Stop Lights are Awful
Stop Lights
When considering the most energy wasting tools that our government’s have given us, I can’t help but think of the stop light. Why has someone not improved this technology since the advent of Ford’s Model T? Have you ever been driving along peacefully and get close to a stop light, only to have the light turn red when there’s nobody coming the other direction? Why is this not an outrage to people in the age of “Global Awareness”?
Think about how many times this situation happens to you on a weekly or even daily basis. Can you think of any one particular light that this happens to you more often than any other light? Is it frustrating to you? Can you imagine then, that this is frustrating to EVERYONE!! Can you imagine how much energy and fuel we are wasting stopping at lights for NO REASON!!?? I can’t help but think that there is a conspiracy with the oil companies behind this blatant waste of resources. But then again, there may not be a conspiracy. The problem could be that since it only effects us for a brief period of time, and we really don’t know who’s in charge of designing the lights, or don’t have time to find out who’s in charge (because we’re stopped at a light), we just move on with our lives.
However, I want you to picture this. Imagine the amount of gas you waste each week by slowing down, idling, then speeding back up to your cruising speed when you stop at stop lights for NO reason. Now imagine that happening to everyone in your community or town. How much gas, energy, and time are you ALL wasting each week (remember, it’s happening to everyone that drives). Now, include the people in neighboring towns and cities. How much gas, energy, and time are we wasting at that point? Now, how about all of the people in your state. Imagine everyone in your state that drives a car, each day, just slowing down, stopping, idling, and then speeding back up for NO reason. How much gas, energy, and time is your state wasting? Now, the tri-state area? Now, your region. Now, your country. Now, the world.
If I come to a stop light and can clearly see that there aren’t any kids, cars or animals within a mile of the light or stop sign, I don’t stop. As George Carlin so eloquently stated, “Stop lights? I just noticed those things last week! I stopped at them for a few days, but now I just say “screw” it… I’M GONE!!!!”
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Anessa...
how you not like to drink. Its cool unlike you...
Chris...
What would happen if McCain DOES become president!!!?? He does have an awful temper....
I liked this article…
Traffic lights definitely need to be synchronized in order to keep traffic moving. You’ll find lots of that in big cities, but the rest of the country needs to get with the program like Matt said. How about local governments start paying attention to details!! Not stopping so frequently will save energy and the environment (not to mention help relieve congestion and heavy traffic).
Having synchronized lights sounds like a good idea Queen of Los Angeles………as long as they aren’t synchronized so that you catch every red light!
I think you’re on to something Lisa. Maybe that’s what happened… the engineers in charge of wiring the stop lights told the manufacturers to connect the wrong 2 wires and the stop lights were shipped across the country before the mistake was noticed.
If only the answer was that simple…
Worthless red lights really grind my gears too. Heck, sometimes there’s even a “no turn on red” sign when I can see down 200 feet in both directions.