Walk-don't walk icons

Have recently returned from Berlin, where the former East Berlin icons for pedestrian crossings (above) have been adopted across the city (with affectionate references in guide books too). Coincidentally I noticed a comparison between Parisian and New York approaches (below) (many other charming, graphic Paris/NY comparisons, too):

Interesting that, whatever the style, the motionless 'don't walk' figure is only really interpretable in the context of its walking partner. Presumably, that's the reasoning behind the authoritarian palm in New York.

[Paris vs New York via Kottke]