So, many people say that this “Push Button to Cross” is really not working. They say it’s just a dummy, a placebo. It doesn’t really automatically shizz the traffic light to let you cross. You still have to wait for the traffic to stop.

But I have this habit of pushing that button whenever I try to cross the street because even though in my head, I know it doesn’t work, I also know that it won’t kill you to push it.

But one friend of mine told me that the cross button really does work. He said that one time, while he was waiting for his turn to cross, the traffic aide told him to push the button so he could cross. My other friend however negated his statement and said that that button is really just a placebo, to make you believe it would let you cross.

So, to prove matters to myself, I tried to make an experiment. That photo taken above is in front of the Ateneo de Davao University. The pedestrian there has a good amount of length that you really had to wait for the motor vehicles to stop before you can dare cross safely.

So I stood there without pushing the button, watching the cars in front of me zoom by. The traffic light signaled for the opposite lane to stop, but the red hand signal for pedestrians was still up. I still waited. When the traffic light turned green, the red hand signal was still flashing.

Then I pushed the button and waited. When the traffic light turned red, I was amazed when the red hand signal switched the the yellow “walk” sign. I was able to cross the street. :)

So, after that simple experiment, I therefore conclude, that the button really does work. People just perceived that it was supposed to automatically signal to walk when one pushes it. But it doesn’t really work that way. That button works as a sensor whenever someone wants to cross the street. When the red light lights up, the sensor will signal that whoever wants to cross can now cross safely.