WALK and DONT WALK signals are becoming a thing of the past

Princess Alice · 2012-01-26 19:20:27

In favor of the now-standard hand/walking man icons.

I get the reasoning behind it--you want the meanings to be instantly recognizable even to people who can't read or don't know the English words "WALK" and "DONT WALK"--but all the same I'm kinda sad to see them go.

Tachyon · 2012-01-26 19:23:19

I only ever saw these on television. I don't know if they were ever a thing over here.

Gelzo · 2012-01-26 19:23:45

I figure letters are also harder to discern than shapes, anyway.

^I'm pretty sure you can see them in less populated areas that have been developed less.

Tachyon · 2012-01-26 19:24:34

The colours red and green are fairly universal, I think.

Though not so much if you're colourblind, I guess.

PlutoniumFist · 2012-01-26 19:25:14

The only times I've ever seen DON'T WALK were downtown.

What they've begun to do here recently is add beeps to indicate how long you have left to walk.

Tachyon · 2012-01-26 19:27:07

Here the standard is that the green man starts to flicker and bleep when your time is almost up.

Manly McMacho · 2012-01-26 19:29:00

Here (in some parts of "here" at least), it begins beeping to let you know you're able to cross, and stops when the "do not walk" hand shows up.

ProfessorGator · 2012-01-26 19:31:00

I walk down to the bus station to go home when my classes are finished most days. Up until the second-to-last one I see, the walk signals on this street have countdown clocks to let you know how much time you have left (which varies from 15 seconds to 25 seconds depending on how long the intersection is). The others just flash the red hand when your time's about to run out.

Gelzo · 2012-01-26 19:31:52

Seattle signs often have a number that starts counting down to show you how much time you have to cross before the cars get a green light.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-26 19:34:14

The one with the countdown display is actually the current standard in the US, though that's a fairly recent thing so it's far from universal, so far.

Also, a few "WALK"/"DONT WALK" text signals can still be found around here, usually at intersections that obviously haven't been updated in many years.

Oddly enough, this particular signal was retrofitted with LED hand and walking man symbols, instead of simply replacing the whole unit.

Tachyon · 2012-01-26 19:34:30

Wait, no, it begins bleeping when the green man shows up, and stops when he starts to flicker.

See, I said I was careless about these.

Manly McMacho · 2012-01-26 19:35:35

^^I actually think I prefer the old unit, although I have no idea why.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-26 20:02:29

I like the old unit, too. I just found it odd that that particular one was considered worthy of updating while the nearby intersections had their respective signals replaced entirely. Money-saving thing, I guess.

Also, the one on the other side of the same intersection still has its original "WALK"/"DONT WALK"

Rottweiler · 2012-01-26 20:12:32

In Eugene, the hand/man signs are accompanied by a speaker that says "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT" when the sign is orange and "WALK SIGN IS ON" when it's white.

This is either for the deaf or to make the streets more cyberpunk.

Obā-san · 2012-01-26 20:13:07

Definately the second option.

Justice4243 · 2012-01-26 21:18:07

I think Portland just has beeping noises . Same as Yakima, WA.

Haven · 2012-01-26 21:20:40

Portland definitely has "WALK SIGN IS ON." Though it took me way too long to realize that's what they were saying.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-26 21:31:35

Relevant:

Justice4243 · 2012-01-26 21:40:06

I love the timer, like it's counting down how much longer you have to "get fucked."

lee4hmz · 2012-01-26 23:11:38

The timers are pretty standard around here (especially in Arlington, where there's more foot traffic), but I don't think I've seen a green walk single in quite a while (walk signals are all lunar white here).

Viani · 2012-01-27 01:00:40

They have abysmal amounts of those in Bismarck.

Ace Rimmer · 2012-01-27 02:35:02

Here the standard is that the green man starts to flicker and bleep when your time is almost up.

He doesnt even do that anymore

Tachyon · 2012-01-27 05:53:04

He does too!

Unless the newer ones don't, but the ones at home do. I think the ones here do as well, I'll have to check.

Tre · 2012-01-28 17:56:44

I don't think I've ever seen one without the walking man and the flashing hand.

And they're still orange and white here.

ProfessorGator · 2012-01-28 19:12:08

Here in Atlanta, they're still orange and white, from what I've seen. In fact, I don't think I remember ever seeing green walk signals except in Italy.

Also, the 7-lane crosswalk by the bus station I complain about a lot had a much more reasonable timeframe yesterday. I'm pleased.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-28 19:23:04

White and orange (specifically "Portland Orange") has been the standard in North America for a long time, the rationale being that those two colors are distinct from the red, yellow and green used for vehicular traffic.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-28 19:24:19

Also: GIF TIME

Tachyon · 2012-01-28 20:41:09

^ :D

And I checked the crossings around here and they totally still do the beepbeepbeepbeep thing and then the green man starts to flicker. Whale, you are obviously getting fobbed off with substandard pelican crossings.

Rottweiler · 2012-01-28 21:47:50

^^ YAY PORTLAND!

The city is quite big and there seem to be a variety of sign types.

Justice4243 · 2012-01-28 23:38:07

Oh hey, I used to work in that area.

It's got a Wine Bar, and a neeto coffee shop that's also a Beowulf reference,and Voodoo Donuts II, and Sheridan Fruit Company, and Guardian Games.

Rather convenient place to be working.

Ace Rimmer · 2012-01-29 04:56:29

And I checked the crossings around here and they totally still do the
beepbeepbeepbeep thing and then the green man starts to flicker. Whale,
you are obviously getting fobbed off with substandard pelican
crossings.

Are they all new crossings?

Tachyon · 2012-01-29 05:03:37

IDK, they don't look that old.

They can't be all that new though because I don't think they're making any new pelican crossings. It's all puffin crossings nowadays for some reason.

Edit: OK, I looked it up and it turns out puffin crossings don't do the flicker-flicker thing, and they are phasing pelican crossings out because too many blind people were getting ran over. I guess there's no point in having the green man flicker if it's on the side of the street where anyone crossing won't actually see it.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-29 14:00:20

> pelican crossing
> puffin crossing

I had to look these terms up. Also, the symbols used on your pedestrian signals are neat.

In the US we always have the pedestrian signals on the far side of the intersection. The white man lights up, then after a few seconds it switches to a flashing orange hand (with or without a countdown timer), then to a steady orange hand. Technically one isn't supposed to enter the intersection once the hand has started flashing, but people regularly do it anyway--which I imagine is one reason why newer signals include a countdown.

Obā-san · 2012-01-29 14:03:27

Whoa, way cool.

Princess Alice · 2012-01-29 14:16:01

Apparently a crossing designed for use by equestrians is called a "pegasus crossing".

I get the idea behind the name--all the other crossing types are birds, so it makes sense to use a winged horse--but my first thought was "why does a pegasus need to cross a street?"

Idler · 2012-01-29 14:16:42

Because it's Fluttershy and flying scares her.

Obā-san · 2012-01-29 14:19:09

D'awwww....

Princess Alice · 2012-01-29 14:21:16

Now I'm imagining the light going green and Fluttershy cautiously stepping out into the intersection, while a truck zooms by in the other direction (i.e., the street parallel to the crosswalk, where it wouldn't have been in danger of hitting her) and she gets scared and jumps back onto the sidewalk and Applejack and Rainbow have to drag her across the street, holding up traffic as they do.

Idler · 2012-01-29 14:23:27

Fluttershy actually doesn't seem that concerned about flying in the later episodes.

Justice4243 · 2012-01-29 17:08:59

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!

WALK and DONT WALK signals are becoming a thing of the past

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