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I'd never realized this, even after a year of living as a pedestrian in the UK, but this finally answers my question of why the pedestrian lights take so freaking LONG to turn green here. It may be intended as a pedestrian-friendly measure, but it FEELS like an intense annoyance, and the natural result is that everyone just crosses on red.

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At least in London another difference is that you don't often see traffic lights across the intersection from cars, so it is harder to peek at the traffic signals and know when your crossing is about to go (or whether that approaching car is going to stop or go through the intersection.) Annoying.

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