stop lights

I hope I read somewhere that there is some sort of gizmo that helps change the stop lights instead of waiting for another vehicle to come up to the light. This is especially annoying at night when traffic is light. I usually find myself running the red ligth or turning right and playing the intersection until I get headed in my desired direction. WHat triggers the stop lights anyway? Weight? Magnets? Cosmic wisdom?
Bob

There are several products out there, check the ads in your MOA ON. or the Rider Wearhouse website. I just stop on top of the sensor wires and press down on the centerstand- the little extra bit of metal is enough to trip the sensor about 99% of the time.

In order to trip the light sensor, you should stop your bike directly over the little seam cut into the asphalt, and not in the center of the square. All the traffic light trip gismos are is a magnet. Find an old speaker if you can and use the magnet if you really feel the need. I have found that stopping on that little seam usually does the trick.

The consensus on another forum Iuse is that attaching a magnet to your bike doesn't work, this after several users did a bunch of trial and error. But I have always gotten good results from the method lancew described.
I used to live in an apartment complex with gates and a similar sensor to open them. The Brick I think has pretty much no ferrous metal below the axles I wound up doing a lot of waiting, unless I exited the rear gate where there was enough room to the sides of the gate to make a fast pass across the exit lane then loop back around (this seemed to work for some reason, but was a hairy manoever and dangerous too). This of course was before I figured out the centrestand method. Oddly enough my bicycle was perfectly capable of opening the gates though, and when I mintioned this to the management in my complaints about the gate they were a bit embarrassed, as it was a somewhat spiffy complex.
Do a search at Boxerworks.com for discussions about tripping lights, as some areas have statutes allowing you to proceed under certain conditions if the light will not change. And if you do this, carry a copy of the law in your pocket since the LEO who sees you doing it will probably not know the law.

Thanks for the suggestions about the centerstand , I'll be trying it today. Bob