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Traffic Lights

2

Comments

  • #32
    flyguy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭flyguy


    In some countries (like Netherlands) they don't have red/amber before green 'cause it would actually increase the wait time. There's some sort of legal minimum time between other traffic light going red and yours going green. The red/amber would legally not "count" as red so it can only come on at the same time the green light comes on now, so no saving only time wasted. Dunno if similar rule applies in Ireland/other countries.
    Btw whatsup with not having your car in 1st gear if your waiting at the lights? Your clutch that heavy? If you're 1st (or 2nd if you're slow) in the queue at the lights you should be in gear and ready to go... It's been a while but during my (Dutch) driving lessons I always had to have the right gear approaching lights to go straight away and be in 1st if waiting @red lights...


  • #33
    Heroditas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,354 ✭✭✭✭Heroditas


    I'm almost certain we used to have the red -> amber -> green sequence many moons ago like in the UK but it was changed to the present system simply because people jumped the gun on amber.
    My father used to always lament the dropping of the old system.


  • #34
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,161 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    I say we should have F1 style traffic lights.

    Five red lights and go go go!!!!



    Oh and I'll agree that here amber means put your foot down!! On the loud pedal that is...


  • #35
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    flyguy wrote: »
    Btw whatsup with not having your car in 1st gear if your waiting at the lights?

    I don't like leaving my car in 1st whilst sitting at lights because the clutch grinds which could probably result in wear and tear in the long run. I take it out of gear. Put the handbrake on and wait... wait... wait... wait....


  • #36
    Heroditas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,354 ✭✭✭✭Heroditas


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    I don't like leaving my car in 1st whilst sitting at lights because the clutch grinds which could probably result in wear and tear in the long run. I take it out of gear. Put the handbrake on and wait... wait... wait... wait....


    You should get your clutch checked if it's grinding. :confused:


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  • #37
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    Heroditas wrote: »
    You should get your clutch checked if it's grinding. :confused:

    It's not grinding... what I meant was I'd be very wary of leaving my car in gear at lights and pumping the clutch. Wouldn't it wear the clutch down? I just don't like doing it.


  • #38
    Wossack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭Wossack


    if you're 'pumping the clutch', probably


  • #39
    saiint
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,010 ✭✭✭saiint


    their are a few lights that go from red-amber-green in ireland, in dublin!
    i know of 3 of them on the way to angier st from sandymount
    makes no difference
    everyone shoots as soon as it goes amber
    it also gos green-amber-red
    people speed up if its going amber then red haha so they dont have to stop
    stupid system i think
    should just be green red


  • #40
    BrensBenz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭BrensBenz


    Merkin wrote: »
    Wouldn't it make people put the pedal to the metal on amber though?

    Yep! Some would launch on amber but the grannies would still wait for green......as is the case in UK now.


  • #41
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    Wossack wrote: »
    if you're 'pumping the clutch', probably

    Pumping the clutch is also another way of saying if your car is in gear but you're stopped you have to keep the clutch half pressed down to keep it from moving back or forward.

    It doesn't literally mean pumping it up and down... who does that?! I'm really not silly.


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  • #42
    stevenmu
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    Pumping the clutch is also another way of saying if your car is in gear but you're stopped you have to keep the clutch half pressed down to keep it from moving back or forward.

    It doesn't literally mean pumping it up and down... who does that?! I'm really not silly.
    That's "riding the clutch". Pumping the clutch is literally pumping it up and down.

    Riding the clutch is very bad for it and will wear it out. You could stay in gear and keep the clutch pedal fully pushed in.


  • #43
    Heroditas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,354 ✭✭✭✭Heroditas


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    Pumping the clutch is also another way of saying if your car is in gear but you're stopped you have to keep the clutch half pressed down to keep it from moving back or forward.

    It doesn't literally mean pumping it up and down... who does that?! I'm really not silly.



    Words fail me.


  • #44
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    stevenmu wrote: »
    That's "riding the clutch". Pumping the clutch is literally pumping it up and down.

    Riding the clutch is very bad for it and will wear it out. You could stay in gear and keep the clutch pedal fully pushed in.

    ok, riding the clutch... apologies for getting the terminology wrong. Although, where I come from it's called pumping the clutch.

    I don't want to stay in gear and keep the clutch pedal fully pushed in. It tends to hurt my foot after a while. I like my method just fine.


  • #45
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    Heroditas wrote: »
    Words fail me.

    ??? Not sure I understand this....


