Traffic Lights that don't give u your turn

[FEINT]

I was at the lights today in town and I was first at the lights and no cages behind me, the lights never came round to letting me turn.!! :brick: :brick:

I understand that they work on a weight sensor and bikes aren't heavy enough, but what do most of you do?

After waiting for two rounds, I was getting pretty frustrated. :angry2: So I just turned..... :spudwhat:

:done:

[bugjuice]

a lot of bikes don't set the sensors off. Some newer lights that have been put in recently are starting to be more sensative to bikes. What hacks me off more is when cars do pull up behind you, but stop so far back that they don't touch the sensors at all, so we're all sat there waiting!!

I once heard that it's *ok* if you let the lights go thru 3 cycles and hasn't let you go, to then proceed with extreme caution, else you could be there all day.. Most of the time, it's late at night when there's no cars around anyway - that's why you're stuck, right? Can be frustrating.. just be careful around them tho.. Might be safer to turn left regardless of where you want to go, then if you have to, choose a safe spot to spin round and head back if you were turning right. That way, you're not passing 2 lanes to carry on..

[duckman]

I Might be wrong but I thought the sensors were magnetic based. I've found that if the lights dont pick you up the first time just pull the clutch in and change from neutral to 1st and back again.

This seems to work but more than likely it's just a way to waste some time until a cage turns up and sets it off.

Can anyone confirm this ?????

[James Deuce]

As you approach the stop, look for a grid pattern on the road, about half a car length long, just before the double white lines. Make sure you stop directly over one of these lines, and if it misses a phase, rev the snot out of the bike. That should trip the magnetic induction loop.

[jrandom]

If not tripping the inductive loop bothers you, ride a motorcycle that has lots and lots of iron in it. An old shovelhead Hardley or summat might do the trick.

Me, I just run the red light.

[strayjuliet]

Don't ya hate that? I've come accross the same thing only i was on a pushbike, lol but it would mostly do it when I was in a hurry and it was late at night and on a friday night, oh yeah and pouring with rain, so was it not only cold, dark, and wet, but when most party-goers were out clubbing and can see you sitting there waiting and waiting etc etc. In the end I would give up and go unless I wanted to go straight then I would go press the buzzer, that usually worked.

[ManDownUnder]

get off your bike, walk over and push the pedestrian crossing button... get back on your bike... often sets off a change in the lights and you go next.

Sometimes it lets the ped cross then flicks back to where it was though...

[BNZ]

Just do a stoppie onto the pad, that should trigger the weight sensor!

[jrandom]

I like to think of red light running as a special type of filtering that's just a bit less socially acceptable, so I only do it late at night when nobody's watching.

[jrandom]

Just do a stoppie onto the pad, that should trigger the weight sensor!

It's quite a short thread for you to have not actually *read* it before posting, don't you think?

:eyepoke:

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Everything you want to know is in here.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=8362&page=1&pp=15
You will note this thread started on lights but read on and Allun explains the traffic lights and how they work.

[Maximus]

I Might be wrong but I thought the sensors were magnetic based. I've found that if the lights dont pick you up the first time just pull the clutch in and change from neutral to 1st and back again.

This seems to work but more than likely it's just a way to waste some time until a cage turns up and sets it off.

Can anyone confirm this ?????

I've heard this before, cant remember if it's correct or not tho, sorry, not much help really. :spudwhat:

[Wolf]

get off your bike, walk over and push the pedestrian crossing button... get back on your bike... often sets off a change in the lights and you go next.

Sometimes it lets the ped cross then flicks back to where it was though...
Mate of mine always used to do the crossing light thing. One night he was on the back of my bike when the lights wouldn't change. He jumps off, races over to the crossing, hits the button, turns to sprint back, slips on a loose dusting of gravel or something, lands on his arse on the footpath, lights change to green, he gets to his feet but the lights are red again before he gets back to the bike, so we're stuck at the lights waiting for them to change again.

Why didn't I take the chance and go through and wait on the other side? You farkin' try driving and pissing yourself, mate, see how well you do...

[bugjuice]

Just do a stoppie onto the pad, that should trigger the weight sensor!
burn-outs sometimes work too, but I'm not saying how I know..

[BNZ]

It's quite a short thread for you to have not actually *read* it before posting, don't you think?

:eyepoke:

I read it. Show me where I went wrong?

[vifferman]

I read it. Show me where I went wrong?
The sensors are inductive loop types: an iron-rich object passing over the loop buried in the road creates a current in the loop (or not, as in this case!) that trips a relay in the traffic light controller, to let it know there's a vehicle there. Nothing to do with pressure, so while a stoppie might be entertaining, it would be ineffective. Sorry...

