"Spinny Things"

[Reverend Scapegoat]

Bored, wandering the Web... And I figured I might as well induct you lot into the Cult Of The Spinny Thing.

But it's more fun to show you, as opposed to telling you.

The next time you cross the road at a pelican crossing - Put your hand under the button-box, and feel for a bit sticking out, roughly the same size and shape as a toothpate tube lid.
Hold it and wait for the lights to change

It's pretty obvious what it's for, but almost nobody knows they're there!

*Resumes boredom*

[moonbeam]

These are on all crossings for blind people. They took the place of talking pelican crossings when the company who made them seem to go out of business. Edinburgh are experimenting with the latest form of talking crossings. However there were talking crossings on Great Western Road and Paisley Road which have had the talking mechism removed. The spinning top is now in place and approved for blind persons.

[yoker brian]

it's a device called a Tactile Cone, it's designed to assist pedestrians with visual impairments.

These rotate or shake when the pedestrian signal is green - the image of a "green man". indicating it's safe to cross.

Single crossings usually have a bleeper to help blind or partially sighted people know when it is safe to cross. These are not installed on dual crossings as a blind person could hear the far crossings bleeper and think it was safe to cross. In this situation blind pedestrians should use the tactile cone - virtually all signalled pedestrian crossings have a rotating knob underneath the WAIT box, which turns when the green man lights up.

[Reverend Scapegoat]

"Tactile Cone"?

Pfft.
It's a Spinny Thing! :p

[The Egg Man]

it's a device called a Tactile Cone, it's designed to assist pedestrians with visual impairments.

These rotate or shake when the pedestrian signal is green - the image of a "green man". indicating it's safe to cross.

Single crossings usually have a bleeper to help blind or partially sighted people know when it is safe to cross. These are not installed on dual crossings as a blind person could hear the far crossings bleeper and think it was safe to cross. In this situation blind pedestrians should use the tactile cone - virtually all signalled pedestrian crossings have a rotating knob underneath the WAIT box, which turns when the green man lights up.

There's a voice messaging system on the dual crossing lights in Shandwick Place at Stafford Street in Edinburgh. It announces (something like) 'traffic coming from Princes Street has been signalled to stop' or 'traffic coming from Haymarket has been signalled to stop' - depending on the situation.

I imagine there are others in Scotland.

[ibtg]

There is a talking crossing, sorry - voice messaging system, on Crow Road at Randolph Road. From now on I will look out for 'spinny things' - oops, sorry again - tactile cones.

[BrigitDoon]

There is a talking crossing on the dual carriageway by Atholl house in EK. There's a female voice for one direction and a male voice for the other.

"Traffic coming from the town centre has been signalled to stop."

[Vinny the Mackem]

There used to be a talking one on St James Road in Paisley outside the Court. Changed to a non vocal one now.

[DickyHart]

there is two talking ones on rutherglen main street. One oft hem has broke speakers and you cant make it anything it says.

[The Egg Man]

there is two talking ones on rutherglen main street. One oft hem has broke speakers and you cant make it anything it says.

Maybe it was bought from the same folk who make the train announcement systems for Central Station.

[BrigitDoon]

there is two talking ones on rutherglen main street. One oft hem has broke speakers and you cant make it anything it says.

[HollowHorn]

"Tactile Cone"?

Pfft.
It's a Spinny Thing! :p

What a warm wee thread.

[Reverend Scapegoat]

One day I'll get round to attaching a toy spider to one with fishing line and gaffa tape

[Lucky Poet]

As long as you record the results for posterity then it's all good.

I doubted the existence of spinny things, but I witnessed such a device earlier today doing its spinny thing thing.

[Reverend Scapegoat]

Telt ye