Once again the so-called "smart" traffic lights on Scotts Valley Drive have JANKED ME. I hate these "smart" lights. Just because some jackass wanders up to the red light from some podunk side-street, I have to get my whole flow busted while I wait for his slow ass to cross?? And then wait some more for the slow ass light to change back? WHAT FOR??
In the old days it was "wait your turn"! If you came up to the intersection on a side street, you'd know what you were in for! A nice little wait. You'd wait while the pre-set traffic light timing pattern cycled around to you for the green. You'd know the main thoroughfare took precedence, and you would not expect your pathetic little side-alley to outrank it just because your stupid ass happened to roll up like a moron! No. You'd wait your turn. And you'd understand why.
Now nobody understands why, and nobody wants to wait their turn. Everybody expects to be taken into special consideration. They want that light to roll out the green carpet for them, never mind who gets janked on the main drag! And then, half the time it seems the damn sensor's on the blink and you NEVER get the light - whereas at least in the old days it would always eventually come around on the timer!
It's a bad tradeoff. It's a false economy.
Before the advent of "smart" traffic signals, the driver had the chance to be smart. To learn the road, and nail the timing patterns that the lights were cycling on. To get a feel for exactly how best to coax and coast, so as to get from start to destination with maximum green and minimum red. All by knowing the patterns! All by fine-tuning how best to work within them. And if you were really good at it, sometimes you could swoosh through 4 towns and pull right up to your baby's door without catching a single red light! Not only was that was a pretty sweet thrill of accomplishment, it was also great for the environment. Less needless braking. Less wasting of momentum, and burning extra fuel just to get back up to speed.
But I guess in today's world of "smart" signals and dumbed-down drivers, where everybody expects to be coddled regardless of how stupid they are, or what dinky little side-street they've decided to amble along on, I guess basically what our municipal authorities are saying is that the environment can go to HELL. Well I'm sorry, but that's just not cool with me.
Bring back the set patterns! Screw these "responsive" traffic lights. These defective sensor-based "smart" systems that all they really do is just gum up the flow for all the intelligent drivers on the road. The drivers who could be working the patterns to maximize their drive-time efficiency!
As you might have guessed, I preferred Pac Man to Ms. Pac Man.
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