To thinks it's odd that the lights don't 'peep' in London

[QIsForCube]

I've been on a visit to London and one thing that struck me was that the pedestrian crossings don't make any noise to let you know when to cross. I understand that it's for blind people but it's what everyone (including me) seems to use as a signal in my city. Every time that I've been at a crossing in London, I've been left standing at the crossing not looking for the green man as I was waiting for the noise! I've just thought that maybe it's only where I'm from where the lights 'peep'. AIBU to think this is odd?

I haven't heard a beeping pedestrian crossing for years. I'm not in London though.

But...now I'm doubting myself and am wondering if they actually do beep but I'm tuning it out. I'm going to make a point of listening carefully tomorrow.

Not sure I'd be able to hear them on most busy London streets.

The constant beeping in Cork drove me batty.

I'm in London and there are beeping ones. I'm not sure it's a London thing. I've been elsewhere with silent ones.

I completely missed my chance to cross this me day last week by absentmindedly just waiting for the beep which never came. DS2, AKA "The Criticiser" was not impressed.

I am pretty sure they do peep here.

• to cross one day last week

No idea what my fingers did there.

The traffic lights have a button underneath the box that spins to alert blind people when it is safe to cross so no need for the beeping.

Some crossings do but it depends where they are. The one's by some of the busy roads don't. (They do often have the turning thing on the bottom for deaf blind people as my DC love checking)

That said I think a lot of the ones in London do beep still!

You do get them, but in situations where there may be more than one direction of people crossing, it would be really dangerous for someone who couldn't see, but could hear the beeps - possibly from the wrong direction. They usually have a bit on the post that rotates for people with sight issues.

One thing I have noticed with the new "count down" ones in town, is that they can have much longer to complete the crossing. Out in the suburbs we only get 10 seconds, but I've noticed that the ones in town can count down from 15!

inchyrablue

That makes complete sense for the crossings I was thinking about. They are staggered crossings with different times for each leg (so you get to stand in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic breathing in fumes). If you walked out because the other leg of the crossing was beeping you could end up under a bus.

I'm not sure if this is true, but isn't there a little button under the bit you press to cross which vibrates when it's ok to cross? Or has someone been winding me up

The ones near me beep! They also have the little twirly thing under the button that spins for blind people

I live in London, most of them do peep, OP. Promise!!

Probably because there are so many of them and lots of old ones, they all haven't been updated.

Traffic lights just along from my house peep. Ds loves it when they do

Not much beeping in central London, when I was there recently. And we did miss the green man a few times! All the lights in Dublin beep really loudly, so we're in the habit of being prompted.

I immediately thought of Dublin too, because the beeping is really loud there. I love Dublin crossings. Also love how they warn you to look left or look right. It's very helpful when you don't know the one way system.

They don't beep at staggered/ multiple junctions to avoid confusion. I'm not near London!

I get confused in Ireland when the traffic lights skip amber, going from red to green.

It annoys me as well. It seems any installed in the last few years don't have it. Another annoyance is when the light is on the same side of the road as you and not on the far side..

They don't beep in Sheffield as far as I know.