text:
Talk:Payphone

Decline
But is the rise in popularity of cell phones the whole reason for pay phone extinction? I think not.

Nope. A lot of jurisdictions are removing them because drug dealers use them on the street and many druggies congregate around them, upsetting people in the community. BTW, is it payphone or "pay phone"? -- Zoe
 * Either. Payphone is probably slightly more common and grammatically less ambiguous -- Derek Ross MS Word picks up "payphone" as a misspelling, but "pay phone" passes muster. 66.216.138.30 (talk) 21:10, 3 April 2008 (UTC)jeff

Another reason for the extinction is the fact that it is the payphone owners have to go collecting the 49.4¢ mandated by the FCC, for each toll-free (1800) call. They have to find out who owns (completes the call to) the toll-free number and then go after that company. This process takes from 3-months to several years. Once upon a time it was the inter exchange carrier the call was passed off to that had to pay, but on 7/1/2004 the new rules went into effect which placed that burden on the completing carrier. Since then, MANY unscrupulous calling card operators have charged the 50¢-$1 to their customers but never passed those on to the payphone owners. 66.216.138.30 (talk) 21:10, 3 April 2008 (UTC)jeff

This page need serious cleanup. It needs to be divided into sections, as well as cited for "statistics" within it. -- Joe
 * " lot of jurisdictions are removing them because drug dealers use them on the street and many druggies congregate around them, upsetting people in the community"
 * That doesn't make sense. If I were a drug dealer, I'd get a cheap pre-paid cellphone (less than $10) and throw it away when finished with my days transactions. Why would they bother with a payphone? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.58.251.147 (talk) 16:07, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

In Canada, at least where I am, there's been a distinction between indoor and outdoor payphones, with outdoor ones seen as important because homeless people use them. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.12.39.139 (talk) 00:19, 9 September 2011 (UTC)

Yank history
Add a history section. I want to know when the payphone was first introduced and when the different styles came out. Also, how those styles worked. I think the sound of the dropped coins used to be recognized by an operator who manually placed the calls in the early days.

What about payphone hacks? Phone phreaks used to use them.
 * Try looking for an article in the IEEE magazine, c. 1990 plus or minus 3 years. Talks about blue, red, and black boxes along with the whistles included in cereal packets that kept disconnecting trunk calls. --Nick4mony (talk) 08:04, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

And there were all these simple tricks for getting free phone calls in the 80s without using special equipment (i.e. without blueboxes). If you took a paperclip (Known as: "The Paperclip Trick" to many), stretched it out like a wire, put one end into a hole in the mouth piece so it made contact with the metalic membrane in there and attached the other end to ground (the keyhole on the payphone usually made a good ground), you could get a free local call that way.

 * Coin phone lines usually worked on a 'Ground-Start' arrangement until more complex features and options came along later. The grounding referred to above gave the central office equipment the same signal as if you had deposited the basic local rate by coins. It only worked for making a call within the local area because other equipment and system came into play if you attempted to make a non-local call.An805Guy (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:01, 4 May 2010 (UTC).

 * Collect and return worked by simplex DC when I was repairing them in New York decades ago, while coin dedection was by AF filters picking up different tones for each value of coin. Sources, I don't have, nor do I remember much of the specifics since it was only a small part of my job.  Jim.henderson (talk) 05:18, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

To use the public phones of my youth (Chicago, 1950s and 1960s), you dropped a dime into the slot and dialed your number. For a long-distance call, you dialed the operator, read her (they were invariably women) the number verbally, and were requested to deposit a certain amount, which you did by dropping in quarters plus a few dimes and nickels into the designated slots for each. Each coin made a distinctive sound as it was ingested. I am told that some genius figured out that he could record, on a portable tape recorder, the sounds made by the coins. When, later on, he made a long distance call, the operator might say "Please deposit $1.40." Our man would then use his portable player to play the sound of five quarters, one dime and one nickel. Bong-bong-bong-bong-bong-ping-clink -- and he'd get connected. Apparently, the operator (or some machinery) relied upon the sound and trusted it. Pre-computer machine exploitation. WHPratt (talk) 15:34, 28 April 2009 (UTC)

IIRC there was another article (different issue of the IEEE magazine, c. 1990 plus or minus 3 years) dedicated to payphones - the cover showed a disassembled NyNex payphone. Something for Popular Culture: it referred to a TV program clearly demonstrating how to make a free call (but putting the payphone out of action in the process); the NyNex engineer complained bitterly about the spike of incidents after that episode was broadcast. I don't have these magazines any more. --Nick4mony (talk) 11:15, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

--- The article currently contains a very doubtful statement: "Between 2007 and 2008 the number of payphones in the United States in operation declined by 58 percent." The lone citation offered is to a CNN article, which states (without any specific attribution) that "According to the Federal Communications Commission, the number of them in operation declined by 58 percent between 2007 and 2008."

That seemed high, so I attempted to verify that figure. The FCC publishes annual reports entitled "Trends in Telephone Service" (or sometimes "Trends in Telephony") containing -- among other things -- detailed figures on pay telephones in the US, including total numbers, year-to-year trends, and even a breakdown by state and whether the phone is owned by a LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) or "Independent" owned.

According to the September 2010 edition, there were 872,256 operating payphones in the United States as of March 31, 2007, versus 700,826 operating payphones on March 31, 2008. (Table 7.6). By my calculation, that rounds off to a 19.7 percent decline. Substantial, yes, but nowhere near "58 percent." The 2010 report can be obtained at http://www.fcc.gov/reports/trends-telephony-service-2010  Reports for earlier years are available at http://www.fcc.gov/reports?filter_terms%5B%5D=225 If someone has a more accurate source then by all means cite it. 75.95.173.67 (talk) 00:18, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

British charges
The charges on the page go back to 10p in 2000 but when did it change from 2p to 5p and then to 10p? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.145.120.118 (talk) 11:42, 29 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I remember when it was 4d (old pence). Biscuittin (talk) 13:13, 23 April 2010 (UTC)

 * I can't quote the exact years off the top of my head, but here's a very rough guide. It's complicated by the fact that for some years there were two different types of coinphones in use which charged differently.  The original "Button A/button B" prepay coinphones introduced in 1925 charged 2d. for a local call.  By the 1950's that had risen to 3d., then again to 4d. sometime during the 1960's.  Local calls were untimed.  While the majority of these phones had gone by the end of the decade, some continued in use into the 1970's and were converted for decimal coinage (in fact the very last one remained in service in a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands until 1984).

 * The STD-capable postpay phones started to appear from 1959 onward, and largely displaced the prepay phones during the 1960's. The minimum call fee on these was 3d., but local calls became timed.  Just prior to decimalization, the postpay phones were being produced with mechanisms which accepted 6d. as the smallest deposit, then after decimalization they were changed to accept 2p. as the smallest coin (the old 6d. being equivalent to 2.5p. for younger readers).   Again, I don't have the exact date to hand, but the 1970's was a time of high inflation, and the 2p. coin slots had gone by the end of the decade, making 5p. the smallest possible deposit by about 1980.  87.112.142.201 (talk) 23:29, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

Picture clutter
Too many pictures. Rather than gallerize, I'd like to nominate for deletion the Toronto, California, and Verizon photos as ugly or uninformative or poor in quality. Jim.henderson (talk) 04:59, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

US Interstate Charges
This happened to me,

 * Interstate 2 minute credit card call $24
 * Interstate 2 minute collect call    $44 including all the taxes

I had no idea the charges would be this high until I got the bills. It seems that this is a good place to warn people, but since I am the source, I thought I would post here first. Robert - Northern VA (talk) 07:48, 17 October 2008 (UTC)

 * I sympathise, but Wikipedia is not a place for user experiences, unless it becomes notable because of media exposure (even then, a 3rd party should write it up in a neutral manner). May I suggest Slashdot, the US version of Whirlpool (if any) or similar?. Of course, you may seek out the payphone company's rate sheet, and provide an example (cite the rate sheet using ). --Nick4mony (talk) 04:21, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Now, how do we nominate this section for deletion? AfD? --Nick4mony (talk) 04:21, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Re: In Popular Culture
In the film Damn Yankees, set in the 1950s, Mr. Applegate (who happens to be The Devil) calls "home" from a pay phone, and appropriately has to deposit an ungodly number of quarters for the connection. WHPratt (talk) 12:34, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Does anybody remember that Superman used to change into his costume in a phone booth? ;-) Samatva (talk) 14:49, 8 October 2010 (UTC)

Australia - retrieving your change

 * Telstra has made a security move with most of their payphones, ensuring that money, including change, cannot be retrieved from the machine without opening the cashbox.

For retrieving change, I don't believe it. The coins drop into a refund slot.

Clarification
The payphones don't give change, as such, but will give back unused coins (the most common case being you call a number but it doesn't answer).

So if you put in a 50c coin, and the number doesn't answer, you get it back. But if you put in a $1 coin, you can make two local calls (use follow-on button), but you only get your coin back if neither call was answered. --Nick4mony (talk) 04:55, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Security 'move' is badly written. Will rewrite this section Mr.weedle (talk) 13:24, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Australia - Tritel to toll-free
I will attempt to prod them into a fix (either to the actual payphones or their T&Cs), for various toll-free calls. It's a bit inconsistent, as shown below.

