The button won't press it's self

[1DAD2KIDS]

It seems to be happening more often resently. I will be waking up from a distance to a traffic light crossing and there will be people standing there. I eventually get there thinking the lights must be changing soon as the people standing there have been there for ages. Then I realise nobody has pressed the button. I press the button. Moments later green man and everyone crosses. AIBU to question why so many people won't press the button?

Yanbu and I find this really irksome too. I once crossed the road after a woman beside me had pressed the button. Another woman coming the other way told her off for pushing it as apparently it wasn’t necessary . Button pusher and I looked at each other and laughed. So strange.

I totally agree but I hate it when people keep ringing the bell on the bus. It says "bus stopping" but they still ding away. In my yoof you would have been hoyed off by the conductor if you rang it just a second time and it didn't even tell you then if it was stopping

In some areas pressing the button does nothing and the lights are on a timer (some councils have admitted doing this). Sometimes I've pressed the button and the red light didn't come on, so I just gave up pressing it.
I get more annoyed when people press the button and then cross before it starts beeping, therefore stopping later traffic for no reason (although there are usually sensors on the newer puffin crossings).

Just press the button and ignore everyone else, I don't see the angst.

I thought this was going to be about Donald Trump and his big button

Like Monger says, the lights at the crossing at the main junction up by me must be on a timer as they don't change until the main traffic lights for the cars change so there is no point pressing the button, they won't change any quicker!

I'm always stuck beside the idiots who keep press, press, pressing the button like demented......er, button pressers. The lights won't change any quicker ya foolz!

”I get more annoyed when people press the button and then cross before it starts beeping, therefore stopping later traffic for no reason”

So if the road clears completely before the green man, pedestrians should not cross, but should instead wait patiently so that any traffic stopped by the ensuing red light feels there is more of a purpose to their journey’s momentary interruption?

Why do you assume that no one had pressed it? Maybe it had been pressed but it wasn't yet time to cross?

Or maybe it needed a proper manly man press?

squoosh I think you may be referring to my DC!

I like pressing buttons. I don't mind pressing it if others can't be bothered.

TheSpottedZebra because the button light is not illuminated and when I press it, it does. I should add I walk this route every day so I know that its functioning and the council have nicely set the light to change for pedestrians a few seconds after the button is pressed.

TheSpottedZebra not sure if your trying to imply something with the proper man push ?

So you get there, press the button, wait the few seconds, then cross. What's the problem if nobody has pressed it before you get there?

So if the road clears completely before the green man, pedestrians should not cross, but should instead wait patiently so that any traffic stopped by the ensuing red light feels there is more of a purpose to their journey’s momentary interruption?

Yep It seems really irrational now that it's written down.

I thought this was going to be about Donald Trump and his big button

Me too. So disappointed

If it’s at a junction then pushing the button is probably optional. But if it’s a crossing in the middle of a long straight road like the one near me then people could literally wait forever if they don’t push the button.

We sometimes do see baffled looking people (some of whom might be recent immigrants, but surely not all of them) waiting there patiently for a light that will never change and we do a big performative button press for their benefit.

Some of them don’t need pushing but give a green man automatically when traffic lights change. There are ones like this I use daily and folk get harassed about pressing the button but it honestly does nothing.

Sometimes the 'wait' light doesn't light up, because the bulb has gone, so if I'm waiting at the crossing someone will come along and press the button even though I've already pressed it. I find this mildly insulting but don't say anything. Once they press the button and realise I'd already pressed it they are silently mortified and I revel in their discomfort.

malmi me too when that scenario happens

malmi me too!!

I remember back in the day that at some crossings you could press the button multiple times and this would cause the lights to change sooner as the lights (?) would think there were loads of people waiting

OP this grinds my gears. You wouldn't expect people to just hang around outside a lift without pressing the button

I'm a repetitive button pusher at my nearest crossing because it takes so fucking long and why are cars always more important than pedestrians and life's not fair and basically because it puts me in a petulant strop that a 3 year old would be embarrassed by. If I jab that button repeatedly I will show it who's the boss. I'm quite sane and reasonable at other crossings, promise.

The crossing I mentioned in my first post is definitely one where you need to push the button. I use it a lot. It isn’t on a timer. Just in case I came across as a bellend who laughed at someone’s legitimate advice !

MongerTruffle

Usually I don't press the button, preferring to wait for a natural gap in the traffic rather than bring every vehicle to a halt just so that I can cross the road. On roads with constant traffic I do press the button, as otherwise I'd be there all day. It all depends on the circumstances.

if the road clears completely before the green man, pedestrians should not cross, but should instead wait patiently so that any traffic stopped by the ensuing red light feels there is more of a purpose to their journey’s momentary interruption?

Oh god don’t. There was a long thread about this a few months ago.