[vifferman]

burn-outs sometimes work too, but I'm not saying how I know..
Intuition, obviously? :spudwhat:
But it wouldn't work if you had too much alloy/not enough steel in your back wheel....

[Lou Girardin]

Red light? Stopping?
Isn't that an oxymoron?

[ManDownUnder]

Red light? Stopping?
Isn't that an oxymoron?

Nah, that's the guy sniffing the gas torch with the Acetylene turned off...

[Wolf]

Red light? Stopping?
Isn't that an oxymoron?
Around here it pays to stop at the lights no matter what the coulour is - you've still got a pretty good chance that someone is going to cross your path even if you've got the green.

Lately its been busses thundering by just as the light goes green and you're about to go...

[bugjuice]

Intuition, obviously? :spudwhat:
But it wouldn't work if you had too much alloy/not enough steel in your back wheel....
no idea.. heats up..? :spudwhat:
I'll try it on the way home tonight, see if I can attract some bods to figure it out. Mean time, for those travelling down Queen Street, there may be a delay until we can figure it out..

[pyrocam]

Nah, that's the guy sniffing the gas torch with the Acetylene turned off...


Rofl.

Ussually I try and stop ahead of the white lines a bit so a car and come up and trigger it.
The ST Lukes interesection was the worst. I was there for 3 cycles before doing a U'e and going another way.
I like the engine revving idea, will try. I have a small bike though so even that may not be enough

[James Deuce]

Rofl.

Ussually I try and stop ahead of the white lines a bit so a car and come up and trigger it.
The ST Lukes interesection was the worst. I was there for 3 cycles before doing a U'e and going another way.
I like the engine revving idea, will try. I have a small bike though so even that may not be enough
You can potentially get ticketed for stopping past those lines. Make sure you don't do blatantly in front of the wrong "people" ;).

[Ixion]

If you encounter this in orkland, contact Auckland City Council (3792020) and tell them. The things are adjustable. The operators *do* understand the issue. They raise a call for the contractor to look at it. You just need to tell them what light it is (make sure you specify straight ahead, right turn etc. Sometimes one direction is OK others aren't). The contractor bod will call you back .

They really are quite good about it, so call them if there is a problem.

[TwoSeven]

CHch is quite bad for it after rush hour when the lights switch from timed to manual. Normally if I see the square patch I ride over it and bounce up and down on the bike (some of them are weight triggered), or I have to wait for a car.

What i've started doing now is walking over to the pedestrian crossing and pushing the appropriate button.

[pyrocam]

You can potentially get ticketed for stopping past those lines. Make sure you don't do blatantly in front of the wrong "people" ;).

I was wondering about that. I spose It would be silly for me to assume I would be fine.

then again its such a random occurence for me I might as well just obey the road rules until it happens.

:killingme: hahaha Obey the road rules :killingme:

*cough. of course I do, at ALL times.

[FEINT]

The intersection that I was stuck at was the juntion of Queen St and Wakefield St. I came down Queen St and was turning right in to Wakefield St. I think going in front of the lines is a good idea and asking the cage to move forward, but as said, there is a risk of getting a ticket :confused: . I haven't tried pressing the pedestrian crossing buttons yet. :banana:

[pyrocam]

The intersection that I was stuck at was the juntion of Queen St and Wakefield St. I came down Queen St and was turning right in to Wakefield St. I think going in front of the lines is a good idea and asking the cage to move forward, but as said, there is a risk of getting a ticket :confused: . I haven't tried pressing the pedestrian crossing buttons yet. :banana:


rofl at what a cager thinks when you put the bike on its stand. and go and press the button.
Id love to get a video of that.

at least if a coppa comes up you have a good excuse and I think he/she would let you off. spudchucker got any thoughts on that?

I mean If your holding up traffic then technically you (no you wont) could get ticketed for, well , disrupting traffic I suppose.

[Ms Piggy]

I was at the lights today in town and I was first at the lights and no cages behind me, the lights never came round to letting me turn.!! :brick: :brick:

I understand that they work on a weight sensor and bikes aren't heavy enough, but what do most of you do?

After waiting for two rounds, I was getting pretty frustrated. :angry2: So I just turned..... :spudwhat:

:done:
Thats happened to me - it's awful aye!!

[BNZ]

Normally if I see the square patch I ride over it and bounce up and down on the bike (some of them are weight triggered), .

See? :spudwhat:

[James Deuce]

See? :spudwhat:
That isn't evidence, it's an opinion.

The bouncing up and down probably brought the ferrous components of the bike closer to the induction loop, triggering the correct phase cycle.

[Ixion]

They rely, I believe on *movement* of a ferrous mass. Movement of iron within an inductive loop generates a (very tiny) electric current. This current is picked up by the control circuits.

Bouncing a bike makes its iron parts move around a bit, thus helping to generate that required current. Ditto putting the bike in gear (sets steel gearwheels moving) .

