Big problem! How do you make traffic lights change?

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:57 am

I found out my buddy and I don't weigh enough for the pressure/magnetic plates/wires! I sat through several cycles at several lights until I finally had to run the red's! That can't be how it is from now on. I'll wind up with a bunch of tickets lickity-split.

Only once did another car come up behind me. But they were considerate and stayed well behind me. After a couple light-cycles, I motioned for her to get closer to me (another MSF violation). She looked confused. So after another couple cycles, I had to get off my bike and walk over and tell her the problem. Then she moved up closer and the light finally changed. How many other laws/rules did I just break for that stunt?

Help!

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:58 am

I just run them.

I've actually had cops tell me to do that.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:58 am

viewtopic.php?t=4468&highlight=trip+lights

check that out for some info

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:06 am

MikieTaps wrote:viewtopic.php?t=4468&highlight=trip+lights

check that out for some info

Thanks for the link. I had no idea how to phrase a search for the info. I'll give some of those techniques a try next time.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:11 am

yeah searching is kind of hit and miss... youll get the hang of it

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:04 am

Wait a reasonable ammount of time... then look both ways and run it

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:23 am

reasonable like 2.5 seconds?

Smiziley · Post by **Smiziley** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:34 am

Big Problem? Small Solution!
http://kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BX084PC-BLK

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:38 am

another solution... less legal

http://www.themirt.com/

Smiziley · Post by **Smiziley** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:43 am

$400? are 120 seconds or less really worth that much?!

irishtim · Post by **irishtim** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:24 am

I bounce up and down on the scoot over the sensor. This works 90% of the time.

schlagle · Post by **schlagle** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:53 am

Ok, i volunteer to do a nude interpretive dance about how to trip the sensors.

It will be very tasteful I swear. And since this question comes up every 2.5 seconds (an eternity to miketaps apparently

) i'm sure to get the exposure I need to kickstart my broadway career.

Either that or the entire board loses it's lunch in a precision vomitting incident immediately following the viewing of said video.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:13 am

irishtim wrote:I bounce up and down on the scoot over the sensor. This works 90% of the time.

I tried that with no luck. I just got a lot of strange looks from people. It also wouldn't work if it was a magnetic detection switch. It would only work if it was weight based. Judging from the responses, I'm assuming all the switches are magnetic rather than weight.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:13 am

yeah they are magnetic... if you watch a car pull over it... there is no weight on the actual sensor, all the weight is on the 4 wheels around the sensor, not on it.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:06 am

I have yet to hear of someone who's had much success with mounting magnets on their scooters.

addictionriot · Post by **addictionriot** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:20 pm

I tried the kick stand.. that didnt work. There are always 2 lights that never trip for me.. Needless to say I always find a way to get through them.

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:33 pm

The only problem with those rare earth (neodymium) magnets is that after a day's scooting it takes at least an hour to remove all of the nuts, bolts, manhole covers and Priuses you've accumulated.

-Charlie

Piedmont · Post by **Piedmont** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:41 pm

Something that I do that no one has mentioned , and have heard works for others, is to kill your engine and start back up. It works most of the time on the lights in my neighborhood (when I remember to do it!).

louie · Post by **louie** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:56 pm

i've said this before but not gotten response to it...
i put the battery over the corner of the strips where they intersect several times. the thought is the battery has metal and the intersection of strips are concentrated so some connection is made.
whatever is happening lights change at all the lights except one that i avoid.

KidDynomite · Post by **KidDynomite** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:34 pm

I do a series of things which has a 100% success rate. If you go through this list, you will get through the light.

1) Pull up and stand with my right leg supporting the scoot and use my left leg to lower the center stand so that it is touching the ground until the light changes.

2) Pull forward as far as safely possible and waving the car behind me to pull up so their engine is over the sensor.

3) If no other car(s) around, run the damn thing.

sunshinen · Post by **sunshinen** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:30 pm

I pull up over the center crack in the pavement where the sensor is, hold the brake, and rev my engine. This works on all the lights around me.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:01 pm

The sensitivity of the sensor is also adjustable. If there is one intersection locally that is more of a problem than others, you might try reporting same to your road and traffic light maintenance folks.

KidDynomite · Post by **KidDynomite** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:10 pm

Dooglas wrote:The sensitivity of the sensor is also adjustable. If there is one intersection locally that is more of a problem than others, you might try reporting same to your road and traffic light maintenance folks.

I got a good laugh out of this one.

I'm sure you're not familiar with Kansas City Department of Transportation and their lack of responsiveness. We're lucky if they put a flashing light up when they've cut a monsterous hole in the road. I'm not kidding either. The water department was working on a busted pipe in the road and that night (and for far too many afterwords) there was a two foot by four foot by about 9 inches deep hole in the ground completely unmarked. I nailed it with my truck and was just glad I wasn't on my scoot. I'd have been launched over the handle bars for sure!

