Last night I was out motoring and became stuck at a 4 corner traffic light for at least 3 revolutions. I would have blown the light if not for the po-po sitting dark 150 yards from me. Finally another car approached in my lane, and sure enough, the light tripped.

Has this happened to you? I am a new MINI owner and am wondering, do I have to actually jump out and hit the pedestrian button, like when I'm on my motorcycle?

 

That's really odd. I've tripped lights on a bicycle. Are you sure you were on the grid?

 

Not only was I on the grid, but I drove up and back trying to trip it. Is it a weight thing, or did the police car - have something to do with it - I wonder...

 

I've heard of emergency vehicles being able to make a light turn green, but never stay red.

 

As an interesting tidbit, there's a rumor that with old stoplights if you flash you high beams they'll change because they are supposed to recognize the flashing lights of emergency vehicles.

 

oh does the high beams thing really work? i've heard that there is some kind of plate in the ground that sends some kind of signal and bounces off of the bottom of your car to trip the light. maybe the MINI is so small that it doesn't pick it up? maybe that's why the motorcyclists have to gett of thier motorcycles, but this is only during night time when traffic is really light.

 

Emergency vehicles now have a remote transmitter than trip the lights. The high beams thing will only work for out-dated signals, if at all. It's only a rumor. Most turning lane lights are tripped by a plate that is weight sensitive, so when you pull on it, it sends a signal to the signal to go through it's rotation.

 

In California, it is legal to treat a stop light as a stop sign uner these circumstances. I.e: you are the ONLY one sitting a red light with no opposing traffic and the light appears to be malfunctioning, you can proceed with caution.

 

I would love to see that writen somewhere... not saying you're wrong, but i wouldn't try it if i wasn't 100% sure it was true...

 

Yes I agree. There are a few lights I've totally wanted to blow thru after numerous cycles in the opposite direction

 

I once treated a long red as a stop sign at around 5:30 in the morning going to work (I lived in CT at the time, and have no idea what the law was about such things). As soon as I turned, the cop sitting in the parking lot next to the intersection turned on his flashing lights for a few seconds, then shut them off. I got the message, and would not do this again (and I was in a heavy 1968 Pontiac, which was sure to have activated the pad!).

 

I agree with Willbesurfing. that sounds like an interesting loophole but i'd like to see it written too, so when the cops catch me i'll have something to prove to them.

 

Many of the lights in our area use cameras to sense if a car (or cars) is sitting at an intersection. They are really easy to see if you look for them.

Maybe wave your hands out the window? hehehehe