Secret of an Everyday Object

road cross signal

@Ronrybs (21497)

London, England

September 13, 2016 9:50am CST

Well... it's not really a secret, but I liked the title! When you want to cross the road without getting run over, you push the button on the yellow box and the stationary red figure eventually changes into the green one who is boldly striding forth, as if he knows where he is going. Along with the green light, the yellow box also makes a beeping sound, so that if you have a problem with your vision you know it is safe to step out. If you have vision and hearing difficulties, you place your fingers under the yellow box where you can feel a small cone that has ridges on it. When the lights change and the beeper beeps, the cone spins and you get a tactile signal that you can cross. I thought this was a nice bit of thinking, when they began replacing the yellow boxes several years ago.

11 people like this

13 responses

@LadyDuck (502491)

• Italy

13 Sep 16

Those yellow boxes are a great idea and they should be present in more countries. We have nothing like this.

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@LadyDuck (502491)

• Italy

14 Sep 16

@Ronrybs I suspect from Germany, I have not seen those boxes in Italy, France or Switzerland for the moment. I cannot remember Spain.

3 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

I have to be honest and say I thought we got the idea from Europe!

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

@LadyDuck I have never walked far in Germany or France, so I am none the wiser about them. In Holland was crossing the road was seldom a problem!

2 people like this

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@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

13 Sep 16

Ours just make noise. No touching element. Interesting.

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

I remember the crossing signals in Chicago were totally silent

2 people like this

@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

13 Sep 16

@Ronrybs - Huh. In Colorado Springs, the ones at major intersections get loud.

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

@teamfreak16 I suppose each State makes the rules for themselves, over here it will be national Government and for a while, at least, the EU

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@marlina (154103)

• Canada

13 Sep 16

Yours is way better than ours here where I live.

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

What do they use in Cananda?

@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

15 Sep 16

Ah, I haven't seen these yet here in California.

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@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

19 Sep 16

@Ronrybs They do have "walk" lights at most big intersections. And chirping at some.

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@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

19 Sep 16

@TheHorse Vague memory of walk lights, but recall any chirping

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

15 Sep 16

I've been to California and for the life of me, I can't remember how I got across the road!

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Claudia Kirkland

@CRK109 (14556)

• United States

15 Sep 16

Wow, I had no idea all of that was there! Sure sounds pretty ingenious to me!

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Claudia Kirkland

@CRK109 (14556)

• United States

17 Sep 16

@Ronrybs And that's so important in a world where many drivers just aren't paying enough attention!

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

17 Sep 16

@CRK109 There has been a campaign about distracting driving and finally people using cell phones while driving will face increased penalties, but it is still far short of what is called for. Then there is the problem of enforcement

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@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

16 Sep 16

I like them and it gives everyone a chance to cross the road in one piece!

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@Happy2BeMe (99353)

• Canada

13 Sep 16

What a great ideas. It keeps everybody safe depending on what their disability may be.

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

Yes, I rather like it and it is such a simple idea. As long as you know it is there!

1 person likes this

@nonersays (3344)

• United States

14 Sep 16

Ours talks to you. It says, "Wait, wait,wait, wait, wait, wait" when you cant walk, and beeps when you can. I don't think it has a tactile sensor though. And if someone is hard of hearing and vision, how would they know to touch it and where?

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

I don't think I'd like a talking machine, soon feel like kicking it! I believe the word is passed out through support groups and doctors surgeries

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

15 Sep 16

I know the audio safe to cross boxes - not heard of the tactile versions before though

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Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

16 Sep 16

@Ronrybs i'll look out for them too

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@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

16 Sep 16

They seem to be all the rage in this neck of the woods, but next time I go a visiting the family up north, I was going to see if these machines are in use

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@jstory07 (148734)

• Roseburg, Oregon

14 Sep 16

That crossing light is a good invention that will save lots of lives.

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@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

I am for anything that makes life easier for us walkers!

@Tampa_girl7 (54715)

• United States

13 Sep 16

I have never seen one like that.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

They have been converting to them for a number of years. Not sure when they started

@DianneN (254926)

• United States

13 Sep 16

I am impressed! I hope they become the norm in every country.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

Yes, anything that life safer for us pedestrians

1 person likes this

@JESSY3236 (22245)

• United States

14 Sep 16

I didn't know about the small cone on the bottom for people who are both blind and deaf. That's cool.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

14 Sep 16

I like them, it's a good idea. You don't see them unless you are looking for them

1 person likes this

@ms1864 (6882)

• Bangalore, India

13 Sep 16

wow...we don't have these. It seems to be really efficient.

1 person likes this

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@TheHorse (238317)

• Walnut Creek, California

19 Sep 16

@Ronrybs Here in California, sticking your hand UNDER things is an invitation to a date with a black widow.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

19 Sep 16

@TheHorse We have friendly little critters here... well, mostly

@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

13 Sep 16

I only found out about them a few weeks ago. Normally I don't stick my hand under the box

2 people like this

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