The payphone cuts out with a tone after dialling digits 189 (eg 18918) and 1802 (eg 1802007 - the swine flu hotline). --Nick4mony (talk) 07:55, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Merger proposal
Payphone, Red telephone box and Telephone booth are all much the same, so I suggest the articles be merged. If we are to have several articles, I think it would be better to split them on national lines because there are differences between countries. Biscuittin (talk) 16:50, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

 * Payphone is the general principle - whether in a box by the roadside or on the wall in a restaurant beside a fistful of business cards from local taxi firms. A telephone booth/box is a specific setting for a payphone and the red telephone box is a specific example of a telephone booth (box). Similar progression from vehicle - automobile - Ford Escort. I don't think a merge would be constructive. GraemeLeggett (talk) 19:31, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

 * There is a lot of overlap between the three articles and then there are Public telephone, Public telephone (disambiguation), Callbox, Emergency telephone and Police box. I think a tidy up is needed. Biscuittin (talk) 20:16, 10 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I have done some tidying up on this article and expanded the disambiguation pages. I think it now looks better but please say if you have any suggestions for improvements. Biscuittin (talk) 19:32, 11 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Some of the articles are about telephones that exist for specific purposes; others are about the structures that contain the equipment. I had expected Call box and Telephone booth to be about the same topic, but "call box" seems to be about something more specific in the United States. Peter E. James (talk) 01:17, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

More history of Payphones in Europe? History of the term?
It would be interesting to see more information about the history of payphones in Europe.

Also, when did the term for these devices become a single word? I can recall times when they were referred to as "pay phones," and it was two words instead of one. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Regayov (talk • contribs) 14:51, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

UK Equipment
Neither this article nor Red telephone box covers the equipment used in the UK. There's a nice video clip here of Ernest Marples launching a new type in 1958. I can remember many examples of the previous Button A / Button B type in the 1960s so I'd guess it was 10 years or more before the new type became predominant. Then phonecards came along... --Cavrdg (talk) 07:58, 21 May 2021 (UTC)

Organisation of photos
The photos in this article, grouped into one single section, should be organised throughout the sections of the article. I find, however, that this might be difficult for some of the specific images. Qxukhgiels (talk) 00:25, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

Gray Telephone Pay Station Company
William Gray

--evrik (talk) 20:33, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * http://www.telephonearchive.com/phones/makers/gray.html
 * http://time.com/4425102/public-telephone-booth-history
 * https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-and-last-pay-phone-180952727

UK - In popular culture - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Please add information under a heading as captioned for this Topic... For people familiar with the book series, a pay telephone will make them think of the job "telephone sanitizer"... I used Google and found the following related reference... Use the web browser "Find Text" command to find "telephone" https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/06/stray-thoughts-louis-armstrong-telephone-sanitizers-angry-jungians 173.18.81.80 (talk) 01:26, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Payphone


text:
Traffic light

Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control the flow of traffic.

Traffic lights normally consist of three signals, transmitting meaningful information to road users through colours and symbols, including arrows and bicycles. The regular traffic light colours are red, yellow (also known as amber), and green arranged vertically or horizontally in that order. Although this is internationally standardised, variations in traffic light sequences and laws exist on national and local scales.

Traffic lights were first introduced in December 1868 on Parliament Square in London to reduce the need for police officers to control traffic. Since then, electricity and computerised control has advanced traffic light technology and increased intersection capacity. The system is also used for other purposes, including the control of pedestrian movements, variable lane control (such as tidal flow systems or smart motorways), and railway level crossings.

History
The first system of traffic signals, which was a sephamore traffic signal, was installed as a way to replace police officer control of vehicular traffic outside the Houses of Parliament in London on 9 December 1868. This system exploded on 2 January 1869 and was thus taken down. But, this early traffic signal led to other parts of the world implementing similar traffic signal systems. In the first two decades of the 20th century, semaphore traffic signals like the one in London were in use all over the United States. These traffic signals controlled by a traffic officer who would change the commands on this signal to direct traffic.

In 1912, the first electric traffic light was developed by Lester Wire, a policeman in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was installed by the American Traffic Signal Company on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. The first four-way, three-colour traffic light was created by William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. His design was the first to include an amber 'caution' light along with red and green lights. Potts was Superintendent of Signals for the Police Department of Detroit. He installed automatic four-way, three-colour traffic lights in 15 towers across Detroit in 1921. By 1922, traffic towers were beginning to be controlled by automatic timers more widely. The main advantage of the use of the timer was that it saved cities money by replacing traffic officers. The city of New York was able to reassign all but 500 of its 6,000 officers working on the traffic squad, saving the city $12,500,000.

In 1923, Garrett Morgan patented a design of a manually operated three-way traffic light with moving arms.

The control of traffic lights made a big turn with the rise of computers in America in the 1950s. One of the best historical examples of computerized control of lights was in Denver in 1952. In 1967, the city of Toronto was the first to use more advanced computers that were better at vehicle detection. The computers maintained control over 159 signals in the cities through telephone lines.

Vehicular signals

A set of lights, known as a signal head, may have one, two, three, or more aspects. The most common signal type has three aspects facing the oncoming traffic: red on top, amber (yellow) below, and green below that. Additional aspects may be fitted to the signal, usually to indicate specific restrictions or filter movements.

Meanings of signals
The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals Chapter III provides international standards for the setup of traffic signal operations. Not all states have ratified the convention. A three-colour signal head should have three non-flashing lights which are red, amber, and green, either arranged horizontally (on the side opposite to the direction of traffic) or vertically (with red on top). A two-colour signal head may be used in temporary operation and consists of red and green non-flashing lights. In both cases, all lights should be circular or arrow-shaped. Permissible signals for regulating vehicle traffic (other than public transport vehicles) are outlined in Article 23: Green arrows are added to signals to indicate that drivers can travel in a particular direction, while the main lights for that approach are red, or that drivers can only travel in one particular direction. Alternatively, when combined with another green signal, they may indicate that turning traffic has priority over oncoming traffic (known as a "filter arrow"). Flashing amber arrows typically indicate that road users must give way (to other drivers and pedestrians) before making a movement in the direction of the arrow. These are used because they are safer, cause less delay, and are more flexible. Flashing amber arrows will normally be located below the solid amber.

Green arrows
Arrow aspects may be used to permit certain movements or convey other messages to road users. A green arrow may display to require drivers to turn in a particular direction only or to allow drivers to continue in a particular direction when the signal is red. Generally, a green phase is illuminated at the beginning of the green phase (a "leading turn") or at the end of the green phase (a "lagging turn"). An 'indicative arrow' may be displayed alongside a green light. This indicates to drivers that oncoming traffic is stopped, such that they do not need to give way to that traffic when turning across it. As right-turning traffic (left-side drive) or left-turning traffic (right-side drive) does not normally have priority, this arrow is used to allow turning traffic to clear before the next phase begins.

Some variations exist on this set up. One version is a horizontal bar with five lights – the green and amber arrows are located between the standard green and amber lights. A vertical five-light bar holds the arrows underneath the standard green light (in this arrangement, the amber arrow is sometimes omitted, leaving only the green arrow below the steady green light, or possibly an LED-based device capable of showing both green and amber arrows within a single lamp housing). Some newer LED turn arrows seen in parts of Canada are capable of multicoloured animation. Such lights will often display a flashing and animated green or amber arrow when the dedicated turn is allowed but then transform into a red arrow on a white background with a red line through it, emphasising that the turn is no longer allowed. These lights will also often have the words "no turn" displayed, or an explanatory reason why the turn is not allowed, such as "train" in the case of a rail or light rail crossing.

A third type is known as a "doghouse" or "cluster head" – a vertical column with the two normal lights is on the right side of the signal, a vertical column with the two arrows is located on the left, and the normal red signal is in the middle above the two columns. Cluster signals in Australia and New Zealand use six signals, the sixth being a red arrow that can operate separately from the standard red light. In a fourth type, sometimes seen at intersections in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, there is no dedicated left-turn lamp per se. Instead, the normal green lamp flashes rapidly, indicating permission to go straight as well as make a left turn in front of opposing traffic, which is being held by a steady red lamp. (This "advance green", or flashing green can be somewhat startling and confusing to drivers not familiar with this system. This also can cause confusion amongst visitors to British Columbia, where a flashing green signal denotes a pedestrian-controlled crosswalk. For this reason, Ontario is phasing out the use of flashing green signals and instead replacing them with arrows.)

Countdown lights
Popular in Vietnam and China, countdown lights are additional lights installed next to (or above or below) the main signal lights. The countdown light is displayed by a countdown number with different colors (usually red, yellow, green), matching the color of the light on. When the light counts to "0" (or 1), the main light color immediately changes. Countdown lights may have zeros in the tens or none, some countdown lights may flash when getting ready to zero. Yellow lights can also have countdown lights, but most lights do not. Usually the countdown light has 2 digits, in case the time of the main light (usually the red light, rarely the green light) is longer than 100 seconds, depending on the type of light, the following possibilities may occur:

 * 1) Lights have not counted down, when 99 seconds are left, start counting. During the standby time, the light may be displayed as "99", "00", "--" or not displayed.
 * 2) Last 2 digits count light of the timeout (the counter light is 15 while the time is 115 seconds, there are some types of lights that count as "-9" or "9-" when the time is 109 seconds)
 * 3) Tens digit on the displayer becomes a letter. Displaying A0 for 100 seconds, B0 for 110 seconds, so forth.
 * 4) Displaying only last 2 digits but with flashing to indicate it's more than 100.

