To think if you press the button on the crossing it should be fucking illegal to cross before you get the green man?

[nicenewone1]

If you are stopping the traffic, do not cross when there is a gap in the traffic, you pressed the fucking button so you wait for the green man!

All the stopping and starting adds to the pollution and it really fucks me off when I stop and they have already crossed and are on their merry way!

It can't be just me can it that thinks people who do this are inconsiderate, selfish and rude with no thought for the environment?

You can't have a bingo until there is a LTB Heartburn
At least half the people have LTB already. For the rest if us it is like being Shirley Valentine "Hello Wall"

So we should all stand there pointlessly, looking at an empty road, in case someone drives up and gets stopped for a few seconds?

Oh I've got it: you press the button and check to see whether the man is green. And if there is a gap in the traffic, you cancel the check, LTB green man, and cross.

Do I win £5?

What are the rules on these things in Maui?

I used to live in Germany and once crossed the road on a red man. I got shouted at by an old man.

I'm very glad we don't live in a country where we have a tendency to follow orders irrespective of whether there are any sense to them!

I walk if there's a gap. I've also been known to press the button expecting there to be cars having to stop only to look around and find acres of space large enough for a herd of wildebeest to roam. Looks like I'm beyond redemption

Rule 21
At traffic lights. There may be special signals for pedestrians. You should only start to cross the road when the green figure shows

I hate the lights we have now where the green man is on the post and not the other side of the road.

I don't follow your argument op.

1. I get to the crossing, press the button, cross when the traffic has a red. Cars must stop = pollution.
2. I get to the crossing, press the button, see a gap in the traffic and cross, cars get a red light later. Cars must stop = pollution.

What is the difference?

I do this on an almost daily basis, pressing the button on the pelican crossing of a main (3-lane) A road in central Birmingham. It's a busy road but there are usually gaps in the traffic which come along before the lights have changed. Damn right I take the opportunity to cross instead of standing there needlessly like a lemon!

1 time out of 5, I haven't managed to cross by the time the lights change, which takes a full minute.

I'm terribly sorry if any drivers are frustrated by this but no-one's ever brought it up with me before! It's just one of the things that people get used to when driving, really.

This is such a bizarre thing to be upset about!

You'd hate me......I very often press the button even when I'm not crossing the road!! Just to piss off those polluting car drivers, making their pathetic journeys of 2 miles or less......fucking stupid car culture.

Pollution = if you cross the road when there is a gap and don't wait for the green man you are adding to pollution in the environment, because cars have stopped unnecessarily. The act of speeding up and slowing down, and stopping and starting, increases emissions. Carrying on going does not add more than is necessary to the environment.

So I have to stop for a green man. Fine. No problem. The emissions are unavoidable. But if I stop for Mr Nobody, I have increased the emissions unecessarily

Why do I have to explain this to adults?

The wording is slightly ambiguous tbf, it says you "should not" cross, not "do not cross" but rule 22 does say "don't cross".

Meh, I'll still not wait for the green man if I'm not with the kids and there's a gap.

Laura do you not realise that you are adding extra pollution into our environment by doing that?

If as a pedestrian you press the button in good faith, ignore the precedence of the highway code and wait for the red man. Then you have reduced emissions because your lungs have filtered the crap out of the air.
This thread makes me feel that car drivers should have to re-sit their test at least once a decade because some become right prats.
The difference between must and should seems to be lost on some.

Stop driving then
Use public transport and help the environment even more.
You have given me a childish urge to press every crossing even when I don't want to cross

Don't you realise Laura's winding you up?

Don't you realise you're polluting out atmosphere with your car?

(Owner of a bike, an oystercard and a fine pair of legs.)

I think if you are genuinely concerned about the environment, you should always be on the side of the person walking, however their etiquette crossing the road, and not the person driving.

No I'm not being ridiculous, but I think people who don't drive have no concept

Do you mean people who do drive cars never get to press the button and cross before the green man when they walk? Nah. However much it annoys people when they are driving, most drivers still do it when they're walking.

If you know you're going to cross before the green man, then why have you pressed the button

Ah, but do you know? Wouldn't you just have the intention of crossing the road as soon as possible - either when the green man appears, or sooner if there's a gap. Most people CBA to push the button if they know they can cross without. Except of course for those who do it on purpose just to annoy you.

someone up thread said they don't care about the environment.

Surely if you're walking then you've trumped everyone in a car for environmental friendliness, even if you press every button you pass.

I am really really enjoying this thread.

I'm enjoying it too thanks

Pedestrians are never car drivers don't you know
Car or feet, never both

The irony of the OP (a driver) berating pedestrians for causing pollution is just wonderful.

Also, OP, whether the pedestrian crosses in a gap, or whilst the light is green, the outcome is the same. You cannot blame them for not being psychic.

If the environment causes you so much anxiety, think of walking more and driving less.

So I have to stop for a green man. Fine. No problem. The emissions are unavoidable. But if I stop for Mr Nobody, I have increased the emissions unecessarily

If someone is waiting to cross and a gap in the traffic happens, it is that gap occurring that makes it unnecessary for the traffic to stop. Whether the pedestrian waits for the green man or not, they could have crossed without it and that's what makes it unnecessary.

Even if the pedestrian ignores the gap and waits for the green man, it was still unnecessary because the pedestrian didn't need it.

Once the button has been pressed, it makes no difference whether the pedestrian waits or not, the traffic will still have to stop. The pedestrian crossing in a gap or waiting makes no difference to the amount of pollution created by the traffic stopping.

It seems quite bizarre to me that you aren't capable of grasping this quite simple idea.

Glad you've finally got it gold