system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do some traffic lights seem fast and responsive, while others leave you waiting for ages even when there's no other cars?

Are they configured differently depending on the location?
gpt
Some traffic lights are designed to detect the presence of cars. They use an inductive strip which runs current, and will respond differently if a car is on top of it because the strip will induce current in the car's chassis and body. They can thus detect that a car is present and adjust light timing accordingly.

Other lights are "dumb" and just switch based on a preset timer, so you will be stuck at them regardless of traffic flow.