Minor things that bother you

[formulanone]

Would you "like a copy of your receipt"?

Think about it - I've heard this many times from cashiers? What are they going to do with the original?

Save the journals for their own reporting and backup purposes.

[hbelkins]

The question I usually hear is, "Do you need your receipt," as it is printing or immediately after it prints. This is as opposed to "do you want your receipt." If you do request it, it's given to you. If you don't, it's discarded, but I don't know if it goes into a recycle bin or a throw-away bin (and honestly, it makes no difference to me if it's recycled or tossed.)

Dollar Tree does ask, "do you want a receipt," and if you say you do, the cashier will push a button and the receipt prints. Otherwise, there's no receipt.

[7/8]

A few driving-related ones:
1) When there's a piece of ice/snow under my windshield wiper and it creates a streak every time I use it
2) When there's ice/snow on my car's parking sensors and it beeps every time I come to a stop or drive slowly
3) When the car across from me at a permissive left doesn't do the "S-approach", making it harder for me to see around them. This one is especially annoying if their car is tall and if they're close to the through lane
4) When pedestrian count down timers don't change the light to yellow when they reach zero (thankfully there's not too many like that where I live)

[webny99]

4) When pedestrian count down timers don't change the light to yellow when they reach zero (thankfully there's not too many like that where I live)

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I know of quite a few where the walk cycle just repeats - sometimes multiple times - before eventually switching. This happens where one road has a much longer green phase than the other.

[7/8]

4) When pedestrian count down timers don't change the light to yellow when they reach zero (thankfully there's not too many like that where I live)

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I know of quite a few where the walk cycle just repeats - sometimes multiple times - before eventually switching. This happens where one road has a much longer green phase than the other.

Yeah I've seen that where a smaller side street only changes if there's a car detected or a pedestrian activates the button. But that scenario doesn't bother me much. What I mean is that most countdowns once they reach zero will change the vehicle traffic signal to yellow since in my area, protected lefts are leading. But sometimes, the countdown will reach zero, and it'll take several seconds before the light goes yellow. It's annoying since the countdown is helpful as a driver to judge when the yellow will start.

[kkt]

Would you "like a copy of your receipt"?

Think about it - I've heard this many times from cashiers? What are they going to do with the original?

Keep it to audit the cash drawer at the end of the day and the credit card receipts whenever the credit card company pays them.

[jeffandnicole]

4) When pedestrian count down timers don't change the light to yellow when they reach zero (thankfully there's not too many like that where I live)

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I know of quite a few where the walk cycle just repeats - sometimes multiple times - before eventually switching. This happens where one road has a much longer green phase than the other.

Yeah I've seen that where a smaller side street only changes if there's a car detected or a pedestrian activates the button. But that scenario doesn't bother me much. What I mean is that most countdowns once they reach zero will change the vehicle traffic signal to yellow since in my area, protected lefts are leading. But sometimes, the countdown will reach zero, and it'll take several seconds before the light goes yellow. It's annoying since the countdown is helpful as a driver to judge when the yellow will start.

Oh Canada may be different, but at least in the US by technical rule there can't be a countdown clock for motorists.  Obviously the countdown clock for pedestrians became a workaround for that, but as you noted in some cases the light doesn't turn to yellow once the clock hits 0, and that's all by design.  Along with the other reasons given...

If the signal operates on a demand basis with no set cycle length (in theory; there is probably some max-out time), the light may operate with a minimum interval for pedestrians, but once that ped phase is over the light will remain green until the sensors determine its time to cycle. 

On some lights, the ped phases on each side of the intersection operates independently of each other.  While the protected left turn phase time portion differs, the time allotted for walking remains the same per side, resulting in one side completing its countdown before the other.

[LilianaUwU]

1) When there's a piece of ice/snow under my windshield wiper and it creates a streak every time I use it

Doubly frustrating when it's generally slushy out. It causes sign pictures to be all dirty (picture since swapped out for a better one):

A-20 EB, sortie 285 - 1 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr

[1995hoo]

One wonders whether that sign holds the North American record for most hyphens in a single place name.

