Unintended consiquences

[SteamWake]

Heard this story the other day and it just struck me as a good example of the law of un-intended consiquences.

Many states have mandated since somewhere in the mid 90's that traffic stop lights be replaced with new energy saving LED traffic lights. These lights do indeed work quite well and actually do save energy as well as labor due to their extremly long lamp life.

Last week something happened, something never even thought of. There was a bad winter storm blowing snow ice and the like. Well the ice and snow built up on the traffic lights to a point where they were no longer visible. This of course led to accidents as pepole evidently dont have a clue as to what to do when there is no traffic light.

You see the older incandescant lights put off enough heat to prevent them from freezing over.

Now the city(s) had to launch a fleet of trucks equiped with manpower and heating torches to go around and 'thaw' the energy efficent stop lights.

Basically the 'carbon footprint' saved by the energy efficencint lights was blown away by the fleet of trucks, men, and their torches.

[August]

They should have selected the model that came with an internal heater!

Generaly, the laws in both Europe and North America state that inoperative traffic lights be treated as stop signs. Unfortunately, most people don't know this.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

People just need to breed less to solve our environmental problems.

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

People just need to breed less to solve our environmental problems.

Although it seems a-bit OT in this thread, there is much truth in what you say.

Skybird has a thread going that your statement would fit into very well.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Generaly, the laws in both Europe and North America state that inoperative traffic lights be treated as stop signs. Unfortunately, most people don't know this.

Correct.

and a yield sign has right of way over a Stop Sign.

For example, there is a road that crosses a 4 lane highway nearby.

The road has stop signs where it joins the highway, the median portion of the road has a yield sign.

this means that if a break in traffic allows the median to join the highway - he should do so.

but almost every time i sit there, and the break in traffic comes, the guy with the stop sign just helps himself to the right of way.

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Correct.

and a yield sign has right of way over a Stop Sign.

For example, there is a road that crosses a 4 lane highway nearby.

The road has stop signs where it joins the highway, the median portion of the road has a yield sign.

this means that if a break in traffic allows the median to join the highway - he should do so.

but almost every time i sit there, and the break in traffic comes, the guy with the stop sign just helps himself to the right of way.

What's realy sad about your example, is that they probably do know better, but have just become that self centered and pushy.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

What's realy sad about your example, is that they probably do know better, but have just become that self centered and pushy.

This...