The new style of pedestrian crossings introduced into Manchester and presumably elsewhere break all rules of good design, whatever your criteria for success…
They are a little above waist height and require you to look down and to the side to check they are green, thus taking your eyes away from the road at the last critical moment.
What was the designer thinking of when they put togther this suicide machine? Concentrating on laying out the red and green men, or contemplating how best to express ‘the act of walking’… ?
Whatever their excuse what they were not thinking about was context and task and the poor sods having to use these piss-poor artifacts to cross the road!
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While waiting to cross in Norwich City centre my wife and I noticed a couple having difulcty crossing at the junction of St. Stephens opposite Surry Street, while waiting (being a driving instructor) I pointed out thire mistake to my wife turning fifty this year and having no previous crossing trouble we begin to watch the traffic light sequence very similar position to the old green man up in the air and on the opposite side of the road lol, my mistake came when seeing the red light come on (assumed green man next) . Car stop on our right so held wife hand and walked in the path of a single Decker bus coming from our left (who made no effort to stop. by the sound and rev of his engine got faster I believe his arrogance would rather have hit us as opposed to stopping. because this happens so often ) I had to literally drag my wife off the road into the way of a man standing on the other side of the street being very embarrassed we moved away very quickly NOW I KNOW THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLY FOR NEARLY KILLING MY WIFE AND I. HOWEVER For as long as I can remember I have been thought to look up for a green man and taught my four children the same THIS HABIT TOOK OVER AND NEARLY KILLED US p.s. also why no sound another great safe guard gone.
Comment by colin hunter — January 15, 2007 @ 4:05 pm