Unfortunately, bikes have very little iron on them in camparison to a car. Alloy wheels, alloy frames (like as not), alloy engine casings. Only iron is crankshaft assembly and gearbox. Not enough to trigger the circuits .

[Will]

:killingme :killingme :killingme
Thanks guys, very entertaining.

I just turn my bike off ... and then back on again.

But I think you know that any way. Just being creative :2thumbsup

[spudchucka]

at least if a coppa comes up you have a good excuse and I think he/she would let you off. spudchucker got any thoughts on that?
Not really. If the lights won't change for me when I'm on a bike I just make sure the road is clear, (as in there are no cops in any direction that might see me going through a red light), and carry on.

I've come across a few bikers that have been stuck sitting at red lights that won't change and asked them why they didn't just go. For some reason they seem have all had a suspicious look come over there faces and not answered the question.

[Wolf]

On a related note, a mate of mine from the Netherlands (Friesian, not Dutch, as she kept pointing out) informed me that in the Netherlands their lights go on a night-time circuit that sets certain lights green and flashes the red cross-wise to them. The flashing red is a "compulsory stop" - you stop, check the road and, if there is no traffic coming, you go, just like at a stop sign. No penalty for going through a flashing red with proper care.

Saves a lot of fucking around with sensors - timed sequence during the day, "compulsory stops" at night.

I've often thought we could do with something like that here in NZ - of course, it would be just one more thing to confuse the cagers who haven't seemed to have mastered the "complexity" of roundabouts and give-way rules.

For Victoria Street area, I'd borrow a leaf from Leamington's book - alternate the lights at each block - this one you have right of way, this one, you stop. (Leamington alternates the give-ways on most its blocks to give everyone a fair go)

That would be so the boi racers can only speed along two blocks, maximum, rather than screaming down most of Victoria Street from the roundabout to Whitiora.

[Waylander]

Had these back in the states both the wieght activated and the magnetic loop. I just flashed my brights fast and they change. Don't know how that would work here but in most big cities in the states all the lights have sensors on them that read the light pattern off of emergency vehicals and it causes a change. So juat a quik couple of flashes and off I go.

[crashe]

It happens to me heaps.. my bike aint heavy enough..lol.

So as I come up to certain lights I stand up and then bounce down onto the seat as I stop... hoping that by doing that it would look like there is extra weight ...lol. Still working on that theroy....lol

Today it happened and I didnt bouce and the lights didnt change... and a big 4x4 came up behind me... but they parked miles away from the lights...
I signaled for them to move up closer.... eventually they got the idea... and when they did wohoooo the lights changed GREEN.. after I had sat throu 2 sets of lights....

I was told by a cop that after 3 sets of lights to go throu them carefully and safely..

Lights are a right pain in the butt when they wont change to green.. and miss you out completely.....

[Risky]

In a past life as a motorcycle courier, I learned that the inductive loop [the wire loop that triggers the lights] is usually visible up the front of the lane as a square line of sealing tar surrounding about 75% of the width of the lane.

If you run through the centre of the loop, it can't sense you.
If you run along the edge of the loop, more chance that it can.
The faster you run along the edge, the better.

So my advice is to stick to the right-hand car tyre tracks [usually the safest place on the road anyway] and don't creep over the loop - move swiftly along the right edge of the loop and stop beyond it, if completely safe.

Thanks for reading.

[FEINT]

thanks for the advice!

I was driving the cage yesterday and coming down Wakefield St and turning Right on to Queen St. There was a BMW motorbike at the start of the lights and he was on the inductive loop. We waited there for 3 sets of lights and a massive queue built up behind as the lights just kept missing. Finally he realised and moved forward and asked the cage behind him to move forward. After that, the lights changed and we were on our way. :spudbooge

:done:

[pyrocam]

thanks for the advice!

I was driving the cage yesterday and coming down Wakefield St and turning Right on to Queen St. There was a BMW motorbike at the start of the lights and he was on the inductive loop. We waited there for 3 sets of lights and a massive queue built up behind as the lights just kept missing. Finally he realised and moved forward and asked the cage behind him to move forward. After that, the lights changed and we were on our way. :spudbooge

:done:


I have a thought. I think I may be right

even if the suposed inductive loop doesnt pick you up. It changes after the 3rd cycle anyway, I mean, it would be good programming incase the inductive loop failed or it was a vehicle that couldnt set it off. if anyone is interested in pissing off some cagers: stop at every lights you can do at the front of the queue, dont rev, dont bounce and dont flash. maybe even avoid the middle 75% of the lane to avoid it and see how long you wait before the change. Of couse Im pretty sure this will only work on right turning lanes.

thoughts ppl?

ps thanks for your response spud

[BNZ]

You let us know how that goes

[Mr Skid]

..if anyone is interested in pissing off some cagers: stop at every lights you can do at the front of the queue, dont rev, dont bounce and dont flash. maybe even avoid the middle 75% of the lane to avoid it and see how long you wait before the change...