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:16 pm

"You don't wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner Dottie, a REBEL"

PEE WEES BIG ADVENTURE!!!!

Piedmont · Post by **Piedmont** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:19 pm

I'm sure you're not familiar with Kansas City Department of Transportation and their lack of responsiveness.

No shit. Though to be fair, they do cop to their own mistakes. I had a friend who's car was in her words "swallowed Land of the Lost style" by a giant crater. A call to the city and they admitted that it should have been covered and paid for the damage.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:14 pm

No shit. Though to be fair, they do cop to their own mistakes. I had a friend who's car was in her words "swallowed Land of the Lost style" by a giant crater. A call to the city and they admitted that it should have been covered and paid for the damage.

At least KC owns up. One night in St. Louis (Clayton) I hit a 2 foot diameter pothole (10" deep) with my car that blew my tire and destroyed my rim and alignment. It also dented/cracked my front bumper and scratched up my splash guard beyond recognition. I was lucky it didn't take out my whole front end. It was a pothole that they knew about and had started work on. But they never marked it when they stopped construction that day. I took photos and left repeated phone messages. They never returned my calls. I then sent two certified letters. They never responded. I think it had to do with a law they had on the books that they weren't responsible for damage due to potholes and you couldn't sue them over it.

MarsR · Post by **MarsR** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:10 pm

To say that traffic light sensors are magnetic isn't exactly accurate. They do use a little electromagnetic theory, but in reality they are more like giant metal detectors. A coil of wire embedded in the road acts like an inductor, the inductance of which increases when a car drives over it. That's why the sensitivity of these things can be adjusted.

See article in HowStuffWorks

There's not really a lot you can do to trigger these things if the sensitivty is set too low other than to just put as much metal as you can in the center of the sensor.

docutech · Post by **docutech** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:24 pm

I just jump off my scoot, and hit the magic button:

sotied · Post by **sotied** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:33 pm

docutech wrote:I just jump off my scoot, and hit the magic button:

The pose you're holding while taking the photo reminds me of ballet lessons. Oh, wait, I never took ballet.

Well, it looks like you're ready to jump in the air and twiddle your feet.

Nice photo.

chancerbeans13 · Post by **chancerbeans13** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:36 pm

Maybe it's the metal plate in my head (ha), but I didn't have a single problem making the lights change this mornng here in Jacksonville.

Threegoofs · Post by **Threegoofs** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:38 pm

I usually do a right turn on red, go 100 yards, and pull a U turn and go back to the original intersection. Something tells me that this is easier than explaining to the local law enforcement officer why I ran a red.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:50 pm

Threegoofs wrote:I usually do a right turn on red, go 100 yards, and pull a U turn and go back to the original intersection. Something tells me that this is easier than explaining to the local law enforcement officer why I ran a red.

Yeah, but he/she might not listen to your excuse for making a u turn. Heere's your sign!

I just look and go when its obvious it isn't going to change. I'm a ballsy rebel, though.

Dennis

StL_Stadtroller · Post by **StL_Stadtroller** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:03 pm

I remain skeptical of the "green light trigger" devices. Like someone said before me... the sensors are basically metal detectors, which yeah, use the principals of magneticism.. but I've yet to see anyone off proof that they are effect by another magnetic field and not (ferrous) metal.

Here's an experiment to try... take one of the big magnet trigger things.. find a deserted intersection... and WALK the thing out there and set/hold it near the ground... does it trigger the light?

I don't know of any state which does NOT have something in the drivers manual about malfunctioning lights and how you're allowed to go through after making a complete stop and checking for traffic...

Just run the damned thing! (sung to the tune of "throw a kit on the bitch!")

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:51 pm

docutech wrote:I just jump off my scoot, and hit the magic button:

Crosswalk buttons are often useless. Most of the ones in NYC were deactivated when they swapped to computer-timed signals: http://tinyurl.com/2ufb8
This is true for many cities. Look around and you'll find reports from several cities that a significant percentage of their buttons are essentially placebos. Of those which are not placebos, some only work in certain times of the day or even certain times of the year (by design). And if one breaks? Well, they often don;t know when they're broken, and when they are aware of it, the buttons frequently stay that way for long periods of time. Or forever.

There are a few high-pedestrian areas around LA and surrounding cities where I know the buttons do work—you hit them and the opposite light quickly goes to yellow. But these are few and far between.

Many individuals who have timed light intervals at intersections they frequent have found no difference when using the buttons.