h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Traffic lights used to be a very straightforward type of signal and still is the world over -apart from the UK: green means you can advance and red means you must stop. Occasionally you would find a smaller traffic light to the side or underneath the main one with lights which displayed an arrow indicating either right or left. This was because, while it was red to advance straight ahead, it might be green to turn to the right or to the left.

Since about ten years now the UK (at least in the greater London area anyway) has seen fit to change the simple, logical and flawless system. Now in the UK the main light is a schizophrenic beast that indicates red (apparently for turning although the light is not directional) and green at the same time. In addition to this there are 'filter' lights which are full size and which don't always display directional lights. This leads to a confusing and potentially dangerous situation where motorists come upon a main traffic light displaying a large round red light at the top visible from hundreds of yards, yet when one approaches one finds that the bottom light is green and points straight ahead. The person who came up with system is clearly a complete idiot (as are the people who allowed it to be implemented) or he/she is playing a cruel joke on the UK!

A bit odd, I know. Probably not as bad as the French Canadian ones, though, where they have around five lights of varying colours in a horizontal row. I've still not quite figured it out.