What are those lights that flash when you’re supposed to cross the street really called?
We didn’t have them in West Virginia (my county didn’t even have a red light), so I never really knew what they are called.
I’ve been calling them “walk lights” but apparently that sounds stupid to most people.
I did a google search for “walk light” and came up with these things:
“Street light” returned these:
“Cross light” gave me a bunch of these:
Pedestrian signals?
Mukade
Woah! You are right. I’ve never heard that term in my life, but google agrees with you:
That’s what I was talking about. Thanks so much!
OK . . . I’m not falling for this a second time. You’re joking, right?
Will O’Ban
No. I haven’t been able to find out what they’re called until today. It’s been bothering me because I knew they had a real name but I didn’t know it and I use them every day here…
Finally . . . something you’re serious about. :roll:
Will O’Ban
PS: How ya feelin’? [Don’t worry about answering – that’s just a rhetorical question.]
Crossing signals?
pedestrian lights?
I would say that the signals referred to fall under the general category of pedestrian signals. I have always called the light in question the “walk light”. The more general term “pedestrian signals” refers to the “don’t walk light” as well. We all know what a “stop light” is, but it is also a traffic signal. You do need to make the distinction between a “stop light” and a “red light”, however.
I have seen those before but they never stay on long enough to walk to the other side. Around here we call them RUN lights.
Not to be confused with:
or this:
I cant believe i actally know this, 
Pelican crossing! There is also “toucan” and “puffin” crossings.
It has something to do with the lettering (pedestian (something something) automated(something) etc, etc)!
I learned about this when i was doing some obscure BMS or PLC course! Obviously it really interested me! 
Yay! You are all so smart! Thanks!
Not in the dialect(s) of West Virginia. A red light can be green or yellow, and it’s still called a red light.
I was thinking about the red lights where you would be better off if you didn’t stop.
Lost drunk calling a friend to pick him up:
“I am at the corner of walk and don’t walk.”
The magnificent “city” of Portage Michigan has a pedestrian light with a noise maker for the sake of the blind. Unfortunately it’s out where no pedestrians ever go. Makes sense to me.
There’s quite a few of those in Toronto. Took me a while to figure out what the noise was for. Some places have a recorded voice that says “Walk” or “Don’t Walk”.
djm
Yaaay!
I was going to post (before you beat me to it), why doesn’t the USA cater for bind pedestrians? Almost every pedestrian crossing has no audible signal, but in the UK they all do. Useful for distracted tourists who are looking everywhere at once except at the little green man.
This was one of the many minor culture shocks I had in the States - so I used to put my own sound effects in.
we live in an area with a high percentage of blind people (we have a major school/training/work center near us).
All of our crossings have a noise generator (although some of them have a button to push to get the noise to come on). Many of our crossings are also made of raised strips or bricks so that the blind can “feel” these with their canes. And we have numerous warning signs posted.
Almost all of the restaurants have braille menus, etc.