But as I see it, time never moves as soul-crushingly slowly as it does when you’re waiting to cross a busy road. You push the button. So, I thought it was time I gave you a definitive answer to the question, ‘Does pushing the button at a crossing actually do anything?’Unfortunately, I can’t do that, because there is no definitive answer. It seems that if you’re at a standalone pedestrian crossing that is far from any other sort of traffic junction, pushing the button will turn the traffic light red. But at any other sort of traffic-pedestrian interface, what the button does depends on where you are, what time it is, and what type of crossing you’re at.

Source: Forbes October 28, 2017 00:45 UTC