🚦 We've all done it: you're standing at a red light, so you press the crosswalk button. Once, twice, maybe 15 times. But is it doing anything? Let's break it down. 🚶♂️ Crosswalk Buttons: The Basics Crosswalk buttons — officially called pedestrian push buttons (PPBs) — are designed to send a signal to the traffic signal controller , requesting a walk phase. In many cities, pressing the button adds your request to a cycle queue , just like pressing an elevator floor. It tells the system: “A human is here. Let me cross.” ❌ The Myth of the Placebo Button Here’s the twist: in many cities, crosswalk buttons don’t do anything at all. This happens because: The signal is on a fixed cycle (the walk sign appears no matter what) The buttons were disabled when new traffic systems were installed Some are fake — installed for accessibility reasons or public peace of mind A 2018 report showed over 90% of NYC crosswalk buttons are non-functional but still rema...
🕹️ Ever pressed an elevator button and wondered if it did anything at all? Let’s go behind the panel and explore how these buttons really work — and why they sometimes seem to fail. 🚪 How Elevator Buttons Actually Work Most elevator buttons are momentary electrical switches . When you press one, it sends a quick signal to the elevator’s control system. That system then decides: Which direction you're going What floor to stop on When to serve your request based on elevator traffic 💡 Fun fact: The elevator may already be planning to stop at your floor — even if the light doesn’t flash instantly. 🎛️ What’s Behind the Panel? Each elevator button connects to a small set of components hidden inside the wall: A tactile switch (the actual click) An LED light (to show your press was received) Wires or logic boards that connect it to the system brain In modern systems: a microcontroller or network module 📸 Image idea: A cross-section diagram of an elevator ...