Issue about yellow light dilemma zone in South Korea
In South Korea, yellow light dilemma zone is not legally recognised. In other words, when yellow light is on, traffic may not pass the stop line or enter the intersection even if cannot safely stop when the light shows. This has been reaffirmed by the ruling of the Supreme Court of Korea in May 2024. There are criticisms in South Korea say that this is unrealistic and unreasonable. In addition, this can cause multiple collisions due to sudden braking.

Yellow trap
Without an all-red phase, cross-turning traffic may be caught in a yellow trap. When the signal turns yellow, a turning driver may assume oncoming traffic will stop and a crash may result. For this reason, the US bans sequences that may cause a yellow trap. This can also happen when emergency vehicles or railroads preempt normal signal operation. In the United States, signs reading "Oncoming traffic has extended green" or "Oncoming traffic may have extended green" must be posted at intersections where the "yellow trap" condition exists.

Variations
The United States is not party to the Vienna Convention; rather, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) outlines correct operation in that country. In the US, a single signal head may have three, four, or five aspects (though a single aspect green arrow may be displayed to indicate a continuous movement). The signals must be arranged red, amber, and green vertically (top to bottom) or horizontally (left to right). In the US, a single-aspect flashing amber signal can be used to raise attention to a warning sign and a single-aspect flashing red signal can be used to raise attention to a "stop", "do not enter", or "wrong way" sign. Flashing red or amber lights, known as intersection control beacons, are used to reinforce stop signs at intersections. The MUTCD specifies the following vehicular signals: In the Canadian province of Quebec and the Maritime provinces, lights are often arranged horizontally, but each aspect is a different shape: red is a square (larger than the normal circle) and usually in pairs at either end of the fixture, amber is a diamond, and green is a circle. In many southern and southwestern U.S. states, most traffic signals are similarly horizontal in order to ease wind resistance during storms and hurricanes. Japanese traffic signals mostly follow the same rule except that the green "go" signals are referred to as 青 (ao), typically translated as "blue", reflecting a historical change in the Japanese language. As a result, Japanese officials decreed in 1973 that the "go" light should be changed to the bluest possible shade of green, bringing the name more in line with the color without violating the international "green means go" rule.

In the UK, normal traffic lights follow this sequence: A speed sign is a special traffic light, variable traffic sign, or variable-message sign giving drivers a recommended speed to approach the next traffic light in its green phase and avoid a stop due to reaching the intersection when lights are red.
 * Red – Stop, do not proceed
 * Red and Amber – Get ready to proceed, but do not proceed yet
 * Green – Proceed if the intersection or crossing is clear; vehicles are not allowed to block the intersection or crossing
 * Amber – Stop, unless it is unsafe to do so

Pedestrian signals
Pedestrian signals are used to inform pedestrians when to cross a road. Most pedestrian signal heads will have two lights: a 'walk' light (normally a walking human figure, typically coloured green or white) and a 'don't walk' light (normally either a red or orange man figure or a hand), though other variations exist.

Where pedestrians need to cross the road between junctions, a signal-controlled crossing may be provided as an alternative to a zebra crossing or uncontrolled crossing. Traffic lights are normally used at crossings where vehicle speeds are high, where either vehicle or pedestrian flows are high or near signalised junctions. In the UK, this type of crossing is called a pelican crossing, though more modern iterations are puffin and pedex crossings. In the UK, these crossings normally need at least four traffic signals, which are of a regular type (red, amber, and green), two facing in each direction. Furthermore, pedestrians will be provided with push buttons and pedestrian signals, consisting of a red and green man. Farside signals are located across the crossing, while nearside signals are located below the traffic lights, facing in the direction of oncoming traffic. A HAWK beacon is a special type of traffic used in the US at mid-block crossings. These consist of two red signals above a single amber signal. The beacon is unlit until a pedestrian pushes the cross button. Then an amber light will show, followed by both red lights, at which point the 'Walk' symbol will illuminate for pedestrians. At the end of the crossing phase, the 'Don't Walk' symbol will flash, as will the amber traffic light. Pedestrians are usually incorporated into urban signalised junctions in one of four ways: no facilities, parallel walk, walk with traffic, or all-red stages. No facilities may be provided if pedestrian demand is low, in areas where pedestrians are not permitted, or if there is a subway or overpass. No provision of formal facilities means pedestrians will have to self-evaluate when it is safe to cross, which can be intimidating for pedestrians. With a "parallel walk" design, pedestrians walk alongside the traffic flow. A leading pedestrian interval may be provided, whereby pedestrians get a "walk" signal before the traffic gets a green light, allowing pedestrians to establish themselves on the crossing before vehicles begin to turn, to encourage drivers to give way. A 'walk with traffic' facility allows pedestrians to go at the same time as other traffic movements with no conflict between movements. This can work well on one-way roads, where turning movements are banned or where the straight-ahead movement runs in a different stage from the turning movement. A splitter island could also be provided. Traffic will pass on either side of the island and pedestrians can cross the road safely between the other flows.

An all-red stage, also known as a full pedestrian stage, a pedestrian scramble or a Barnes Dance, holds all vehicular traffic at the junction to allow pedestrians time to safely cross without conflict from vehicles. It allows allows the use of diagonal crossings. This may require a longer cycle time and increase pedestrian wait periods, though the latter can be eased by providing two pedestrian stages. Pedestrian countdown timers are becoming common at urban signal-controlled crossings. Where a pedestrian countdown is shown, it is normally used in conjunction with the flashing hand signal (in the US and Canada) or blackout period (UK), showing the amount of time remaining in seconds until the end of the flashing hand or blackout. Pedestrian countdown timers do not significantly increase or reduce the number of red- and amber-light running drivers. Studies have found that pedestrian countdown timers do significantly improve pedestrian compliance over traditional pedestrian signals; however, results are mixed.

Smartphone Zombie ribbon
As the 12 to 45% of pedestrian deaths caused by 'pedestrian distraction' has been linked to cell phone usage, some cities (including Sydney, Seoul, Augsburg, Bodegraven, Tel Aviv, and Singapore) have installed LED strips embedded in the sidewalk before crosswalks to warn distracted pedestrians of immanent pedestrian crossings. This additional signal, which is synchronized with conventional signals, aims to decrease injury rates by telling distracted pedestrians when it is safe to cross the road without them having to lift their head.

Auditory and tactile signals
In some jurisdictions such as Australia, pedestrian lights are associated with a sound device, for the benefit of blind and visually impaired pedestrians. These make a slow beeping sound when the pedestrian lights are red and a continuous buzzing or fast beeping sound when the lights are green. In the Australian States of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, the sound is produced in the same unit as the push buttons. In a circle above the button, the sound is produced and can be felt along with a raised arrow that points in the direction to walk. This system of assistive technology is also widely used at busy intersections in Canadian cities. In the United Kingdom, the Puffin crossings and their predecessor, the Pelican crossing, will make a fast beeping sound to indicate that it is safe to cross the road. The beeping sound is disabled during the nighttime so as not to disturb any nearby residents.

In some states in the United States, at some busy intersections, buttons will make a beeping sound for blind people. When the light changes, a speaker built into the button will play a recording to notify blind people that it is safe to cross. When the signal flashes red, the recording will start to count down with the countdown timer. In several countries such as New Zealand, technology also allows deaf and blind people to feel when lights have changed to allow safe crossing. A small pad, housed within an indentation in the base of the box housing the button mechanism, moves downwards when the lights change to allow crossing. This is designed to be felt by anyone waiting to cross who has limited ability to detect sight or sound. In Japan, a traffic light emits an electronic sound that mimics the sound of birdsong to help the visually impaired. Some traffic lights fix the order and type of sound so that they can tell which direction is a green light. In general, "Piyo" (peep) and "Piyo-piyo", which is a small bird call, and "Kakkō" and "Ka-kakkō", which is a cuckoo call, are associated with this system. Some pedestrian crossings in Lithuania make a slow beeping sound indicating that the traffic light is about to turn off.

Cycle signals
Where cycle lanes or cycle tracks exist on the approach to a signal-controlled junction, it must be considered how to incorporate cyclists safely into the junction to reduce conflict between motor vehicles and cyclists.

An advanced stop line can be placed after the stop line at traffic lights. This allows cyclists to position themselves in front of traffic at a red light and get a headstart.

In the US, design advice typically advises that the cycle lane should continue through the junction to the left of the right-turn lane; however, this creates conflict where motor vehicles wish to enter the right lane, as they must cross the cycle lane at a bad angle.