..thoughts ppl?..

If you do decide to give it a go, let me know which ward to send to flowers to. :doctor:

[moko]

burn-outs sometimes work too, but I'm not saying how I know..

Says the guy who posted in another thread wondering why his consumables dont last long :confused:

[moko]

A lot of lights here now also have sensors that take your picture if you go through a red light so you`re stuffed both ways.I use the main road through the city at early-morning hours and sitting at red lights at -3 at 2a.m.waiting for the traffic to exit from the swimming pool, which all ended when the friggin place shut 8 hours earlier,is a real bummer.

[crashe]

Someone above said that it WILL change after 3 sets of lights....
ummm I dont think so...
I have patiently sat for 4 or 5 sets once...
but then I thought Fark this.. and rode off...
made sure that it was safe...lol.

I only wait for 3 sets now and then ride on throu if they wont change....

Sheesh scooters must sit there for ages as they are alot lighter than my bike...lol.

[ManDownUnder]

I only wait for 3 sets now and then ride on throu if they wont change....

What does the law actually allow in this circumstance?

[crashe]

What does the law actually allow in this circumstance?

I spoke to a cop once after sitting at the lights for over 4/5 changes... he was back up the road from where I was ... so I turned around and asked him. I explined how long I has sat there waiting... he understood what I meant as he rides bikes too.... he told me after 3 sets of lights go throu but do it carefully and also report the set of lights to the council.

I could still be sitting there especially if no cars ever come along...
and sometimes if its a side street you can wait ages...

I do make sure that no cops are around thou.. cos be my luck I will strike a cop having a real bad day...lol.

[Ixion]

What does the law actually allow in this circumstance?

My information from $Friendly_cop was that if you go through a red light you're technically committing an offence. No matter what. But --- that any reasonable cop would overlook the technical offence provided you waited throgh a reasonable number of cycles (like three), and proceeded with great caution. Same applies when the lights are 'stuck" - won't change for anyone.

As before. Call the council. They've promised to fix the ones by Victoria Park.

[Big Dave]

Just back from Oz and haven't read all the replies - Buuut - it's easy!

put your side stand down.

just put the weight of the bike on the side stand for half a second, close to the sensor and job is done - never fails. I understand it's electrostatic sensitive as well.

bd

[Gen]

I had no idea that this was the case.I really do learn a lot on here

[FEINT]

Just back from Oz and haven't read all the replies - Buuut - it's easy!

put your side stand down.

just put the weight of the bike on the side stand for half a second, close to the sensor and job is done - never fails. I understand it's electrostatic sensitive as well.

bd

Have to give that a go the next time I am in the city. thanks! :niceone:

[crashe]

Just back from Oz and haven't read all the replies - Buuut - it's easy!

put your side stand down.

just put the weight of the bike on the side stand for half a second, close to the sensor and job is done - never fails. I understand it's electrostatic sensitive as well.

bd

I too shall try that one out as well.....

[notme]

Just a quick note - and don't flame me, I'm just trying to help everyone understand! :-)

The reason putting your side stand down works is because you are putting some metal in the electromagnetic field of the sensor - not weight. Not trying to be a smart prick or anything here, but it's a common misconception that the triggers are weight sensitive......

More here:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=197877#post197877


:niceone:

[Ixion]

Just a quick note - and don't flame me, I'm just trying to help everyone understand! :-)

The reason putting your side stand down works is because you are putting some metal in the electromagnetic field of the sensor - not weight. Not trying to be a smart prick or anything here, but it's a common misconception that the triggers are weight sensitive......

More here:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=197877#post197877


:niceone:

More specifically still, I think because you are *moving* metal within the electromagnetic field. That causes a wee current be generated. Move any magnetic object within an induction loop and a current will be induced (hence the name) . So swinging the metal sidestand down works, so does bouncing up and down (moving the metal bike bits around)

[inlinefour]

I tend to wait a while and then appy the give way rules, generally when there is no one else about. Had a Copper stop me once for doing it but he was pretty understanding of it (was another biker).

[TygerTung]

Don't ya hate that? I've come accross the same thing only i was on a pushbike, lol but it would mostly do it when I was in a hurry and it was late at night and on a friday night, oh yeah and pouring with rain, so was it not only cold, dark, and wet, but when most party-goers were out clubbing and can see you sitting there waiting and waiting etc etc. In the end I would give up and go unless I wanted to go straight then I would go press the buzzer, that usually worked.

I didn't think that you had to obey lights on a pushbike? Every light is a green light?