Cambodian Blinking

What has Austria in common with Cambodia and Israel? Quite a lot I think but in this case I am emphasizing the similarity in traffic light behavior.

If you’re already familiar with it then you can skip this paragraph which is intended for my international readers.

When an Austrian traffic light is about to switch from “go” to “stop” then the green light begins to blink four times, a second each, then for three seconds the yellow light appears and then – finally – red. When “stop” is becoming “go” the yellow light accompanies the red light for a second before only green is there again. (see illustration below) Strange for some foreign folks, pretty comfortable when you’re used to it.

You don’t have to be alert every time when approaching an intersection. I always realize the difference when I am cruising in Germany: No blinking, no red+yellow before green again.

I’ve read today that Vienna is planning a test phase with unblinking traffic lights in early 2008, maybe in Austria in general — talk about international standards!

If I was Transportation Secretary

Here are some suggestions for some new traffic laws I want to push through:

• I want to turn right at intersections when it’s possible -regardless of some silly colored light.
• Everybody has to drive as fast as the vehicle allows (take that inapt drivers with fat cars!) This will empty the streets of pedestrians and pimped cars pretty fast. Plus there’ll be more parking spaces afterwards.
• One-ways change their direction randomly
• Traffic lights will have additional colors such as purple (= turn your radio down), pink (say something cute to your co-driver or vehicle next to you) and blue (check glove compartment for guns)
• Onboard weaponery is now allowed, but restricted to something “non-mass-destruction-y” because of the somewhat nervous Bush administration in the US of A.
• Tanks and airplanes are now part of urban traffic
• Federally sponsored bi-annual checkpoint races across the city
• Everybody may draw their own road signs
• If someone says that you just stole her/his parking place, a fistfight will decide

Vote Promenade!

What has Austria in common with Cambodia and Israel? Quite a lot I think but in this case I am emphasizing the similarity in traffic light behavior. If you’re already...

Leave A Reply