Under Dutch engineering principles, cyclists are instead kept to the right of the junction, with protected kerbs. This improves safety by putting cyclists into the eyeline of motor vehicles at the stop line, allowing cyclists a headstart over turning traffic. This design also allows cyclists to complete far-side turns without having to wait in the centre of the junction. UK engineers have innovated on this design through the Cycle Optimised Protected Signals (CYCLOPS) junction, e.g. in Manchester. This places the cycle track around the edge of the signal junction and gives cyclists and pedestrians a single all-red phase, entirely separate from motor traffic and shortens pedestrian crossing times.

Alternatively, cyclists can be considered pedestrians on approach to a junction, or where a cycle track crosses a road and combined pedestrian-cyclist traffic lights (known as Toucan crossings in the UK) can be provided.

Public transport signals
Traffic lights for public transport often use signals that are distinct from those for private traffic. They can be letters, arrows or bars of white or (an LED 100-watt typical) coloured light.

Transit signals in North America
MUTCD specifies a standard vertically oriented signal with either two or three lenses, displaying white lines on a black background.

Some systems use the letter B for buses and T for trams. The METRO light rail system in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Valley Metro Rail in Phoenix, Arizona, and the RTA Streetcar System in New Orleans use a simplified variant of the Belgian/French system in the respective city's central business district where only the "go" and "stop" configurations are used. A third signal equal to amber is accomplished by flashing the "go" signal.

Public transport signals in Europe
In some European countries and Russia, dedicated traffic signals for public transport (tram, as well any that is using a dedicated lane) have four white lights that form the letter T. If the three top lamps are lit, this means "stop". If the bottom lamp and some lamps on the top row are lit, this means permission to go in a direction shown. In the case of a tram signal, if there are no tram junctions or turns at an intersection, a simpler system of one amber signal in the form of the letter T is used instead; the tram must proceed only when the signal is lit.

In North European countries, the tram signals feature white lights of different forms: "S" for "stop", "—" for "caution" and arrows to permit passage in a given direction. In Sweden, All signals use white lighting and special symbols ("S", "–" and an arrow) to distinguish them from regular signals.

The Netherlands uses a distinctive "negenoog" (nine-eyed) design shown on the top row of the diagram; bottom row signals are used in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany. The signals mean (from left to right): "go straight ahead", "go left", "go right", "go in any direction" (like the "green" of a normal traffic light), "stop, unless the emergency brake is needed" (equal to "amber"), and "stop" (equal to "red").

Public transport signals in the Asia-Pacific region
In Japan, tram signals are under the regular vehicle signal; however, the colour of the signal intended for trams is orange. The small light at the top tells the driver when the vehicle's transponder signal is received by the traffic light. In Hong Kong, an amber T-signal is used for trams, in place of the green signal. In addition, at any tramway junction, another set of signals is available to indicate the direction of the tracks. In Australia and New Zealand, a white "B" or "T" sometimes replaces the green light indicating that buses or trams (respectively) have right of way.

Preemption and priority
Some regions have signals that are interruptible, giving priority to special traffic, usually emergency vehicles such as firefighting apparatus, ambulances, and police cars. Most of the systems operate with small transmitters that send radio waves, infrared signals, or strobe light signals that are received by a sensor on or near the traffic lights. Some systems use audio detection, where a certain type of siren must be used and detected by a receiver on the traffic light structure.

Upon activation, the normal traffic light cycle is suspended and replaced by the "preemption sequence": the traffic lights to all approaches to the intersection are switched to "red" with the exception of the light for the vehicle that has triggered the preemption sequence. Sometimes, an additional signal light is placed nearby to indicate to the preempting vehicle that the preempting sequence has been activated and to warn other motorists of the approach of an emergency vehicle. The normal traffic light cycle resumes after the sensor has been passed by the vehicle that triggered the preemption.

In lieu of preemptive mechanisms, in most jurisdictions, emergency vehicles are not required to respect traffic lights. However, emergency vehicles must slow down, proceed cautiously and activate their emergency lights to alert oncoming drivers to the preemption when crossing an intersection against the light.

Unlike preemption, which immediately interrupts a signal's normal operation to serve the preempting vehicle and is usually reserved for emergency use, "priority" is a set of strategies intended to reduce delay for specific vehicles, especially mass transit vehicles such as buses. A variety of strategies exist to give priority to transit but they all generally work by detecting approaching transit vehicles and making small adjustments to the signal timing. These adjustments are designed to either decrease the likelihood that the transit vehicle will arrive during a red interval or decrease the length of the red interval for those vehicles that are stopped. Priority does not guarantee that transit vehicles always get a green light the instant they arrive as preemption does.

Operation
A variety of different control systems are used to operate signal cycles smoothly, ranging from simple clockwork mechanisms to sophisticated computerised control systems. Computerised systems are normally actuated, i.e. controlled by loop detectors or other sensors on junction approaches. Area-wide coordination can allow green wave systems to be set up for vehicles or cycle tracks. Smart traffic light systems combine traditional actuation, a wider array of sensors and artificial intellegence to further improve performance of signal systems. A traffic signal junction or crossing is typically controlled by a controller mounted inside a cabinet nearby.

"Phases" (or "signal groups" in Australia and New Zealand) are indications show simultaneously, e.g. multiple green lights which control the same traffic approach. A "movement" is any path through the junction which vehicles or pedestrians are permitted to take, which is "conflicting" if these paths cross one another. A stage (or "phase" in ANZ) is a group of non-conflicting phases which move at the same time. The stages are collectively known as a "cycle". The time between two conflicting green phases is called an "intergreen period", which is set at an appropriate length for the junction to safely clear, especially for turning traffic which may be waiting in the centre of the junction. This often results in an all red stage, when all approaches are shown a red light and no vehicle can proceed. This all red is sometimes extended to allow a pedestrian scramble, where pedestrians can cross the empty junction in any direction all at once. Some signals have no "all red" phase: the light turns green for cross traffic the instant the other light turns red.

Many traffic light installations are fitted with vehicle actuation, i.e. detection, to improve the flexibility of traffic systems to respond to varying traffic flows. Detectors come in the form of digital sensors fitted to the signal heads or induction loops within the road surface. Induction loops are beneficial due to their smaller chance of breakdown, but their simplicity can limit their ability to handle some situations, particularly involving lighter vehicles such as motorcycles or pedal cycles. This situation most often occurs at times of day when other traffic is sparse as well as when the small vehicle is coming from a direction that does not have a high volume of traffic.

Timing
The timing of the intergreen is usually based on the size of the intersection, which can range from two to five seconds. Modelling programs include the ability to calculate intergreen times automatically. Intergreen periods are determined by calculating the path distance for every conflict point in the junction, which is the distance travelled to the conflict point by the movement losing right of way minus the distance travelled to the same conflict point by the movement gaining right of way using the possible conflict points (including with pedestrians) and calculating both the time it would take the last vehicle to clear the furthest collision point and the first vehicle from the next stage to arrive at the conflict point. At actuated junctions, integreens can be varied to account for traffic conditions.

Engineers also need to set the amber timings (and red-amber, where appropriate), which is normally standardised by a traffic authority. For example, in the UK, the amber time is fixed nationally at three seconds and the red-amber time at two seconds, which results in a minimum intergreen time of five seconds (plus any all-red time). The US also uses a minimum of three seconds, but local traffic authorities can make timings longer, especially on wider, suburban roads. This variation has resulted in controversy when municipalities with shorter amber times use red light cameras. Where pedestrian signals are used, the timing of the "inivitation to cross" – the period where a steady walk signal shows – and clearance periods – time when the walk signal flashes or no signal is shown – need to be calculated. This is normally set against a design speed, e.g. 1.2 m/s. Similarly, these can be made extendable using sensors, allowing slower-moving pedestrians more time to cross the street.

Design guidance
National or sub-national highway authorities often issue guidance documents on the specification of traffic signals and design of signalised intersections according to national or local regulations. For example, in the United States the Federal Highway Administration issues the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Signalized Intersections Information Guide, which is a synthesis of best practices and treatments to help practitioners make informed decisions.

Variable lane control
Variable lane control is a form of intelligent transportation systems which involve the use of lane-use control signals, typically on a gantry above a carriageway. These lights are used in tidal flow systems to allow or forbid traffic to use one or more of the available lanes by the use of green lights or arrows (to permit) or by red lights or crosses (to prohibit). Variable lane control may be in use at toll plazas to indicate open or closed booths; during heavy traffic to facilitate merging traffic from a slip road.

In the US, most notably the Southeastern, there often is a "continuous-flow" lane. This lane is protected by a single, constant-green arrow pointing down at the lane(s) permitting the continuous flow of traffic, without regard to the condition of signals for other lanes or cross streets. Continuous lanes are restricted in that vehicles turning from a side street may not cross over the double white line to enter the continuous lane, and no lane changes are permitted to the continuous lane from an adjacent lane or from the continuous lane to an adjacent lane until the double white line has been passed. Some continuous lanes are protected by a raised curb located between the continuous lane and a normal traffic lane, with white and/or amber reflective paint or tape, prohibiting turning or adjacent traffic from entering the lane.

