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Traffic lights

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weasley
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PostPosted: 07:52 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are inductive sensors (“metal detectors”) rather than weight. It can help to try go to one side or the other. Some have reported success with having a strong magnet on the underside of the engine.
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ThunderGuts
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PostPosted: 09:25 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

I ride both engine and human powered two wheel vehicles; as a cyclist my biggest irritation is road users who flout the laws, especially other cyclists (they don't all do this, but people tend to notice the ones that do). I have encountered the induction loop problem at traffic lights myself and did some research; pretty sure it's legal to creep forwards and progress if it's clear if the traffic lights aren't working correctly (and not registering your vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle or anything else - horses presumably too, would count as this).

Next time you're at a set of lights that aren't registering you, take a look at the top of the post the lights are on to see if there's a little black box (it's an MVD, microwave vehicle detector); these will pick up any road user and trigger the lights, but they can get defective / knocked out of alignment etc., so if there's one there a quick note to the highway authority will usually get them to look at it.
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Sister Sledge
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PostPosted: 10:13 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

As has been said they're actually metal detectors in the road.
Workmen cut a slot in the shape you see. They then feel a loop of wire through the slot and to the lights mechanism in the roadside cabinet. The wires are covered over with plain tar which is what you see.
Obviously them failing to detect smaller things such as motorcycles or bicycles is more to do with the smaller magnetic 'footprint' that the vehicle type has.
Those wires buried into the road can get damaged too - it stops them working but I'm sure they use the top box as a back-up?

In the past I've walked to a pedestrian crossing button, pressed it and set the lights sequence off that way.
On a remote quiet road and lights not registering you, I think a fair polis would allow for a careful red light pass.
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 10:25 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop with your machine directly over one of the sides of the square or rhomboid sensor.

Edit: the sides that run in line or nearly so with the road, not the ones going across it.


Last edited by Riejufixing on 10:48 - 14 Jan 2019; edited 1 time in total
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UnknownStuntm...
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PostPosted: 10:39 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Re: Traffic lights Reply with quote

Travis Bickle wrote:
I assume cyclist are all too familiar with it (but then why should it bother them as they don't have to obey the same road laws as us right?)...
Brilliant. Rolling Eyes
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M.C
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PostPosted: 11:42 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Re: Traffic lights Reply with quote

UnknownStuntman wrote:
Travis Bickle wrote:
I assume cyclist are all too familiar with it (but then why should it bother them as they don't have to obey the same road laws as us right?)...
Brilliant. Rolling Eyes

I do stop at lights (well 99% of the time) when cycling but it grinds my gears when I'm ready to launch and a cyclist filters to the front and stops right in-front of me, particularity when I'm in lane 2 Thinking

Err the original issue is part of the fun of being a biker. Wait until you're at a car park with a big line of cars behind, and the barrier won't activate for you Embarassed
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 15:50 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some people used to put a magnet off an old speaker on their sidestand.

Pushing the button on the crossing usually makes lights cycle.

It IS illegal to drive through a red light. Even if noone is there and it's stuck on red. However, who is there to catch you?

It is not illegal for a pedestrian to go through a red light. So my solution has always been to get off and push through the junction then get back on again and ride off.
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UnknownStuntm...
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PostPosted: 17:58 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
It is not illegal for a pedestrian to go through a red light. So my solution has always been to get off and push through the junction then get back on again and ride off.

https://youtu.be/anmLCEtOmK4
Lols had by all.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 18:07 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

That video is beautiful but it needs more police in it for maximum lulz. Mr. Green
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 20:02 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought even if you're pushing a bike you're still legally in charge of a vehicle and subject to the rules? I think I read that here once.
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ThatDippyTwat
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PostPosted: 20:09 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
I thought even if you're pushing a bike you're still legally in charge of a vehicle and subject to the rules? I think I read that here once.


Not with the key out of the ignition.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 20:10 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

The lights coming out of Duxford War Museum don't respond to the bike so I've had to turn left against a red light twice recently. At my old place of work the Kawasaki would trigger the barrier to rise but the Yamaha never would, despite positioning the bike in various places in the box or putting the side stand on a line. This used to annoy the security guards who would have to stand up, walk 5 paces and flick a switch. Laughing If there was a new guy on we'd have to go through the, "twist the throttle and roll forward," mime. I'd have to do it a couple of times and then do a Daily Mail Sad Face (as far as the visor would allow) until he understood.
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Travis Bickle This post is not being displayed because the poster is banned. Unhide this post / all posts.

Ste
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PostPosted: 23:15 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about speed limits?
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M.C
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PostPosted: 23:15 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Travis Bickle wrote:
ThunderGuts wrote:
I ride both engine and human powered two wheel vehicles; as a cyclist my biggest irritation is road users who flout the laws, especially other cyclists (they don't all do this, but people tend to notice the ones that do).


This is true, there's good in bad in all groups and it's not fair to tar everyone in a certain group with the same brush, no matter how tempting it is! However you don't see any other type of road user [i]routinely[/]i flouting the laws. Only cyclist. And while it may only be 10%, 25% or whatever, that's still significantly more than the 0.1% of every other type of road user.

Around here red seems to mean one more car floors it through Confused I don't doubt cyclists jump more traffic lights, but they seem to do it a lot more safely than a car booting it through, or not seeing/CBA stopping for a light. Being vulnerable makes it somewhat self-regulating.

Stuff like one-ways yeah they're often flouted, but a lot of drivers don't realise there's often an exception for cyclists, and try to drive at you Evil or Very Mad Also note cars/bikers make mistakes and go the wrong way down one-way streets, you normally don't drive at them.

Having done loads of all three (driving, cycling, motorcycling) cyclists have to put up with more shit and are treated worse than the other way round IMO. Still bloody cyclists Very Happy
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ljw
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PostPosted: 23:29 - 14 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Travis Bickle wrote:
However you don't see any other type of road user routinely flouting the laws. Only cyclist.


Bullshit. I see all kinds of road users routinely speeding, accelerating at amber lights, if not actually skipping red lights, on mobile phone at the wheel, etc, etc. I'm surprised you've not noticed the same, being in the top 1% of observant drivers and all?
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thx1138
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PostPosted: 01:51 - 15 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

used to happen a lot in Shoreham-by-Sea / Southwick border under the railway tunnel

if there was no traffic at night, I'd run the red light, otherwise I'd ride past the white line, and hope that the car behind would pull up behind me and trigger the lights to change.


Oh, and I cycle for a living. There are eejits using all modes of transport, but I do see both cyclists and cars run red lights all day long, worse in rush hour, usually when I'm waiting at a Toucan crossing several cars will run the red lights.
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UnknownStuntm...
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PostPosted: 11:05 - 15 Jan 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Travis Bickle wrote:
This copper pulls me over for running an amber light once and asks why I didn't stop. I said it was because I was going too fast. After he stopped rolling on the floor trying to stop his sides from splitting he let me go with a warning.

Rolling Eyes
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