pat781•5d ago

Question about ignoring traffic light timing after a city engineer called me out

I was coasting through yellows on Main Street and a city engineer at a coffee shop said I was wasting fuel by not planning for the 4-second delay between lights. He showed me the timing chart on his phone and now I slow down 50 feet before every intersection instead of gunning it... anyone else ever get told their driving habits are off by a random expert?

2 comments

2 Comments

ben_lewis5d ago

That engineer basically trained you into being a hypermiler without you signing up for it. Pretty soon you'll be timing every light on that stretch and coasting from three blocks back just to hit the green wave. The problem is when you get someone behind you who thinks the gas pedal is an on/off switch. They'll ride your bumper through the yellow you're intentionally coasting for, then get stuck at the red anyway while you glide through. The whole timing thing works great until reality kicks in with a minivan full of kids and a guy in a Ram who has places to be.

margaretramirez5d ago

That engineer sounds like he was just dying to show someone his cool traffic chart (we all know that guy). Now you're the cautious saint of Main Street while everyone behind you hates your guts.