Continuous-flow traffic lanes are found only at "T" intersections where there is no side street or driveway entrance on the right side of the main thoroughfare; additionally, no pedestrians are permitted to cross the main thoroughfare at intersections with a continuous-flow lane, although crossing at the side street may be permitted. Intersections with continuous-flow lanes will be posted with a white regulatory sign approximately 500 feet before the intersection with the phrase, "right lane continuous traffic," or other, similar, wording. If the arrow is extinguished for any reason, whether by malfunction or design, traffic through the continuous lane will revert to the normal traffic pattern for adjacent lanes, except that turning or moving into or out of the restricted lane is still prohibited.

Waterways and railways
The three-aspect standard is also used at locks on the Upper Mississippi River. Red means that another vessel is passing through. Amber means that the lock chamber is being emptied or filled to match the level of the approaching vessel. After the gate opens, green means that the vessel may enter.

Railroad signals, for stopping trains in their own right of way, generally use the opposite positioning of the colours; that is, for signals above the driver's eyeline, green on top and red below is the standard placement of the signal colours on railroad tracks. There are three reasons for this variation: there is no risk that railway signals will be masked by a tall vehicle between the driver and the signal; train speeds in fog are much higher than for road vehicles, so it is important that the most restrictive signal is closest to the driver's eyeline; and with railway signals often in exposed rural locations, there is a risk of any signal other than the bottom one being masked by snow building up on the hood of the signal below.

Rules
Traffic lights control flows of traffic using social norms and legal rules. In most jurisdictions, it is against the law to disobey traffic signals and the police, or devices such as red light cameras, can issue fines or other penalties – and in some cases prosecute – drivers who break those laws. US-based studies have found that the majority of drivers think that it is dangerous to run a red light at speed and the most common reason for red light running include inattentive driving, following an oversized vehicle or during inclement weather.

The rules governing traffic light junctions for vehicles differ by jurisdiction. For example, it is common in North America that drivers can turn kerb-to-kerb (i.e. turning right at most junctions), even when a red light shows. On the other hand, this turn on red rule is uncommon in Europe, unless an arrow signal or traffic sign specifically permits it.

Bulbs
Conventional traffic signal lighting, still common in some areas, uses a standard light bulb. The light then bounces off a mirrored glass or polished aluminium reflector bowl, and out through a polycarbonate plastic or glass signal lens. In some signals, these lenses were cut to include a specific refracting pattern. Traditionally, incandescent and halogen bulbs were used. Because of the low efficiency of light output and a single point of failure (filament burnout), some traffic authorities are choosing to retrofit traffic signals with LED arrays that consume less power, have increased light output, and last significantly longer. Moreover, in the event of an individual LED failure, the aspect will still operate albeit with a reduced light output. The light pattern of an LED array can be comparable to the pattern of an incandescent or halogen bulb fitted with a prismatic lens.

The low energy consumption of LED lights can pose a driving risk in some areas during winter. Unlike incandescent and halogen bulbs, which generally get hot enough to melt away any snow that may settle on individual lights, LED displays – using only a fraction of the energy – remain too cool for this to happen. As a response to the safety concerns, a heating element on the lens was developed.

Programmable visibility signals
Signals such as the 3M High Visibility Signal utilize light-diffusing optics and a Fresnel lens to create the signal indication. The light from a 150 W PAR46 sealed-beam lamp in these "programmable visibility" signals passes through a set of two glass lenses at the back of the signal. The first lens, a frosted glass diffusing lens, diffuses the light into a uniform ball of light around five inches in diameter. The light then passes through a nearly identical lens known as an optical limiter (3M's definition of the lens itself), also known as a "programming lens", also five inches in diameter.

Using a special aluminium foil-based adhesive tape, these signals are "masked" or programmed by the programming lens so that only certain lanes of traffic will view the indication. At the front of these programmable visibility signals is a 12" Fresnel lens, each lens tinted to meet United States Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) chromaticity and luminance standards. The Fresnel lens collimates the light output created by the lamp and creates a uniform display of light for the lane in which it is intended.

In addition to being positioned and mounted for desired visibility for their respective traffic, some traffic lights are also aimed, louvered, or shaded to minimize misinterpretation from other lanes. For example, a Fresnel lens on an adjacent through-lane signal may be aimed to prevent left-turning traffic from anticipating its own green arrow. Intelight Inc. manufactures a programmable traffic signal that uses a software-controlled LED array and electronics to steer the light beam toward the desired approach. The signal is programmed unlike the 3M and McCain models. It requires a connection to a laptop or smartphone with the manufacturer's software installed. Connections can be made directly with a direct-serial interface kit, or wirelessly with a radio kit over WIFI to the signal. In addition to aiming, Fresnel lenses, and louvers, visors and back panels are also useful in areas where sunlight would diminish the contrast and visibility of a signal face. Typical applications for these signals were skewed intersections, specific multi-lane control, left-turn pocket signals, or other areas where complex traffic situations existed.

Size
In the United States, traffic lights are currently designed with lights approximately 12 in in diameter. Previously the standard had been 8 in; however, those are slowly being phased out in favour of the larger and more visible 12 inch lights. Variations used have also included a hybrid design, which had one or more 12 inch lights along with one or more lights of 8 in on the same light.

In the United Kingdom, 12-inch lights were implemented only with Mellor Design Signal heads designed by David Mellor. These were designed for symbolic optics to compensate for the light loss caused by the symbol. However, following a study sponsored by the UK Highways Agency and completed by Aston University, Birmingham, UK, an enhanced optical design was introduced in the mid-1990s. Criticism of sunlight washout (cannot see the illuminated signal due to sunlight falling on it), and sun-phantom (signal appearing to be illuminated even when not due to sunlight reflecting from the parabolic mirror at low sun angles), led to the design of a signal that used lenslets to focus light from a traditional incandescent bulb through apertures in a matt black front mask. This cured both problems in an easily manufactured solution. This design proved successful and was taken into production by a number of traffic signal manufacturers through the engineering designs of Dr. Mark Aston, working firstly at the SIRA Ltd in Kent, and latterly as an independent optical designer.

The manufacturers took a licence for the generic design from the Highways Agency, with Dr. Aston engineering a unique solution for each manufacturer. Producing both bulb and LED versions of the signal aspects, these signals are still the most common type of traffic light on UK roads. With the invention of anti-phantom, highly visible Aston lenses, lights of 8 in could be designed to give the same output as plain lenses, so a larger surface area was unnecessary. Consequently, lights of 12 in are no longer approved for use in the UK and all lights installed on new installations have to be 200 mm in accordance with TSRGD (Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions). Exemptions are made for temporary or replacement signals.

Mounting and placement
The MUTCD identifies five types of traffic light mounts. On pedestals, signal heads are mounted on a single pole (this is the normal installation method for the UK). On mast arms, signal heads are mounted on a rigid arm over the road protuding from the pole. On strained poles, signals are suspended over a roadway on a wire, attached to poles at opposite kerbs. This is the most common installation method in the United States. Unipoles are similar to strain poles, but a single structure over the road, rather than two poles linked with wire. Finally, signals can be attached to existing structures such as an overpass. Dummy lights are traffic signs located in the centre of a junction, which operate on a fixed cycle. These have generally been decommissioned due to safety concerns; however, a number remain due to historic value.

Signals can either be placed nearside – between the stop line and the kerbline of the intersecting road – or farside – on the opposite side of the junction. In European countries, signals are often placed on the nearside. In the UK, at least two signal heads are required (known as the primary and secondary heads), one of which is normally nearside and the other of which could be nearside or farside. In the US, signals are normally located farside, though in some states, nearside signals are also used. Nearside signals can be beneficial to road safety, as drivers have more time to see a red light and are less likely to encroach on pedestrian crossings.

Effects
Drivers spend on average around 2% of journey time passing through signalised junctions. Traffic lights can increase the traffic capacity at intersections and reduce delay for side road traffic, but can also result in increased delay for main road traffic. Hans Monderman, the innovative Dutch traffic engineer, and pioneer of shared space schemes, was sceptical of their role, and is quoted as having said of them: "We only want traffic lights where they are useful and I haven't found anywhere where they are useful yet."

A World Economic Forum study found that signalised junctions are linked to higher rates of localised air pollution. Drivers accelerate and stop frequently at lights and as such peak particle concentration can be around 29 times higher than during free-flow conditions. The WEF recommends that traffic authorities synchronise traffic signals, consider alternative traffic management systems and consider placing traffic lights away from residential areas, schools, and hospitals.

The separation of conflicting streams of traffic in time can reduce the chances of right-angle collisions by turning traffic and cross traffic, but they can increase the frequency of rear-end crashes by up to 50%. Since right-angled and turn-against-traffic collisions are more likely to result in injuries, this is often an acceptable trade-off. They can also adversely affect the safety of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Between 1979 and 1988, the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, removed signals at 199 intersections that were not warranted. On average, the intersections had 24% fewer crashes after the unwarranted signals were removed. The traffic lights had been erected in the 1960s because of since-resolved protests over traffic. By 1992, over 800 traffic lights had been removed at 426 intersections, and the number of crashes at these intersections dropped by 60%.

Justification
Criteria have been developed to help ensure that new traffic lights are installed only where they will do more good than harm and to justify the removal of existing traffic lights where they are not warranted. They are most often placed on arterial roads at intersections with either another arterial road or a collector road, or on an expressway where an interchange is not warranted. In some situations, traffic signals can also be found on collector roads in busy settings.

