One of the many differences I noticed between life over here at Champaign-Urbana and life in Cambridge/Boston is the blatant difference in street-crossing culture. Here are some common pedestrian traffic signals and what they mean:
On the UIUC campus:
 | "Basically, you'd be best off if you stay put, even if there are absolutely no cars around. If I'm blinking and you're in a hurry, you may consider making a run for it. If I'm not blinking, make sure to check the area completely for police cars before even thinking about jaywalking. I should eventually change into 'walk' signal, but if I don't when you expect me to, you probably didn't press the 'cross street' button." |
 | "Walk, and don't worry about any cars making a turn that you may be blocking. They won't honk at you, and they will patiently wait at a distance until you are way clear of their path. |
In Boston:
| "If you're feeling courageous, first look left. If the nearest car is far enough that it can come to a stop before it hits you, start crossing and be prepared for the impending barrage of honking and obscenities. Remember to not panic, and especially to never look a driver in the eye. Take your time crossing until you reach the center of the street. Then look right and repeat above. "If you want to be a little more careful, look both ways first and be alert. As soon as you find an opening, run across the street and never hesitate. Remember to always assume that the cars are trying to hit you. "Though to tell you the truth, the fact that you're actually crossing at a crosswalk already makes you stand out from the locals." |
| "See above... and don't neglect the fact that you'll still be very much in danger of injury while crossing. Also there's a very good chance that either I'm broken or haven't actually been synchronized with the traffic lights to begin with." |
UIUC Chicagoans will know what I mean...
And, oh yeah, cars over here yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, and sometimes even not at crosswalks. Money!
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