Really long red light (stores, to move, car)

[StreetJustice]

It was probably just this one place in Nebraska where there was this really long red light but I do remember being stuck at a red light for quite a long time. It was a road near Highway 80, the main highway I was taking while going through Nebraska and I had exited the highway to check out some of the local stores where I ended up getting some DVDs. Anyway, when I was driving back to the highway I came upon an incredibly long red light. This girl on a motorcycle behind me shouted up to me to move forward which would supposedly trigger some kind of detector much like those buttons you press for green lights when you cross the street. I said I didn't think it would do any good but I did let her and her motorcycle friends go ahead of me. I don't remember if they turned right at the light or if they just went straight through it. Anyway, the light eventually did turn green but I must say it was one long red light.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

Originally Posted by StreetJustice

It was probably just this one place in Nebraska where there was this really long red light but I do remember being stuck at a red light for quite a long time. It was a road near Highway 80, the main highway I was taking while going through Nebraska and I had exited the highway to check out some of the local stores where I ended up getting some DVDs. Anyway, when I was driving back to the highway I came upon an incredibly long red light. This girl on a motorcycle behind me shouted up to me to move forward which would supposedly trigger some kind of detector much like those buttons you press for green lights when you cross the street. I said I didn't think it would do any good but I did let her and her motorcycle friends go ahead of me. I don't remember if they turned right at the light or if they just went straight through it. Anyway, the light eventually did turn green but I must say it was one long red light.

Sounds like you may have been at an intersection with a "smart signal," which means it's triggered to turn green when a car (like yours) approaches it or is waiting on the corner. The problem is that if it's only triggered once you get TO the intersection and you are a bit behind the "trigger point" (for lack of a better term), it simply won't be triggered because it doesn't "see" you there. THAT is what the motorcyclists were saying to you.

I've had it happen before where it was clear the person in front of me hadn't gone far enough to the intersection (not IN it of course, just approaching it) to trigger the signal. You can often tell this is happening if the lights for the other direction stay green even when no one is there while you wait and wait and wait and wait. (I've had this happen in particular with left-turn signals.)

I hope this makes sense -- it would be easier to draw than to explain in words!