The International Municipal Signal Association provides input as to standards concerning traffic signals and control devices. One example is the input the association provided for the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD is issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

In the United States, the criteria for installation of a traffic control signal are prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which defines the criteria in nine warrants:
 * Eight-hour vehicular volume. Traffic volume must exceed prescribed minima for eight hours of an average weekday.
 * Four-hour vehicular volume. Traffic volume must exceed prescribed minima for four hours of an average weekday.
 * Peak hour volume or delay. This is applied only in unusual cases, such as office parks, industrial complexes, and park and ride lots that attract or discharge large numbers of vehicles in a short time, and for a minimum of one hour of an average weekday. The side road traffic suffers undue delays when entering or crossing the major street.
 * Pedestrian volume. If the traffic volume on a major street is so heavy that pedestrians experience excessive delays in attempting to cross it.
 * School crossing. If the traffic density at school crossing times exceeds one per minute which is considered to provide too few gaps in the traffic for children to safely cross the street.
 * Coordinated signal system. For places where adjacent traffic control signals do not keep traffic grouped together efficiently.
 * Crash experience. The volumes in the eight- and four-hour warrants may be reduced if five or more right-angle and cross traffic turn collisions have happened at the intersection in a twelve-month period.
 * Roadway network. Installing a traffic control signal at some intersections might be justified to encourage concentration and organization of traffic flow on a roadway network.
 * Intersection near a grade crossing. A traffic control signal is often justified at an intersection near a railroad crossing, in order to provide a preemption sequence to allow traffic queued up on the tracks an opportunity to clear the tracks before the train arrives.

In the US, an intersection is usually required to meet one or more of these warrants before a signal is installed. However, meeting one or more warrants does not require the installation of a traffic signal, it only suggests that they may be suitable. It could be that a roundabout would work better. There may be other unconsidered conditions that lead traffic engineers to conclude that a signal is undesirable. For example, it may be decided not to install a signal at an intersection if traffic stopped by it will back up and block another, more heavily trafficked intersection. Also, if a signal meets only the peak hour warrant, the advantages during that time may not outweigh the disadvantages during the rest of the day.

In other contexts
The symbolism of a traffic light (and the meanings of the three primary colours used in traffic lights) are frequently found in many other contexts. Since they are often used as single spots of colour without the context of vertical position, they are typically not comprehensible to up to one in ten males who are colour blind.

Traffic lights have also been used in computer software, such as the macOS user interface, and in pieces of artwork, particularly Traffic Light Tree in London, UK.

Racing
Automobile racing circuits can also use standard traffic signals to indicate to racing car drivers the status of racing. On an oval track, four sets may be used, two facing a straight-away and two facing the middle of the 180-degree turn between straight-away. Green would indicate racing is underway, while amber would indicate to slow or while following a pace car; red would indicate to stop, probably for emergency reasons.

Scuderia Ferrari, a Formula One racing team, formerly used a traffic light system during their pit stops to signal to their drivers when to leave the pits. The red light was on when the tires were being changed and fuel was being added, amber was on when the tires were changed, and green was on when all work was completed. The system is (usually) completely automatic. However, the system was withdrawn after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, due to the fact that it heavily delayed Felipe Massa during the race, when he was in the lead. Usually, the system was automatic, but heavy traffic in the pit lane forced the team to operate it manually. A mechanic accidentally pressed the green light button when the fuel hose was still attached to the car, causing Massa to drive off, towing the fuel hose along. Additionally, Massa drove into the path of Adrian Sutil, earning him a penalty. He finally stopped at the end of the pit lane, forcing Ferrari's mechanics to sprint down the whole of the pit lane to remove the hose. As a result of this, and the penalty he also incurred, Massa finished 13th. Ferrari decided to use a traditional "lollipop" for the remainder of the 2008 season.

Another type of traffic light that is used in racing is the Christmas Tree, which is used in drag racing. The Christmas Tree has six lights: a blue staging light, three amber lights, a green light, and a red light. The blue staging light is divided into two parts: Pre-stage and stage. Sometimes, there are two sets of bulbs on top of each other to represent them. Once a driver is staged at the starting line, then the starter will activate the light to commence racing, which can be done in two ways. If a Pro tree is used, then the three amber lights will flash at the same time. For the Sportsman tree, the amber light will flash from top to bottom. When the green light comes up, the race officially begins but if a driver crosses the line before that happens, then a red light will come up and that will be a foul.

As a rating mechanism
The colours red, amber, and green are often used as a simple-to-understand rating system for products and processes. It may be extended by analogy to provide a greater range of intermediate colours, with red and green at the extremes.

In Unicode
In Unicode, the symbol for is HORIZONTAL TRAFFIC LIGHT and  is VERTICAL TRAFFIC LIGHT.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Traffic light


text:
Cleopatra Thea

Cleopatra I or Cleopatra Thea (, which means "Cleopatra the Goddess"; c. 164 – 121 BC), surnamed Eueteria (εὐετηρῐ́ᾱ lit. 'good-harvest/fruitful season') was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. She was queen consort of Syria from 150 to about 125 BC as the wife of three Syrian kings: Alexander Balas, Demetrius II Nicator, and Antiochus VII Sidetes. She ruled Syria from 125 BC after the death of Demetrius II Nicator, eventually in co-regency with her son Antiochus VIII Grypus until 121 or 120 BC.

Childhood
Cleopatra Thea was born, probably ca. 164 BC, to Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II, and grew up in Egypt. She may have been engaged to her uncle Ptolemy VIII, king of Cyrene, in 154, but he eventually married her sister Cleopatra III.

Queen of Alexander Balas
In 152 BC, her father, who had come into conflict with the Seleucid king Demetrius I Soter, chose to promote Antiochus IV's son Alexander Balas against him and supported him with troops and officers. When Alexander triumphed over Demetrius in 150 BC, he requested Ptolemy's daughter as a warranty of alliance. The two kings met, amid sumptuous ceremonies, in Ptolemais Akko, and Alexander received Cleopatra in marriage. The marriage soon produced a son named Antiochus Dionysus.

Queen of Demetrius II
In 147 BC, Demetrius Soter's son Demetrius II invaded Cilicia. Two years later Ptolemy VI brought his army into Syria, ostensibly to help Alexander Balas fight the invaders. Having installed garrisons in the Seleucid coastal cities, he eventually betrayed Alexander outright by seizing Antioch. There he reunited with Cleopatra. In accordance with her father's new political program, she divorced Alexander and married Demetrius II instead. The marriage deal stated that Ptolemy would help Demetrius take the throne from Alexander; in exchange, Egypt would receive the province of Coele-Syria, which had been Seleucid territory since Antiochus III took it from Ptolemy V in 200 BC. Alexander quelled the Cilician revolt and returned home, confronting Ptolemy and Demetrius in the plain of the river Oeneparas, close to Antioch. In the ensuing battle, Alexander was defeated and Ptolemy was wounded so badly that he died a few days later. Demetrius repudiated his alliance with Egypt and expelled or massacred all of Ptolemy's garrisons in Syria as far as Gaza, reinstating a fragile Seleucid control over the province. The Syrians had hostile memories of his father, and he faced rebellions in Antioch as soon as 144 BC. Demetrius instituted purges, but these aggravated the discontent instead of stifling it.

Diodotus, a former general of Alexander and probable participant in the Antiochene rebellion, abducted Cleopatra's first son Antiochus VI and used him as a figurehead for a secessionist kingdom in Coele-Syria. In 142/1 BC, Diodotus murdered the boy and proclaimed himself as king. During these years of brutal civil war, Cleopatra and Demetrius had at least three children, Seleucus, Antiochus and a daughter called Laodike.

Queen of Antiochus VII
In 139 BC, Demetrius II was captured in battle against the kingdom of Parthia, which held him prisoner until 129 BC. Diodotus took the opportunity to conquer all of the Seleucid kingdom except the city of Seleucia in Pieria, where Cleopatra sought refuge. She sent for Demetrius's younger brother, Antiochus VII Sidetes, proposing that he should marry her and become the new king. Accepting the offer, Antiochus VII defeated and killed Diodotus in 138 BC, ending the civil wars which had been ongoing since 152. Cleopatra Thea had at least one son with the king, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus. The names of any other children are uncertain.

During his reign, Cleopatra's third husband reestablished Seleucid authority in the kingdom west of the Euphrates. Between 134 and 130 BC he waged a war to reclaim all the satrapies his predecessors had lost to the Parthians. The Parthian king Phraates II decided to release Demetrius II, who had been married to his sister Rhodogune, and to send him to Syria, thus provoking a civil war between the brothers and compelling Antiochus VII to retreat. In the winter of 130/129 Phraates killed Antiochus in an ambush near Ectabane, but Demetrius managed to enter his kingdom before the Parthians could retrieve him.

