Worse yet, at least in Somerville and the general Boston area, I'm seeing touch-sensitive buttons instead of physical buttons that depress--with no haptic feedback; and only some of them play a recorded "Wait" when you press.
I'm gradually training myself not to jam my finger painfully against them to be "sure" I pressed.
If it turns out they're also placebos, I think I'm just going to give one a good kick next time I go by...
Those aren't placebo buttons, rather for the hard of sight. The audible "Wait" is to tell to not cross yet, and it will then tick when it's safe to cross, and increasingly tick faster the time lowers.
I'm gradually training myself not to jam my finger painfully against them to be "sure" I pressed.
If it turns out they're also placebos, I think I'm just going to give one a good kick next time I go by...