Comments on: Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo...

Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo...

gman — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:03:26 -0800

In the early 1960s, East German Karl Peglau came up with the idea to put hats on pedestrian crossing signal figures. To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Der Spiegel has posted pictures of two dozen crossing signals from around the world.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:12:07 -0800

In Paris, whether you're walking or don't-walking, you'd damned well better be holding on with both hands.

By: GenjiandProust

GenjiandProust — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:21:08 -0800

The Parisian figures are very jaunty.

By: missix

missix — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:29:23 -0800

Yeah, I haven't gotten through all of these yet, but so far Paris is pretty impressive for managing to imbue theirs with such attitude. Spain is a little distressing. I remember passing through a Canadian town (Whitehorse, maybe?) that had a very jaunty, confident-looking "Walk" guy on their crosswalk signal. He seemed so much happier than the US "head down, grimly striding forward" version.

By: roger ackroyd

roger ackroyd — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:37:34 -0800

The crossing signal is always greener on the other side.

By: cybercoitus interruptus

cybercoitus interruptus — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:45:14 -0800

Love the Austrians' bikes. Thanks for the post!

By: obscurator

obscurator — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:54:44 -0800

Is the Spainard snowshoeing?

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:00:29 -0800

Come on you guys, it's a well-known fact that in Spain one must take robot form when stopped at intersections and shift into frog mode for crossing. Duh.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:17:05 -0800

Nobody's ever seen the Chinese ones. Not that they're not all over the place, just that no-one's ever felt the need to pay them any attention.

By: madajb

madajb — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:25:12 -0800

rot man and grün man! They were the hit of my student exchange back when there was still an East Germany. Street crossings were inevitably punctuated with loud cries of "Rot Man!". So much so, I've taught my daughter that the walk/don't walk figures in my town are rot man and grün man(disregarding the actual red hand/white walky guy reality).

By: lapolla

lapolla — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:59:26 -0800

o Ampelmännchen! how i love you. someday i shall travel to germany just to see you in person. or maybe your sister!

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:13:18 -0800

But just a warning to new artists who might get ideas for introducing new figures: don't get too creative. (A close up of a few images)

By: likeso

likeso — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:23:49 -0800

Ampelmänner are all over Berlin now, and quickly spreading to other cities in former West Germany. Who knows where this may end?! (Husband chose this as his souvenir of our recent visit to Berlin. I try not to regret that I did not.)

By: colfax

colfax — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:42:01 -0800

It took me an embarassingly long time (over a month) to figure out that people in Berlin were calling the signalmen der Ampelmann and not der Apfelmann. Since Apfel means "apple" I wasted a lot of brain space trying to figure out how traffic lights and apples were related. I'd finally come to the conclusion that he must be called der Apfelmann because the green man was holding an apple when I heard the word again for the hundredth time and something finally clicked and I could hear it properly. Luckily I hadn't explained my apple theory to anyone yet.

By: oflinkey

oflinkey — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:56:53 -0800

I would get so sad when I was at a crosswalk and it was one of the hatless Ampelmannchen.

By: oflinkey

oflinkey — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:03:55 -0800

Incidentally, I remember now the Spanish Green Man is animated, and walks faster and faster as the time runs out for you to cross. It is sort of hilarious. Another.

By: moody cow

moody cow — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:24:43 -0800

Related: walking men worldwide.

By: lapolla

lapolla — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:43:50 -0800

oh my gosh madamejujuvive that is FANTASTIC - could be one of my fave things evar.

By: lapolla

lapolla — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:45:05 -0800

oh and hey - sorry gman but i don't get the thread title. que?

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:05:45 -0800

lapolla: it's about an ambulatory style.

By: curious nu

curious nu — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:33:29 -0800

. I'd finally come to the conclusion that he must be called der Apfelmann because the green man was holding an apple There are red apples and green apples. Red apples are wonderful, and you should stop right now and eat one. Green apples are terrible, and you should quickly leave this place and go find somewhere with red apples. It makes perfect sense.

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:16:31 -0800

The best pedestrian crosswalk signs are the ones that inexplicably malfunction and start flipping pedestrians the bird. This happens more often than you'd think. For example, this recent one in Amarillo, Texas, attributed to a manufacturing defect. Or the one in Spokane, Washington, attributed to snow. Or this one in New York, New York, attributed to pranksters. Fuck you, pedestrians!

By: Omon Ra

Omon Ra — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:39:27 -0800

I like my lights of the Miffy variety.

By: joannemullen

joannemullen — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:58:39 -0800

Hats or not, having pedestrian crossings on roads in Spain is about as much use as a "no snowing" sign at the North Pole.

By: mysterpigg

mysterpigg — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:42:50 -0800

Belgium people don't just walk across the street, they dance across!