Cleopatra received Demetrius peaceably, but took the precaution of sending Antiochus IX (her son by Antiochus VII) to Cyzicus, out of the king's immediate reach; she was said to be secretly furious at Demetrius taking a Parthian wife and having children with her. In 128 BC, Demetrius took an army to Egypt to help Cleopatra's mother, Cleopatra II, with her ongoing struggle against her brother and husband Ptolemy VIII Physcon. He was forced to retreat near Pelousion because his soldiers refused to obey him, and Cleopatra Thea, then in Antioch, rebelled against him and established her son Antiochus as king. In the same year, Antioch was occupied by Alexander II Zabinas, a false child of Alexander Balas sent with troops by Ptolemy to wage war against Demetrius in Syria. Cleopatra Thea fled the city, and probably went to Ptolemais, where she had married Alexander Balas some twenty years earlier.

During the period between 128 and 125, while Demetrius was fighting against Alexander, Cleopatra remained in Ptolemais, probably with her two sons by Demetrius, Seleucus and Antiochus. In 125 Demetrius was completely defeated near Damascus by Alexander and his Egyptian allies, and also fled to Ptolemais. Cleopatra refused to admit him to the city; he went instead to Tyre, where the local Seleucid administrator killed him on Cleopatra's orders.

Co-ruler of Antiochus VIII
Demetrius' elder son, Seleucus, proclaimed himself the new king with the name Seleucus V, but Cleopatra Thea had him executed by archers soon after. From 125 BC to 121 BC Cleopatra ruled Syria, sharing the throne with her son, Antiochus VIII Grypus, whom she had proclaimed king in Antioch in 128 BC. Antiochus VIII was married to Tryphaena, the daughter of Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra III. Cleopatra Thea thus procured an Egyptian alliance, causing Ptolemy to turn against Alexander II (whom he had previously supported as a means of keeping the Seleucids preoccupied with civil war). By 123 BC Alexander II had been defeated and executed, Cleopatra and Grypus remaining joint rulers in Cilicia, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia.

Grypus became less controllable as he grew up, and in 121 BC Cleopatra Thea decided to eliminate him. She offered him a cup of poisoned wine, but Grypus guessed her intention and forced her to drink the wine, which killed her. Grypus's sole reign was peaceful until ca. 114 BC, when Cleopatra Thea's other son, Antiochus IX, returned to Syria to claim the throne and civil war started again.

Family
Cleopatra Thea was a daughter of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra II of Egypt. She had two brothers named Ptolemy Eupator and Ptolemy respectively. Her sister Cleopatra III was Queen of Egypt and married to Ptolemy VIII, an uncle, who had been a former co-ruler of Cleopatra Thea's parents. It is possible that Berenice, the fiancée of Attalus III, king of Pergamum, is another sister.

Cleopatra Thea married three times:
 * Alexander Balas in about 150 BC. This union produced Antiochus VI Dionysus. Alexander Balas was neither popular, nor an efficient ruler. The marriage was dissolved by her father. Alexander Balas died in battle against Demetrius II of Syria in 145 BC.
 * Demetrius II Nicator in 145 BC. Demetrius became a captive of the Parthians from 139 to 129 BC. He was assassinated in Tyre in 125 BC on Cleopatra Thea's orders. Demetrius and Cleopatra Thea had at least two sons–Seleucus V Philometor, who was killed by his mother for taking the crown without her permission; and Antiochus VIII Grypus, who eventually killed his mother in turn. They also had a daughter Laodice, whom Phraates II of Parthia captured and later married for her beauty.
 * Antiochus VII Sidetes, Demetrius' younger brother, in 137 BC after Demetrius was captured by the Parthians. Cleopatra and Antiochus VII had at least one son: Antiochus IX Cyzicenus. They also likely had two other sons named Antiochus and Seleucus and one or two daughters named Laodice.

title: Cleopatra Thea


text:
Talk:Alfred Rosenburg

The article is way too imprecise. I've no idea what A.R. actually ever did, except being executed ! FvdP

 * It's a misspelling for Alfred Rosenberg - I've made it redirect to there. --Camembert

 * Thanks. -FvdP

title: Talk:Alfred Rosenburg


text:
Joanne Harris

Joanne Michèle Sylvie Harris (born 3 July 1964) is an English-French author, best known for her 1999 novel Chocolat, which was adapted into a film of the same name.

Early life
Joanne Harris was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, to an English father and a French mother, and lived above her grandparents' corner sweet shop until the age of three. Harris's mother did not speak English when she married, and so Harris spoke only French until she started school. Both her parents taught French at Barnsley Girls' High School. Harris attended Wakefield Girls' High School and Barnsley Sixth Form College. She studied modern and mediaeval languages at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. She met her husband Kevin when they were both students at Barnsley Sixth Form College.

Growing up, Harris was influenced by Norse mythology, classic adventure stories including Jules Verne and Rider Haggard, and the work of Ray Bradbury, Mervyn Peake and Emily Brontë.

Literary career
After a year as an accountant, which she later described as "like being trapped in a Terry Gilliam film", Harris trained as a teacher at the University of Sheffield, and for 15 years she taught modern languages, mostly at the independent Leeds Grammar School, and later taught French literature at the University of Sheffield. While she was a teacher she published the horror/gothic novels The Evil Seed,  and Sleep, Pale Sister.

This was followed by Chocolat, a novel set in a French village in the magical realism genre which went on to be shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Novel of the Year Award. Following the success of the motion picture Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, the book sold more than a million copies. Harris wrote three more novels in the Chocolat series: The Lollipop Shoes (titled The Girl With No Shadow in the US), Peaches for Monsieur le Curé (Peaches for Father Francis in the US), and The Strawberry Thief, as well as three French cookbooks (co-written with Fran Warde).

Chocolat was followed by the novels Blackberry Wine (2000) and Five Quarters of the Orange (2001), the latter described by the Guardian as having food "underpinning the action". They were followed by Coastliners in 2002 and Holy Fools in 2003, both of which are set on the fictional French island of Le Devin.

In 2007, Harris published Runemarks, a fantasy novel based on Norse mythology. The sequels, Runelight, The Gospel of Loki and  The Testament of Loki  followed between 2011 and 2017. Harris' fantasy novels and novellas were published under the name Joanne M. Harris to distinguish them from her other work.

In 2006, Harris published Gentlemen and Players, a psychological thriller set in the fictional boys' grammar school of St Oswald's, inspired by her time as a teacher. This was followed by two more St Oswald's books, Different Class and A Narrow Door, alongside two more psychological thrillers, Blueeyedboy and Broken Light, all set in the fictional town of Malbry, inspired by the Yorkshire village of Almondbury.

Harris has also published three novellas, A Pocketful of Crows, The Blue Salt Road, and Orfeia, loosely based on Child Ballads and illustrated by Bonnie Helen Hawkins, as well as two collections of short stories and numerous contributions to various charitable anthologies. In 2021 she published Honeycomb, a collection of original fairytales forming a mosaic novel, illustrated by Charles Vess. She has also published a Doctor Who novella, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller.

Journalism
Harris writes regularly for the press, and has written multiple travel pieces for The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent and The Times, as well as articles on more literary themes. In 2017 she won a Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Award for an article on memory and scent, published in Good Housekeeping.

Themes
Repeated themes in Harris' books include: food as a means of understanding character; the dynamic between feasting and fasting; motherhood and the patriarchy; tensions within communities; outsiders and outcasts; religious intolerance and "the magic of everyday things".

Many of Harris' books are about women who challenge the status quo and the way in which women are perceived in society. Harris also regularly uses folklore and myth in her novels, giving a modern, original spin to traditional stories.

Reception
The books have been praised for their multi-layered storytelling, use of culinary metaphors and arresting plot twists. The Guardian describes Harris' books as "astringent, highly original and often subtly fantastic mainstream novels.' The Irish Times says: "The Chocolat novels are poignant literary explorations of universal themes of pleasure and denial, the dangers of dogma, xenophobia and racism and the enduring power of love and understanding to eradicate the traumas of the past," with a Locus review calling Harris "exceedingly gifted at producing vivid imagery". Critics have remarked on her skill at "foreshadowing impending doom" and "unerring eye for school life." Some reviewers have questioned the plausibility of some of the plot twists, while acknowledging the compulsive nature of the read.

Other activities
Harris has been involved in a number of musical projects, including collaborating with Lucie Treacher and the Tête à Tête Opera Festival to create two mini-operas, building a stage show with the Storytime Band based on her work, and co-writing and developing an original stage musical, Stunners, with Howard Goodall.

She has judged the Orange (Women's) Prize, the Whitbread Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Betty Trask Prize, the Primadonna Prize, the Comedy Women in Print Award and the Winton Prize for Science Books. In 2024 Harris was announced as the chief judge of the new Entente Litteraire Prize for French and UK Young Adult novels, a joint initiative of Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron sponsored by the Royal Society of Literature.

In 2021, Harris was a guest on BBC's Desert Island Discs, where her chosen book was the collected works of Victor Hugo, her luxury was her own shed, and the record she "would save from the waves" was Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now".

Harris is a patron of the charities Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), to which she donated the proceeds of her cookery books, and Plan UK. In 2009 she travelled to the Congo to report on MSF's work there. Harris sits on the Board of the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.

Harris was chair of the management committee of the Society of Authors for two terms from 2020 to 2024, being unanimously re-elected to the position in March 2022. She assisted in several SOA campaigns, including calling for more investment in libraries and the arts, calling for translators to have their names on the cover of books and raising awareness on author pay and conditions. In 2022 she appeared on the Bookseller 's list of the 150 most influential people in publishing.