  • #46
    jester77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Back in the 1920's a group of Irish lads in a New York suburb were not pleased that the British red was displayed above the Irish green when the first traffic light was installed, so they managed to convince the city to hang it upside down.


  • #47
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 31,707 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    How come it goes: Green - Amber - Red and then from Red - Green?

    Wouldn't it be a great idea to have red - amber - green. It'd give all the aul grannies a chance to get their car in gear and not be holding up traffic on the GO!

    Cease with the 'aul grannies' stuff! There are loads of dozy yokes on the roads, it doesn't mean they are grannies.


  • #48
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    looksee wrote: »
    Cease with the 'aul grannies' stuff! There are loads of dozy yokes on the roads, it doesn't mean they are grannies.

    I didn't literally mean grannies - I meant the collective of nervous drivers. Apologies and clarification.


  • #49
    Wossack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭Wossack


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    ok, riding the clutch... apologies for getting the terminology wrong. Although, where I come from it's called pumping the clutch.

    I don't want to stay in gear and keep the clutch pedal fully pushed in. It tends to hurt my foot after a while. I like my method just fine.

    yea, riding/slipping/pumping the clutch aint great for it unfortunately

    and yea, if it starts to hurt your foot after a while, having the clutch fully pressed, you may tend to ease up on the pedal, which again will mean riding the clutch (slightly)


  • #50
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    How come it goes: Green - Amber - Red and then from Red - Green?

    Wouldn't it be a great idea to have red - amber - green. It'd give all the aul grannies a chance to get their car in gear and not be holding up traffic on the GO!

    Great idea, and I say this as somebody who has driven in Britain a lot. The main advantage would be extra 'Green time', as currently the green time is greatly reduced by people taking off their handbrakes, getting into gear, and just thinking about moving, while slowly moving off :))

    I wonder when did we got rid of the extra Amber? or was it never part of our traffic light sequence in the ROI?


  • #51
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    LordSutch wrote: »
    Great idea, and I say this as somebody who has driven in Britain a lot. The main advantage would be extra 'Green time', as currently the green time is greatly reduced by people taking off their handbrakes, getting into gear, and just thinking about moving, while slowly moving off :))

    I wonder when did we got rid of the extra Amber? or was it never part of our traffic light sequence in the ROI?

    I'd like to know that too. Did we really have the extra amber here and if so, when? It's real interesting, if we did have it, that it was decided to get rid of. Kind of along the same lines as: clocks go back, clocks go forward thing.


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  • #52
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Too many American advisors probably....
    In other words, copy the Yanks and not the Brits.


  • #53
    Pacly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 99 ✭✭Pacly


    I love the road-work traffic lights that have a timer that counts down to green.

    Makes me feel like im at the start of a race!


  • #54
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    Pacly wrote: »
    I love the road-work traffic lights that have a timer that counts down to green.

    Makes me feel like im at the start of a race!

    Never seen those but they sound like fun!


  • #55
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    saiint wrote: »
    their are a few lights that go from red-amber-green in ireland, in dublin!
    i know of 3 of them on the way to angier st from sandymount

    What :eek:

    You mean that there are traffic lights here in the ROI with the UK sequence still programmed?

    I know the lights are made in England, but surely they are re programmed when they are planted here?
    I find it hard to believe that some lights here have to UK sequencing (extra amber) while most don't?

    I must take a drive out to sandymount some day :)


  • #56
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    LordSutch wrote: »
    What :eek:

    I KNOW! Someone call Adams, he'll be incensed I'm sure. British sequencing... IN IRELAND? Never, not on our watch!!!

    [it is kind of weird though]


  • #57
    Heroditas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,354 ✭✭✭✭Heroditas


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    ??? Not sure I understand this....


    It's probably just as well.


  • #58
    Pippy1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭Pippy1976


    Heroditas wrote: »
    It's probably just as well.

    It was probably something to do with you thinking I was a dumbass! However, I'm not so benefit of the doubt should prevail.

    Thanks!


  • #59
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Pacly wrote: »
    I love the road-work traffic lights that have a timer that counts down to green.

    Makes me feel like im at the start of a race!
    They give you an incentive to just go on the red if the other way is clear and the countdown says 56 seconds.


  • #60
    pcardin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,221 ✭✭✭pcardin


    Pippy1976 wrote: »
    If you get people to slow down (amber) before the red then why can't you get people to get ready (amber) for the green.

    Where, in Ireland?!? :eek:


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  • #61
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Can anyone clarify when/what year we dropped the second amber (before the green)?


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