From: suther922@snake.cs.uidaho.edu (SUTHERLAND NOAH THOMAS)
Subject: Re: re:discrepency in Guide
Organization: University of Idaho CS Dept.
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:09:41 GMT

In article <1jig4oINNk6@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> keeper@deeptht.armory.com writes:
>
>So now I reply.
>
>The U.S. equivalents to the right-of-way subject actually are in the
>hands of state governments, so different states have different rules --
>such is the case with most things involving automobiles.  Different states
>have different written tests for people getting their licences, and have
>different regulations about how often they need to be renewed and what has
>to be done to get them renewed.
>
>Where I live, there are few pedestrian crossings equivalent to the zebra
>crossing.  (None have beacons, though.)  Most are at stop signs or stop
>lights.
>
I have seen a few crossings with flashing beacons (I think all of them were
near elementary schools to make them safer for the kids).  I've also seen
some "zebra" crossings.  They were either the same as UK (without beacons)
or had diagonal stripes w/ a border.

>
>U.S. traffic lights never turn yellow before turning green, but one can
>watch the lights going another way, and see them turn yellow then red.
>There is a moment of a second or two when all traffic lights are red --
>there's a pause before the next one turns green.  However, this is only
>on modern systems.  Older ones -- although there no longer are any where
>I live, far as I know -- don't have the delay; the next turns green
>instantly as the last turns red.
>
Visiting my parents in Spokane, WA, I've become very annoyed with their
traffic lighting system.  Driving on the main North/South street, there aren't
many that have the delay before turning green (this is very unsafe if you ask
me).  There are also absolutely no timers.  I know many cities that have a 
whole string of lights timed so, if you drive at a certain speed (usually less
than the speed limit) you will never have to stop at a light.  I hate having
every light "traffic-activated" and have to stop at every one.  It's a waste
of time.

>Most traffic lights here now have metal detectors under the road, so the
>signal has an idea of where cars are, and can change the lights accordingly.
>This is most useful in the middle of the night -- whereas the light normally
>will just stay green nearly forever in the main direction, if you come from
>a side direction, the light will turn green for you before you have to stop.
>
>There is one where I live that has been misprogrammed.  In the middle of
>the night, when no cars are by it, the light for the main direction puts
>on a show -- green, yellow, red, green, yellow, red, and so on.  The display
>must be confusing to drivers approaching it, but as soon as the trip the
>metal detector, the light will stay green for them.
>
>Older signals, which have no metal detectors and so are simply on a timer,
>will shut themselves off at night -- the main thoroughfare will receive a
>flashing yellow, while the side streets receive a flashing red.  Equally
>balanced intersections will get flashing red all round.  The flashing red
>means to treat it like a stop sign, while the flashing yellow means to
>treat it light the side street has a stop sign, so the driver should watch
>for cars coming in from the side.
>
A very nice feature.  Have you ever come up to one just as it's make the change
over?  It takes a second  to realize what's going on.

>as it is for pedestrians.  Of course, there are no beacons here, but there
>will be a sign either with a picture of a person or people in a crossing or
>with "PED XING" on it, as well as "PED XING" written on the road itself
>(written like
>               XING
>               PED
>                      presumably so the driver reads each word as they appear
>rather than wait for them both to be readable, which is quite possible).
>
My favorite is:

      GUBERIF
       BE  A
       DON'T

The only place I've seen it is here in Idaho.  If you don't understand, just
turn Guberif around backwards.

When I was a kid, I could never figure out what XING meant.  I always
pronounced it "ex-ing".  I could never understand just how exactly a deer, cow,
or "PED" (there's another interesting one) would "X".  Oh well.  I guess
that's just a curiosity of nature.

>
>--
>Email replies must be sent to keeper@deeptht.armory.com

Sincerely,
Zippy the Wonder Slug!!!

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