In the book DOS for Dummies, there was a tongue-in-cheek sidebar that stated: "If you press the command key repeatedly, DOS will sense your urgency and move the data along faster. Hint: This also works for crosswalk signals and elevator call buttons." People were even more gullible about technology in 1991 than they are today, as if that's even possible.

Nobody presses the button more than once because they think it’ll change the lights faster, it’s done out of sheer impatience.

When working at a traffic signal and I saw someone push the button more than once, I would always tell them that when you press a second time it turns the call off. It is really funny watching people trying to figure out how many times they pushed the button. Lol.

I get out of my car to push the button on those long lights 😂❤

I have a cross walk in my town that will change the wait message the more times you press the button in one cycle. The crosswalk connects two neighborhood parks together. I think the person that man’s that light was giving the kids something to do while they were waiting for the light to turn.

Pres-and-hold, however, does have some interesting easter eggs. It can provide alternate languages, alternate voices, or you can upload your own audio... They're a lot of fun.

I lived in Fort Worth Texas in the 1980s and they actually USED the state of the art technology in Traffic lights. They calibrated their traffic lights so that if you pull up to a red light and there is no cross traffic, it would be 3, 2, 1, GREEN. Same with turn arrows. If nobody was turning across your lane then your side would turn green even if your side's turn lane was still turning across the oncoming lanes. It only makes perfect sense. NOWHERE else in the US calibrates their signals....with the possible exception of Chicago. California....Colorado.....NOBODY calibrates their traffic signals. Oh....we tax payers paid for the technology.....it's in the box......but no cities actually uses the features that I know are in the signal box. In a large metropolitan area like any major city....it is SHOCKING at this late date that they don't engage the modern features that we KNOW is in the equipment. It's appalling.

What if you press and hold it? Sometimes it will switch languages.

We know but it gives us something to do before we can’t take it anymore and jay walk across 6 lanes of traffic.

Now imagine a passive-aggressive traffic control system: It makes you wait longer every time you push their buttons ;)

I’m thinking of writing a logic statement so when you push the button so many times in a certain sequence (like that old KZfaq video on how to change traffic lights), it would actually force off the lights and give you a walk sign. Obviously it would be a lab experiment only!

Definitely looks like Downtown Gulfport!

WAIT!

That system look fairly modern, is it the same for older systems?

You should explain what some of the acronyms are, such as CCU

Thats cool and all. But can yall just start making sure all the lights turn red & stay red when & till a pedestrian pushes the button to cross the road. Theres always one light thats green & its always a light that allows cars to run over pedestrians. & have flasher indicators that drivers can actually see for when pedestrians cross. Crosswalks are NOT safe.

I absolutely hate when people spam the crosswalk button, but this seems like a really poor design choice. So if a second person walks up and presses the button, the light won't change? I'm 99% sure it doesn't work that way in BC, Canada, as I've seen multiple people press the button and never seen it not change.