by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/24/2017 at 15:37
by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/24/2017 at 15:37
No Tags
STARS: 2
In theory, this is supposed to make it so cars at an opposing intersection can’t jump the light, by making it look like it’s blank. The problem is, even head on, they look blank from a distance of more than 50 feet, which means anyone who isn’t familiar with patterns in the intersection invariably brakes hard when they come up on them, because they don’t know what color the light is.
I want to find their inventor and punch him in the face.
ETA: example from Google Maps
"facw" (facw)
05/24/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 2
There’s one of these I go by frequently, and they recently fixed it so that you can actually see it as you approach. Previously it was only visible once you got within stopping distance of the light.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 2
“Hey, here’s an idea. Let’s make a traffic light that you can only see as you enter the intersection. This way really cautious people can get rear ended and less cautious people can get t-boned!”
"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
05/24/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 2
We have a few awkward intersections that have these. And they just make the intersection even MORE awkward and terrifying.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 1
The fact that it’s actually something that can be corrected just makes me angrier.
With the one I deal with every day, you have to be doing about 10-20 under the limit to actually be able to stop safely by the time you see it. I have to use the next light as a gauge to what color that light is.
"jimz" (jimz)
05/24/2017 at 15:47, STARS: 3
yes. you can thank 3M for the idea. what’s better is they’re incredibly inefficient since they need 150 watt PAR lamps.
http://www.trafficsignalmuseum.com/pages/3m.htm
we have some here in Detroit. most common at the top of off-ramps from the freeway feeding into a divided road. The far signals turn green first to allow turning traffic from the divided road to go and clear the intersection, then the near signal turns green to let ramp traffic proceed. The far signal uses the programmable visibility signals so the ramp traffic doesn’t see the green and jump.
Near signals are normal, far ones are programmable:
"jimz" (jimz)
05/24/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 1
sounds more like they’re being used as a band-aid for a poorly-designed intersection.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
05/24/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 2
These stupid things are all over the rich suburbs in my parts and sometimes at highway on/off ramp junctions. Even when they’re placed under a bridge and out of direct sunlight they’re dim as all heck.
"vicali" (vicali)
05/24/2017 at 15:50, STARS: 1
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 15:51, STARS: 2
What adds insult to injury in this case is that the intersection really wants to be a roundabout, but instead it’s a clusterfuck of five lights.
(If you’re on one of those side streets and you want to make it into that center bit, the experience of trying to cross two lanes to get to the third turning lane when there’s traffic is best summed up as “hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha fuck you.”)
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 0
That’s such a stupid alternative to a dedicated turn signal.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/24/2017 at 15:54, STARS: 1
They are super dim. At this point, the bulb could be blown and I probably wouldn’t even notice.
"facw" (facw)
05/24/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 1
Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s the same lights and they just reaimed them (presumably the lenses were pointing down too much).
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
05/24/2017 at 16:00, STARS: 0
I’ve seen these plenty before. At oblique intersections they can occasionally be helpful because you actually get confused about which light is yours, but otherwise they are terrible.
"jimz" (jimz)
05/24/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
well, I don’t think a dedicated turn signal would work. The view shown is facing north. When both near and far signals are red, then westbound and eastbound traffic are flowing. Eastbound traffic turning north can turn into the segment between the two (where the white and silver cars are) and queue at the far signal. Then, the far signal turns green, stopping westbound traffic. Eastbound traffic continues to flow, and the queued turning cars can proceed northbound. Finally, the near signal turns green, stopping eastbound traffic, and then northbound traffic from the ramp and Harper can go.
I don’t see any way to handle it differently.
"deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
05/24/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
Amused at Jenny Craig next to Wendy’s...
"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
05/24/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 2
They have those on the metering lights used to control traffic going over the bridge from Oakland to SF. These lights aren’t always on, so the guessing game begins as you approach the lights. Then when they’re off you wonder if you just ran a red light you couldn’t/didn’t see.
As a bonus, when they’re on and you stop, the angle you’re at now makes it really hard to see when the bulb makes a random green flash that indicates you can go. Lucky for you the guy behind can see it and will hold his horn down to let you know.
"jimz" (jimz)
05/24/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 0
oh god one of those
"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
05/24/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 1
I can’t say I’ve seen anything that bad in the US, ever. But I love that Jenny Craig is next to Wendy’s.
"arl" (arl1968)
05/24/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 0
These type of lights are pure evil. Can’t see the damn things until you’re right on top of them. Who in the hell ever thought these were good idea ??
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
05/24/2017 at 16:36, STARS: 0
YES! I haaaaaaate those things!!!
"CompactLuxuryFan" (compactluxury)
05/24/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 0
Ugh yes I was about to mention that particular place! Makes no sense there!
"CompactLuxuryFan" (compactluxury)
05/24/2017 at 16:56, STARS: 0
I’m pretty sure keeping you from approaching an intersection quickly, even if the light is green, is one of their purposes. And they definitely are the work of the devil.
"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
05/24/2017 at 17:03, STARS: 0
ONEHUNDREDFIFTY WATTS!?!?!?
*SPITS OUT DRINK ALL OVER THE PLACE*
*PPPFFPFRPRPPFFFTPPTTTTFFFFFFFFFFF*
That’s insane, I thought we were all solidly on the LED train.
"cuts_off_prius" (cutsoffprius)
05/24/2017 at 19:14, STARS: 1
American traffic engineering - stupidity at its finest. Well, at least it’s not as bad as Asia.
"Eric @ opposite-lock.com" (theyrerolling)
05/24/2017 at 21:25, STARS: 0
I think those are the only ones I’ve seen here, plus ones off to the side that end up behind your A pillar when you pull up far enough for it to detect you. I miss living in a rural area where they don’t have these.
Also, these are basically the worst thing ever for wasting gas. They never sit green on a lane so you can’t smoothly roll through one when they’re on.
"BKosher84" (bkosher84)
05/25/2017 at 10:55, STARS: 0
Hahha.. Ever dealt with a Michigan Left Turn?
"BKosher84" (bkosher84)
05/25/2017 at 10:58, STARS: 0
I got you beat.
"FormerInstants" (alsosprachalso)
05/27/2017 at 13:00, STARS: 1
Is knowing when the green is coming really a problem?
Germany and the UK have traffic lights that illuminate the yellow with the red when it’s almost time to go! You don’t even have to look at the opposing lights! It’s right there for you to know!
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/27/2017 at 13:16, STARS: 0
I don’t think it is, which makes these stupid lights all the more frustrating.
"FormerInstants" (alsosprachalso)
05/27/2017 at 16:22, STARS: 1
I mean, someone must think it’s a problem, or they wouldn’t be doing this...