Jamie, it's compulsory to accompany a kick or thump with the words, 'Work  you.!!' 

I should have figured but I just find it a funny image of traffic lights going crazy and when the electrician arrives he gives it a good kick to try and straighten things out.
Not what I would expect but hey if it works then what the hell.

Now of course when nobody's looking I've been known to do the same thing

During the days of the cam driven electromechanical controllers, sometimes in cold weather the cams or timer dial would freeze up and the solution from the policeman or technician would sometimes be to give the cabinet a well placed kick to free them out. Often times the old electromechanical cabinets would have a incandescent socket inside with a lamp to provide some heat to the controller.

That makes sense to have an incandescent lamp as a little heater, sometimes the simplest solution is the best. 

Back when I was a really keen radio amateur, a group I was involved with were setting up a UHF repeater on Edge Hill near Banbury (GB3EH). The equipment was housed in a large metal cabinet mounted high up on the wall in a large barn on a farm in a position that had excellent RF takeoff in all directions. The antenna cables were passed through the wall to the transmit and receive antennas mounted on a pole attached to the barn wall.

As it was an unattended installation, and it could get very cold up there in winter, a 60W incandescent lamp was installed in the cabinet on a thermostat. Excellent use of a simple light bulb..! I had a photograph somewhere, if I still have it (and can find it) I'll post it 

Edit: The repeater is now much modified from its original installation and looking at the photos on the website for it here it doesn't appear to have a light bulb in it any more