Traffic Light Etiquette

[danalwyn]

I am the only one who feels embarrassed when I come up to people waiting to cross an intersection in the same direction I'm going and push the button for the walk signal that's right next to them? It's like I'm saying "Hey, I don't trust you enough to presume that you pushed the button that even a first-grader knows to push". I'm not, I'm just being sure, but it feels like I'm exhibiting a distinct lack of trust. Of course, I don't really mind when people do that to me, but hey, maybe I'm just weird (okay, I'm definitely weird, but, well, you know).

Comments

[silverjackal]

I'm also vaguely embarrassed, but do it anyway (unless I can clearly see it's lit, a feature which not all have). It goes to show how strong reflexive behavioural programming is. Everyone completes the behaviour chain, whether or not it's necessary. One that I find personally annoying: I always test my front door after I've locked it, because somehow the fact that I've just locked the door isn't good enough. (That, and I double check that I've turned off the coffee pot twice in the morning, for fear of leaving it on and burning the place down. I've never yet actually left the pot on, mind, but I check all the same. Habit is a strong thing -- and in my case I'm a bit OCD about those two things.)