To Cross or not to Cross / That is the Question
I was about to cross the street in Santa Monica the other day (recently) when I saw this sign on a street light pole next to the crosswalk (the area that is marked on the street for people to cross). It had directions (instructions) on how to cross the street using the crosswalk sign.
There are three different symbols you can see when you cross 
the street. Look at the picture closely below. The top and bottom symbols say Steady, and the middle one says Flashing. Steady and Flashing are opposites. To flash means to come on and off quickly. Steady means the light stays on. So when you see the symbol of a man walking (top row), you can “Start Walking.” The first row also warns you to “watch for turning cars.” Turning cars are cars that are coming around or turning the corner and may be difficult to see.
The second row has the symbol of a red hand and says “Don’t Start.” This means that if you have not yet started to cross the street, it’s too late! Don’t start walking now. However, if you already started walking, you are told in the second row to “finish crossing if in cross walk.” (Note that on the sign, “crosswalk” is spelled as two words, but usually we spell it as one. Perhaps the sign maker needs to listen to ESL Podcast?)
Finally, on the last or third row, you see a red hand that is steady, and the instructions are “Don’t Cross,” meaning you should not start walking across the street. Instead, you should “wait on curb.” The curb is the edge of the street, where the sidewalk ends and the street begins.
Do people really need all of these instructions? Most people probably never look at the sign, but if you are confused, now you know!
~Jeff
October 29th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
It seems to me that you have instructions for everything, even the more simple device has a book with instructions of how to use it. Everyone’s fault is that usually nobody read the instructions brochure, me too.
But this sign is the top, too much for my intelligence, and I think like you Jeff that most people probably never look at the sign.
Here we call the crosswalk “pasos de cebra” (zebra crossing) and the custom should be that three of each five passing cars doesn’t stop if there is not traffic lights.
It should be funny to know how does different places call the crosswalk.
Thanks Jeff for the information, if we go to L.A. some time now we know perfectly well how to cross the road.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
In Spain, some crosswalk signals are complemented with sounds (intermittent beeps) in order to help blind people to cross the street in a safer way: increasing the cadence of the beep’s series according to the available remaining time for crossing the street.
However, the funniest crosswalk signal I have ever seen, I found it out in Cancún – México: an animated human figure, which simulate to be walking while there is enough time for crossing the street and according to the time for crossing is shortening the figure starts to run, faster and faster.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Thank for information the top but I think mor people don’t read it’s (me too) so for the good condition would to wait for untill car stop
thank again for in formation Jeff
October 29th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
It’s funny to read directions while you are waiting steady allow symbol. When I drive car(now I lost my driving license) I hate people who try to cross the street when it’s prohibited for them. I think this directions give possibility for such people remembers rules.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:33 am
In Russia some crossroads and traffic lights are equipped with electronic timer.Green color of numerals indicate remaining time for crossing the street.Red color of numerals mean the time you should wait on curb.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Hi everybody,
I opened a topic in us ESL Google Group about other interesting sign: Total Crisis Panic Button!
I didnt know that sign…
October 30th, 2007 at 5:37 am
To cross or not, that depends on whether we follow the traffic rules or not. after all, it’s related to our lives. and also i think this kind of principle applies to anything likewise. anyway, rules and laws make the world run well.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:15 am
In Italy we use the term “strisce pedonali” for crosswalk.
However, usually drivers don’t respect the crosswalk signals, and it is even more dangerous to cross the streets on the crosswalk than elsewhere…
October 30th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Hello everyone!
He in Brazil we call the Crosswalk “Faixa de pedestres”. I have an interesting story to tell you about this topic. One year ago a co-worker of mine went to the USA for doing business in Pasadena. When he was walking and he had to cross the street sightseeing he noticed that the crosswalk was not near him so he decided to cross the street out of the correct spot. He told me that he got a ticket from the officer street because it is not allowed for people crossing out of the crosswalk.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:13 am
This kind of warning doesn’t work in Brazil, mainly in the big cities. The drivers don’t care about the pedestrian.