She has also campaigned for literary festivals to pay contributors, has spoken out in favour of trigger warnings in books and has spoken out against sexism in publishing and the gendering of children's books. In 2015 Harris launched a protest against the Clean Reader app, which had been designed to replace profanities in books with 'clean' alternatives, calling it 'censorship, not by the state, but by a religious minority.' This campaign, which was supported by many other authors, including Chuck Wendig, Charles Stross and Margaret Atwood, led to the speedy removal of the app.

In 2022 a members' vote was raised calling for Harris to stand down as chair of the SOA, in relation to the society's stance on protecting free speech. The motion was defeated with 81% voting against.

Honours and awards
Harris is the holder of honorary doctorates in literature from the University of Huddersfield and the University of Sheffield, and is an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

Harris was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to literature.

In 2022, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

In 2022, Harris was also named PinkNews's "Ally of the Year".

Writing awards include:
 * Chocolat (2001): Shortlisted: Whitbread Novel of the Year Award (2000); winner, USC Scripter Awards (2001); Sales Awards: Whitaker Gold Award (2001); Whitaker Platinum Award (2012).
 * Blackberry Wine: Whitaker Gold Award (2002); winner: Salon Du Livre Gourmand (Gourmand Awards) : International category: Drinks Literature (2000).
 * Five Quarters of the Orange: Shortlisted: Popular Fiction category WH Smith Literary Award 2002.
 * The French Kitchen (with Fran Warde): 2005 Winner of the Golden Ladle for Best Soft Cover Recipe Book Over US$25 in Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.
 * Gentlemen & Players: Shortlisted for the Edgar Award Best Novel, 2007 (USA) and the Grand Prix du Polar de Cognac (France).
 * Flavours of Childhood (a piece co-written for the BBC Radio 4 series First Taste with poet Sean O'Brien): Winner of the Glenfiddich Award Food and Drink Award for broadcasting, 2006.
 * The Gospel of Loki: Finalist of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, 2015.
 * Every Scent Tells a Tale (a piece written for Good Housekeeping): Winner of Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Award (Literary Category), 2017.
 * A Pocketful of Crows: Shortlisted for 2018 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella.

Personal life
Harris lives in Yorkshire with her husband Kevin, and has a son. She works from a shed in her garden.

Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and discussed the diagnosis and her ongoing treatment on social media and at the Hay Festival. She has stated that she has a form of synaesthesia "in which colours in bright light trigger scents", and also suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in winter.

Chocolat series

 * (US title: The Girl With No Shadow, April 2008)
 * (US title: Peaches for Father Francis)

Malbry series

 * (2005)
 * (2016)
 * (2021)
 * (2010)

Rune series

 * (2007 in the UK, 2008 in the US) as Joanne M. Harris
 * (September 2011 in the UK) as Joanne M. Harris
 * (February 2014), as Joanne M. Harris
 * (2018) (as Joanne M. Harris)

Novellas

 * (October 2014). Doctor Who novella.
 * (2017) a folklore-inspired novella (as Joanne M. Harris), illustrated by Bonnie Hawkins.
 * (2018) (as Joanne M. Harris). Illustrated by Bonnie Hawkins.
 * (2020) (as Joanne M. Harris). Illustrated by Bonnie Hawkins.

On writing

 * (2020) a self-help book for writers. Illustrated by Moose Alain.

Fantasy and sci-fi

 * (2021) (as Joanne M. Harris). Illustrated by Charles Vess.
 * ' (2023). Omnibus edition of three folklore-inspired novellas (A Pocketful of Crows, The Blue Salt Road and Orfeia), plus additional stories. Illustrated by Bonnie Helen Hawkins.

Stories featured in the following anthologies:

 * Magic (2002). A collection of stories in aid of Piggybank Kids.
 * Bosom Buddies (2003). A collection of stories in aid of Breast Cancer UK.
 * Journey to the Sea (2005). A collection of stories in aid of Piggybank Kids.
 * Mums – a Celebration of Motherhood (2006). A collection of stories in aid of Piggybank Kids.
 * Dads – a Celebration of Fatherhood (2007). A collection in aid of Piggybank Kids.
 * In Bed With... (2009). A collection of erotic stories by well-known female writers.
 * Because I am a Girl (2010). Charity anthology in aid of Plan UK.
 * Stories (2010). A collection of fantasy tales, edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.
 * Writing on the Edge (2010). A collection of eyewitness accounts by well-known authors of extreme conditions and war-torn locations. In aid of MSF.
 * Why Willows Weep (2011). Charity anthology in aid of the Woodland Trust.
 * Beacons (2013). Charity anthology in aid of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.
 * Fearie Tales (2014)
 * That Glimpse of Truth – the 100 Finest Short Stories Ever Written (2014), edited by David Miller.
 * Time Trips (2015). A collection of Doctor Who stories by various authors, including the Joanne Harris novella The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller.
 * Twice Cursed (2023). An anthology of stories on the subject of curses, edited by Marie o'Regan and Paul Kane.

title: Joanne Harris


text:
User:Sannse

{| width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="10" style="background-color:#f8fcff; border-style:none; border-width:3px; border-color:#b2a4c5;" '''As Jimbo said, it's a wiki... you can edit this page now''' I live in a small seaside town in England which now has its very own article! I came to Wikipedia via a link on wilwheaton.net.
 * align="center" width="100%" style="border-style:solid; border-width:3; border-color:#80737C; background-color:#e7e2ed; color:#000000;"|sannse
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My interests include embroidery, especially free style embroidery, and I'm learning stumpwork and Wessex stitchery. I'm interested in religion particularly in the Bahá'í Faith although I am not religious myself.

I'm also interested in keeping fish. My aquarium seems to be going quite well and now contains ten White Cloud Mountain Minnows, a Ancistrus called Fred, six Ghost Shrimp, five Cherry Barbs, five tiny Pygmy catfishes ,and one Platys.

I suffered from depression for more than four years, but now am well on the way to recovery thanks to the magic of lithium carbonate.

I can be contacted using Wikipedia e-mail, directly at sannse@gmail.com, or on my talk page. For questions relating to Fandom, please see my Fandom user page.

On Wikipedia
I joined Wikipedia in December 2002 was active almost daily until 2006. I was an admin from March 2003 until September 2012 and was a member of the Mediation Committee until the end of 2004. I was then on the Arbitration Committee until November 2005. I also answer email inquiries for the Wikimedia Foundation under the name Lisa Carter and am on the Foundation communications committee.

My usual activity on Wikipedia has been removing the links to disambiguation pages. I find this sort of tidying satisfying without being too much like hard work. I'm also involved in the dog breeds Wikiproject, mostly in adding tables and checking additions to the list of dog breeds. So far I have a list of over 500 breeds of dog, many not yet listed. I have worked extensively on the Grammy Award pages and we now have full listings by year and award title.

Photos
I'm very interested in contributing images to Wikipedia. I strongly believe that homegrown images are vastly better than "fair use" or "with permission" images. I would rather we had a moderately good image taken by a Wikipedian than a perfect image under a dubious "fair use" claim. My full view gallery is at User:Sannse/photos (full view).

My Yellow-rattle, Large White caterpillar and Ring-tailed Lemur images have been made featured pictures.

All my wildlife photos are identified using various books and websites. I've tried to be very careful, and have only uploaded images I am confident I have identified correctly (there are many others I have taken but am not sure enough about to upload). But I am an amateur and a beginner so please let me know if you feel I've made any identification mistakes.

Off Wikipedia
I now work as part of the community support team over at Fandom. One of the things I'm working on there is the Depression Wiki. Hopefully it will one day be a very useful resource for people suffering from depression. If you ever fancy a wander over to a non-Wikipedia wiki, you would be most welcome there!

Watchlists
In an attempt to make my watchlist manageable, I'm mostly using related changes instead. The sub-pages below are my new watchlists. That doesn't mean that if it's on this list I will be paying attention, I'm very behind on checking these.

 * /article watch | changes
 * /dog watch | changes
 * /grammy watch | changes
 * /policy watch | changes

Other sub-pages

 * /Sandbox
 * /Grammy to-do list
 * /Images to check
 * /monobook.js
 * /monobook.css
 * /quotes

 * valign="top" align="center" style="border-style:solid; border-width:3; border-color:#80737C; background-color:#e7e2ed; color:#000000;"|Sannse userphoto.jpg

You've done so much good work for the Mediation Committee that the least I can do to recognize your dedication and efforts is to award you this lovely barnstar! Peace, BCorr | Брайен 02:41, Apr 15, 2004 (UTC)

'' Winner of this fine tractor, for predicting the date we would reach 1 million articles (1). ''

'' Winner of the name the baby .. um.. admin candidate contest. For inventing ClockworkTroll's new name ClockworkSoul ''

Nemo of Honour''' for being a generally cool person – User:Rama

M E  R  R  Y  C  H  R  I  S  T  M  A  S

 A pressy from Santa on Sleigh  A traditional carnation for the 8th of March, from Zocky
 * }

title: User:Sannse