[Scott5114]

I think that's the first time I've seen the Å" ligature on a road sign. FHWA Series doesn't even have that one.

[webny99]

One wonders whether that sign holds the North American record for most hyphens in a single place name.

Although to be fair, the rest of the continent isn't much competition for Quebec. 

[wanderer2575]

4) When pedestrian count down timers don't change the light to yellow when they reach zero (thankfully there's not too many like that where I live)

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I know of quite a few where the walk cycle just repeats - sometimes multiple times - before eventually switching. This happens where one road has a much longer green phase than the other.

Yeah I've seen that where a smaller side street only changes if there's a car detected or a pedestrian activates the button. But that scenario doesn't bother me much. What I mean is that most countdowns once they reach zero will change the vehicle traffic signal to yellow since in my area, protected lefts are leading. But sometimes, the countdown will reach zero, and it'll take several seconds before the light goes yellow. It's annoying since the countdown is helpful as a driver to judge when the yellow will start.

I'm more annoyed as a pedestrian.  Some signals give the "walk" indicator for only a few seconds, before going to "don't walk" flashing and then solid while the light remains green for a lengthy period.  Why such a short timeframe for me to cross?  Before you say "so the controller can shorten a particular green phase if sensors show no traffic," I'm talking about fixed-timed signals.

On the flip side, there's a countdown pedestrian signal near me that starts flashing "don't walk" and counting down from only four seconds before the light turns yellow.  It's crossing a two-lane side street, but c'mon, only four seconds?

[kurumi]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

[jakeroot]

On the flip side, there's a countdown pedestrian signal near me that starts flashing "don't walk" and counting down from only four seconds before the light turns yellow.  It's crossing a two-lane side street, but c'mon, only four seconds?

Here in Japan, all countdowns last for a maximum of four seconds, no matter the crossing length.

[1995hoo]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

In that regard, there are a number of roads near me that have no marked crosswalks for half a mile or more at times and VDOT's position is that because the speed limit is 35 mph, there's no need to paint a crosswalk because of the unmarked crosswalk law. Problem is, 99% of people (both drivers and pedestrians) know absolutely nothing about said law and even fewer people respect unmarked crosswalks when they're in use.

[hotdogPi]

I've noticed that when crossing a specific street, drivers are more likely to stop for me if I'm on the corner of an intersection rather than between intersections. (One of them will eventually stop either way; it just takes longer if I'm between intersections.) However, this is a road with a 6-foot shoulder that I can step into; if these roads in Virginia with a 35 mph speed limit don't have that or (especially) if they're more than one lane in each direction, it will be harder to cross.

[webny99]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

In that regard, there are a number of roads near me that have no marked crosswalks for half a mile or more at times and VDOT's position is that because the speed limit is 35 mph, there's no need to paint a crosswalk because of the unmarked crosswalk law. Problem is, 99% of people (both drivers and pedestrians) know absolutely nothing about said law and even fewer people respect unmarked crosswalks when they're in use.

I guess I'm part of the 99%. I don't think I've ever heard of an unmarked crosswalk law.

[jeffandnicole]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

In that regard, there are a number of roads near me that have no marked crosswalks for half a mile or more at times and VDOT's position is that because the speed limit is 35 mph, there's no need to paint a crosswalk because of the unmarked crosswalk law. Problem is, 99% of people (both drivers and pedestrians) know absolutely nothing about said law and even fewer people respect unmarked crosswalks when they're in use.

I guess I'm part of the 99%. I don't think I've ever heard of an unmarked crosswalk law.

99% of people have never heard of 99% of the laws that exist.

[webny99]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

In that regard, there are a number of roads near me that have no marked crosswalks for half a mile or more at times and VDOT's position is that because the speed limit is 35 mph, there's no need to paint a crosswalk because of the unmarked crosswalk law. Problem is, 99% of people (both drivers and pedestrians) know absolutely nothing about said law and even fewer people respect unmarked crosswalks when they're in use.

