Semaphores were created to cause stress not manage traffic. I know this because every time I have somewhere to be in a hurry, and it requires that I have afavorable stop and go ratio at the intersections I will traverse, invariably the green lights disappear and the red lights multiply. If I have no particular deadline to meet and the arrival time at my destination is optional then green lights abound and red lights hide their ugly faces.
This phenomenon has no relationship to time of day. Rush hour with its congested traffic is not caused by increased volume of cars but by the presence of so many stressed out drivers. There must be a secret sensor installed in every car ever manufactured that broadcasts the drivers state of urgency to the traffic light system. When a high level of stress is detected then red lights are authorized.
If I had my way this is what I would see every time I had and urgent need to get somewhere in a hurry.
Many of the years I taught high school at Granger High in West Valley City, Utah I would put up a list of the strange ways my students pronounced words or mashed together several words in a phrase into one word sentences. I always thought that a non-English speaker would have a great deal of difficulty understanding English because of this practice. I share with you some of the words I put on the board along with their translation: cumear--Come here. mahon--come on ackshulee--actually goferit--Go for it. speshulee--especially wanna--want to pasificklee--specifically gitcher--get your nuhuh--"no" doncha--don't you elamentree--elementary snot--It's not. ifyuh--if you cuz--because hiztree--history ferill--for real spelt--spelled oofer--oh for interpet--interpret frood--for rude dinnit--didn't it eye't--all right importun--important dood--dude Ifollayew--I follow you. soreduh--sort of I go--I said anuthern--another one she goes--she said kinda--kind of whadahyuh--what do you hunnert--one hundred cumon--come on zat--that haftahbe--half to be fillings--feelings eggzacklee--exactly member--remember jewluree--jewelry dincha--didn't you sokay--It's okay bob wire--barbed wire innervu--interview duck tape--duct tape unso--and so perdy--pretty newquler--nuclear juskidden--just kidding edjakayshun--education eggzackly--exactly Febyewairee--February cumear--Come here. intressting--interesting sawree--sorry yew-n-yer--you and your lieberry--library geetcher--did you eat your fergot--forgot brannoo--brand new samwitch--sandwich eggzit--exit lektrik--electric squzme--excuse me lemmee--let me pome--poem owdahear--out of here poztoo--suppose to sep--except x-cape--escape hunner--hunter acrost--across crik--creek cabnut--cabinet gozintuh--goes into herjah--I heard you serp--syrup innerseck--intersect innerested--interested urin--You are in problee--probably sallrite--It's all right. I'munhuh--I'm going to. m'allrite--I'm all right. problee--probably frum--from figger--figure lowyer--lawyer seprut--seperate zerenee--Is there any. doanask--Don't ask. punkshul--punctual mountun--mountain jahavyur--do you have your s'whutcher--so, what is your comefturbull--comfortable farzino--As far as I know. sss-goen--How is it going? presheate--appreciate herchurself--Did you hurt yourself? congradulayshuns--congratulations
This list could continue endlessly. It is a miracle we can understand anything a teenager says.
Semaphores were created to cause stress not manage traffic. I know this because every time I have somewhere to be in a hurry, and it requires that I have a favorable stop and go ratio at the intersections I will traverse, invariably the green lights disappear and the red lights multiply. If I have no particular deadline to meet and the arrival time at my destination is optional then green lights abound and red lights hide their ugly faces. 
This phenomenon has no relationship to time of day. Rush hour with its congested traffic is not caused by increased volume of cars but by the presence of so many stressed out drivers. There must be a secret sensor installed in every car ever manufactured that broadcasts the drivers state of urgency to the traffic light system. When a high level of stress is detected then red lights are authorized.
