For Exercise in New York Futility, Push Button

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
linkage

or years, at thousands of New York City intersections, well-worn push buttons have offered harried walkers a rare promise of control over their pedestrian lives. The signs mounted above explained their purpose:

To Cross Street
Push Button
Wait for Walk Signal
Dept. of Transportation

Millions of dutiful city residents and tourists have pushed them over the years, thinking it would help speed them in their journeys. Many trusting souls might have believed they actually worked. Others, more cynical, might have suspected they were broken but pushed anyway, out of habit, or in the off chance they might bring a walk sign more quickly.

As it turns out, the cynics were right

I knew it:D
 

MonstaThrilla

Golden Member
Sep 16, 2000
1,652
0
0
I would think you'd want to stay away from the cradle of liberalism that is New York City.

Anyway, I can remember it actually seeming to work for me a couple times in Manhattan. Maybe it was just my imagination. However now that I'm in Atlanta, I can guarantee that these buttons are useless.
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
Originally posted by: MonstaThrilla
I would think you'd want to stay away from the cradle of liberalism that is New York City.

Anyway, I can remember it actually seeming to work for me a couple times in Manhattan. Maybe it was just my imagination. However now that I'm in Atlanta, I can guarantee that these buttons are useless.

Maybe it has something to with timing of the lights when you pushed the button:D
 

BugsBunny1078

Banned
Jan 11, 2004
910
0
0
I gave up on pushing those when I was about ten years old I noticed the lights changed whether I pushed them or not and that there seemed to be no effect to them at all. That is not cynicism, that is just observation.
 

ScottyB

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2002
6,677
1
0
They work at my school, but there is a strong push to have all cars off campus in so many years.
 

Dissipate

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2004
6,815
0
0
WTF. All three of the times I visited NYC I never once pressed or even saw one of those buttons. Maybe I wasn't paying close attention though. Weird.