I guess I'm part of the 99%. I don't think I've ever heard of an unmarked crosswalk law.

99% of people have never heard of 99% of the laws that exist.

Well, it's not crazy to think that on a roads forum, I might be among the 1% that had heard of a road-related law, but not in this case.

[1995hoo]

Another favorite: the light's going to be green in your direction for another 45 seconds, but you pressed the button "too late", so you can wait another cycle.

Even better: a 4-way intersection with "no pedestrian crossing" in the direction you want to go, so you can either jaywalk or cross 3 times (with 3 signals) instead of 1.

In that regard, there are a number of roads near me that have no marked crosswalks for half a mile or more at times and VDOT's position is that because the speed limit is 35 mph, there's no need to paint a crosswalk because of the unmarked crosswalk law. Problem is, 99% of people (both drivers and pedestrians) know absolutely nothing about said law and even fewer people respect unmarked crosswalks when they're in use.

I guess I'm part of the 99%. I don't think I've ever heard of an unmarked crosswalk law.

Just about every state has one in some form. Part of the rationale has to do with residential areas where it's inefficient to paint crosswalks at every intersection despite there being a fair amount of pedestrian traffic. Typically the laws say something along the lines of it being OK to cross the street if you follow an imaginary line from the sidewalk on one side to the sidewalk on the other via the most direct route. Virginia's statute requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians legally crossing the street includes a reference to "any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block." (Va. Code 46.2-924(A)(2).)

Here is a summary from New York State.

[kphoger]

I've noticed that when crossing a specific street, drivers are more likely to stop for me if I'm on the corner of an intersection rather than between intersections.

Unless you're talking about a marked mid-block crosswalk, most states' laws require the pedestrian to yield to traffic in that case.  It doesn't give drivers permission to just run you down, but jaywalkers are generally required by law to yield to vehicular traffic.

I guess I'm part of the 99%. I don't think I've ever heard of an unmarked crosswalk law.

Just about every state has one in some form. Part of the rationale has to do with residential areas where it's inefficient to paint crosswalks at every intersection despite there being a fair amount of pedestrian traffic. Typically the laws say something along the lines of it being OK to cross the street if you follow an imaginary line from the sidewalk on one side to the sidewalk on the other via the most direct route.

From the state laws I've looked at, the only things that usually vary from state to state are these:

(1)  What if there is no sidewalk?  Is there an unmarked crosswalk that continues across to the other side, following the curb line?  Or not?

(2)  What if you come to a T-intersection?  Is there an unmarked crosswalk that continues from the end of your sidewalk to the far curb?  Or not?

(3)  Even if the answer is YES to each of the above, what if both are true at the same time?  What if there is no sidewalk, and you come to a T-intersection?  Is there an unmarked crosswalk that continues across to the far curb, following your street's curb line?  Or not?

[hotdogPi]

I've noticed that when crossing a specific street, drivers are more likely to stop for me if I'm on the corner of an intersection rather than between intersections.

Unless you're talking about a marked mid-block crosswalk, most states' laws require the pedestrian to yield to traffic in that case.  It doesn't give drivers permission to just run you down, but jaywalkers are generally required by law to yield to vehicular traffic.

It's usually the third to fifth car that stops for me if I'm at an unmarked crosswalk and about the sixth if I'm not at an intersection or marked crosswalk, although they're more likely to stop for me in both cases if I'm carrying groceries.

[webny99]

• When people take two or three bites out of a chicken wing and throw the rest away. Eating chicken wings is somewhat of an art: if it takes you less than a minute to finish one, you're doing it wrong, not to mention being wasteful

[kphoger]

Chicken wings.  There isn't nearly enough meat on there to make it worth the price.  I'll take a menu item that's less than 45% bones please.

[kphoger]

When caps lock flip-flops on the computer–or even in only one program–so that it's on when the light is off, off when the light is on.