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From: gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Smart Traffic Lights?
Message-ID: <533@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Jul-85 13:20:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.533
Posted: Sat Jul 20 13:20:48 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Jul-85 21:06:17 EDT
References: <658@ihu1g.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 36

--
> Over the last several years here in the extreme western suburbs
> of Chicago, it has become quite common to install sensors in the
> road at traffic signals to help control the lights.  An example
> being that the left turn arrow does not come on if a car is not
> waiting in the left turn lane for several seconds before the
> light is due to change.  Notice that I said a "car"!  At least
> half of these sensors don't seem to be able to tell if a motorcycle
> is sitting right over it.  This was annoying when I had a relatively
> small XL350 but I figured a larger street bike would have enough
> mass to trigger any sensor.
> light.
> 
> Have other riders noticed this or are all the stupid lights just on
> the roads I ride?  Any ideas on who to complain to or what can be
> done?
> 
> 				Rick Schieve

No, it's all over.  I'm also in Chicago west 'burbs now, but the same
thing happens in Wisconsin, and I noticed the phenomenon in California
while touring on an old Kawasaki A-1 Samurai (that's a story) back in 81.
Sometimes it's even worse than the turn signal--there's a few pressure
activated lights in Madison that (late at night) simply stay red.
Your choices are (1) get off and push the pedestrian's walk button,
or (2) run out of patience and run the sucker.  I've been stopped by
cops who caught me doing (2), but they've all bought my story.
("But officer, I waited 4 or 5 minutes and it just wouldn't turn
green.")  OK, so it was 4 or 5 seconds--who's counting?
-- 
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