I am talking about the little green man that indicates stop and go at traffic lights.
there could be:
a running man to show you when your time for walking is nearly up (who gauges this stuff anyway? I walk at a moderate pace and only just reach the pavement before the lights change and my life expectancy odds shorten considerably.)
a finger-wagging character for those “can I? can’t I?” moments for the pedestrian weighing up his chances for a late road dash.
a foot-stomping and back-clapping bluish-green man for cold days
an athletic looking green man touching his toes to encourage some simple exercises to keep you fit while waiting for the go-ahead to cross.
perhaps a beaming smiley face for when the green cross code has been executed perfectly.-- po, Jul 02 2004 (?) Taipei Traffic Lights http://publish.gio..../past/04052842.html [spacemoggy, Oct 05 2004] Baked? Kinda... http://www.trafficlightwars.co.uk/Reminds me of that bit in Superman 3... WTCTTISIA... whatever... [Jinbish, Oct 05 2004] rock /don't rock http://tinyurl.com/6yfwn [po, Feb 13 2005] not too sure I approve of this, Boris http://www.timesonl.../article5883358.ecelittle green man speeds up... [po, Mar 11 2009] Animated Pedestrian Traffic Light http://www.inewidea...388.html#more-33388concept only [xaviergisz, Sep 07 2010] The Green Man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050456/Not really anything to do with this idea but a good film nevertheless. [DrBob, Sep 07 2010] The Dancing Traffic Light https://www.youtube...watch?v=SB_0vRnkeOk [xaviergisz, Oct 06 2014] Blinking not good enough for you?-- DrCurry, Jul 02 2004 A green hulk man for those who go when they should stop?-- FarmerJohn, Jul 02 2004 this is good. sounds like something you'd see in tokyo where they can make even the most prosaic things into an entertaining, useful distraction. (+)-- xclamp, Jul 02 2004 I like the countdown idea.-- macncheesy, Jul 02 2004 He could be a running green man which turns into a red man who gets squashed by traffic. Showing you how much time you have and hitting home about not crossing at the wrong time. Cars could then run over him like a timer as he leeks blood all over the street in the screen until it's safe to cross again and the animation starts all over. +-- sartep, Jul 02 2004 oh sartep, <covers eyes> what about the children? oh wait, you are right, they would love that!
leeks? oh yes that would appeal to the vegetarians. thats good.-- po, Jul 02 2004 What about those waiting for the distracted pedestrians making their way? Red light slowly morphs to green -- appears fleetingly as an ambulance, a wheelchair, a turtle ...-- dpsyplc, Jul 02 2004 dipsy is notoriously slow... thats why I love him dearly...-- po, Jul 02 2004 How about adding some sound? Have the green man shout things (with some emotion). Things like "Ohhh my God!!!!! You move like a freakin slug"-- aka76, Jul 03 2004 Howabout a whole crowd of animated traffic people with varying opinions? One could could encourage you to hurry across the street, another could discourage you from running and scraping your knee, a third could agree with the first two, another could be paying attention to something else, and so on. Wouldn't that be more democratic?-- mongmaster, Jul 03 2004 A long time ago (well, a few years) in Camden, London, I came across a standard red and green man system that some bright spark had opened up and 'improved'. Though still static, both were now wearing flares and a wide-brimmed hat and smoking a pipe. I would be concerned about one aspect of animated men. Great if they stay as animated men, but how long until the red man is allowed to advertise stuff while waiting around?-- wagster, Jul 03 2004 How about a little yellow man between the two? He could be the work experience lad. The red man would say "go on, let the pedestrians across, it's only a bit of fun", and the green man would sternly warn the yellow man not to listen to everything that the red man says.
Can anyone remember the bit in Superman, where the red man and the green man are fighting?-- spiritualized, Jul 03 2004 Yep. Richard Pryor's handiwork, I seem to recall.-- DrCurry, Jul 03 2004 I'll + this, but only if it'd play baseball organ music when people try to beat it and show an animation of someone sliding into base just as they make it. Also, if there's an auto/pedestrian accident, it should flash **Instant Replay** and be followed by the green man getting hit by a car and exploding.-- AfroAssault, Jul 03 2004 pedestrians or readers?-- po, Jul 04 2004 I like this, been looking for a new job. +-- skinflaps, Jul 05 2004 So if we have little animated green men on Earth telling us when to go, do they have animated little peach-colored men in hawaiin shorts on Mars?-- RayfordSteele, Jul 05 2004 [po]-rrific!-- phoenix, Jul 06 2004 is that good or bad?
I keep looking at these *men* now and they are coming to life - I need help!-- po, Jul 06 2004 //So if we have little animated green men on Earth telling us when to go, do they have animated little peach-colored men in hawaiin shorts on Mars?//
Zeta Reticuli not Mars. Bermuda shorts, but that's being nitpicky.-- sartep, Jul 08 2004 what about little green women. now Shatner would be all over them! You could have an animated lap dance while you wait.-- etherman, Jul 08 2004 I'd like to see the little green man climb onto the little green bicycle and pedal off. The red man could stand there with his hands on his hips as if to say "Now what...?"-- egbert, Jul 08 2004 Why did the red man blush?
Because the green man was flashing.-- spiritualized, Jul 12 2004 Baked in Taiwan - animated Green Men are everywhere (and include a count-down timer indicating how long you have to wait on either red or green). Any given green man starts walking faster once time gets short.
The Green Men there are rumoured to 'fall over' occasionally, but I'm pretty sure that's just an urban myth.-- Achenar, Jul 31 2004 Well, excuse us. Maybe we need little green men to tell us when to enjoy ourselves and when to be deadly serious.-- egbert, Aug 02 2004 //This post is a glaring example of ignorant voters voting for something they have no idea of.// there really should be a syn tax. (I'm a fine one to talk!)-- po, Aug 02 2004 Yeah you are fine...-- The Kat, Aug 02 2004 Am I allowed to vote for it just to irk someone? I hope I'm not allowed (smiles naughtily and votes +)-- Ichthus, Aug 02 2004 It's only just about dinner time here! Do I have to go to bed already?
I guess that's what I get for being naughty...-- Ichthus, Aug 02 2004 I'm surprised no one's suggested an animated green women (I'm also surprised no one's suggested animated green porn while you're waiting to cross the road - but I didn't want to sully [po]'s idea with such thoughts).-- hippo, Aug 03 2004 so thoughtful, hippo.-- po, Aug 03 2004 I see little green men...they tell me to burn things.-- bonsai_rainbow, Aug 31 2004 *bump* Because I like this so much. I wish I could bun it again.-- AfroAssault, Apr 04 2005 both running green men and countdowns are baked in Malaysia too.-- neilp, Apr 04 2005 There are running baked green men in Malaysia? This I've gotta see <hastily runs out door>.-- hidden truths, Apr 04 2005 //I'm also surprised no one's suggested animated green porn while you're waiting to cross the road //That would animated red porn, shirley?-- coprocephalous, Mar 11 2009 "Blue" I would have thought.-- DrBob, Sep 07 2010 I can confirm the existence of animated green men in Malaysia, and I'm sure I've seen them elsewhere too. Maybe Brazil (but maybe not - seems unlikely on reflection).
Actually, are they men or women? How can one tell? The image is too low-res to be sure.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 07 2010 [MaxwellBuchanan]// Well, which gender is more irresolute?-- mouseposture, Sep 08 2010 random, halfbakery