[Bellenden Belle]

My favourite trick - and this will probably make some people's blood boil - is that if I am running for a bus and pass a crossing I will reach out and press the button mid-run just to slow down traffic and give me a chance to get to the bus stop in time.

Makes my day when it works!

[Brendan]

I drove up and down Lordship Lane about 4 times over the weekend. I inevitably stopped at the pedestrian crossing and didn?t for a moment feel at all irritated by it, even though the one time there was nobody crossing.

I walked down Lordship Lane once this weekend, pushed the button on the light by Iceland and then carried on and j-walked a bit further down. Just out of principle you see. ;-)

[RosieH]

Bellenden Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My favourite trick - and this will probably make

> some people's blood boil - is that if I am running

> for a bus and pass a crossing I will reach out and

> press the button mid-run just to slow down traffic

> and give me a chance to get to the bus stop in

> time.

>

> Makes my day when it works!

I love doing that too. although the lights on Lordship Lane don't work fast enough for it to make a difference, I'll always give it a go

[jollybaby]

Anyone noticed how the lights at the crossing on Peckham Rye (up from Barry Road)turn red for a few seconds without anyone pressing the button . . . . . . is it a traffic calming measure or is there a road-crossing poltergeist?