Myth Busters.....Chapter 1

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paul said:
I do know, from my college dormitory days, that once inside the elevator going to the lobby and pressing all the buttons on the inside really irritates those who enter the elevator. As a matter of fact, they yell obscenities at you. :cool:
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Yeah, that's why after I pushed all the buttons I would get out of the car.....:D
 
frizbeedog said:
Does mashing the button at the crosswalk, repeatedly, cause the lights to change faster?

It's genetic I'm sure of it. When I see it I feel like shouting out the window of the truck, "Stop that!"

Every so often a real cool customer will walk up and press it just once....an act of faith. Encouraging.

:smile:
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Push it once to call up the ped
Push it again to cancel.
Actually, no, the traffic controller has a locking input. If the signal is in coordination, it won't change until that movement is timed out, which can be 1-2 minutes, otherwise it will have a minimum green time, and then come around and pick the ped.

I know that a minute seems like 5 when you are waiting. I got an early AM call once that a signal was stuck and not cycling for 5 minutes, I got there, and the main street loop was bad putting in a constant call, so it went out to max time, which was 90 seconds, I timed it.
 
tom baker said:
I got an early AM call once that a signal was stuck and not cycling for 5 minutes, I got there, and the main street loop was bad putting in a constant call, so it went out to max time, which was 90 seconds, I timed it.
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Maybe those were dog-seconds.
 
A comedian (Rich Hall) in the 80's had a career coming up with words for things like this.

Sniglets Not in the dictionary but should be.

Elerceleration, the more you push the button the slower the elevator will come.
 
LarryFine said:
Maybe those were dog-seconds.
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90 seconds is 10.5 minutes to a dog. That's a lot of time. :mad:

You know how many frisbees a dog can catch in 10.5 minutes? I don't know either, but I bet its a lot.
 
frizbeedog said:
90 seconds is 10.5 minutes to a dog. That's a lot of time. :mad:

You know how many frisbees a dog can catch in 10.5 minutes? I don't know either, but I bet its a lot.
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10.5 human minutes, or 10.5 dog minutes? :grin:


Another trick: If you live in a place with one of these over the thermosat:
pACE2-956535reg.jpg

Just put some ice in a zip-lock bag, drape it over the cover, and insto-presto... you've got heat! A hot plate in the summer will get the AC on, too! ;)
 
frizbeedog said:
Does mashing the button at the crosswalk, repeatedly, cause the lights to change faster?

It's genetic I'm sure of it. When I see it I feel like shouting out the window of the truck, "Stop that!"

Every so often a real cool customer will walk up and press it just once....an act of faith. Encouraging.

:smile:
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I wonder if that button does anything at all, dont think it is even hooked up to anything.

P.S. Looks like time for FD to get outside again, how about some action shots, can he catch a frisbee or is it all talk?
 
frizbeedog said:
You know how many frisbees a dog can catch in 10.5 minutes? I don't know either, but I bet its a lot.
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In my experience, just one.



But many times. :grin:
 
frizbeedog said:
Does mashing the button at the crosswalk, repeatedly, cause the lights to change faster?

It's genetic I'm sure of it. When I see it I feel like shouting out the window of the truck, "Stop that!"

Every so often a real cool customer will walk up and press it just once....an act of faith. Encouraging.

:smile:
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I had a conversation with an electrician doing some work on a lighting control box and asked him a few questions like this.... He let me in on a little fact - some of the buttons are not even connected to anything at all - the pole can come with them pre-installed.... And often the ones on larger streets with busier intersections the lighting is timed - and therefore interruption of this timing block to block would freeze traffic to a stand-still - so those ones too - if even connected - do not operate at all, or change the light any faster no matter how many times it is pushed. Some even have a feature of a red LED or sound as feed-back that you pushed the button - but will not change the light any faster - it is just there as a placebo - that calming effect that you did something, and the machine will re-act. That said, on some roads with less traffic priority they actually do operate...
 
e57 said:
....He let me in on a little fact - some of the buttons are not even connected to anything at all - the pole can come with them pre-installed........it is just there as a placebo - that calming effect...
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I once was asked to install some fake plastic security cameras. So I did.

I never went back to ask if they had a calming effect.

:cool:
 
quogueelectric said:
How many times a winter do I see the thermostat on 90* after repeatedly explaining to everyone in the house that it doesnt heat any faster than if you put it on 70. Same gene. I do yell "Stop that " but in the living room.
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Actually, you may be wrong...

http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-thermostat2.htm

Aside from that, are you sure 70? is the target temperature of those who set it to 90??
 
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Do you need to be a real electrician to install fake plastic cameras? Aren't you taking work away from those fake plactic electricians? Just curious...
 
G0049 said:
Do you need to be a real electrician to install fake plastic cameras? Aren't you taking work away from those fake plactic electricians? Just curious...
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A plastic electrician can install fake plastic cameras, as long as the plastic electrician is standing on top step of a plastic ladder. :D
 
frizbeedog said:
Does mashing the button at the crosswalk, repeatedly, cause the lights to change faster?

It's genetic I'm sure of it. When I see it I feel like shouting out the window of the truck, "Stop that!"

Every so often a real cool customer will walk up and press it just once....an act of faith. Encouraging.

:smile:
Click to expand...

I always push it two or three times. Not to speed the request but just in case a single push did not actually make contact. (and I was a traffic signal technician for years).

These are an example of poor design in that no feedback is provided to the user. If a light came on saying "activation accepted" or "walk pending" etc. then I would only push it once :grin:
 
The one thing worse then having someone push all the buttons in a elevator car is a rider deciding to open the inner doors while the car is in motion, which resulted in it coming to a halt :( then a short timeout before the car started moving again, this incident happened to me somewhere between the lobby and the 23rd floor at 2 Shell Plaza in Houston,and no I was not the one who did it .....:D



BTW it did have all of us spooked.
 
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