I was waiting at a red traffic light on my bicycle. I was the only bicycle waiting. No cars. And the red light phase was quite long.

After some time, another cyclist stopped next to me and immediately the traffic robot switched to green.

I joked out loud: “You saved my day. Without you I would have to stand there all day waiting for the light to change”. I explained my hypothesis that there are sensors that determine when traffic lights switch.

The lady answered. “You’re the third person I saved today.” Turns out she is a train conductor for Deutsche Bahn. Two passengers had a 1st class ticket but were travelling 1 day earlier than their train ticket. Instead of charging a fine, she let goodwill prevail.