When looking for something I use my phone's torch and point on the floor. Last time I found back a little magnet lost by my kid in the 50 metres of alley to our place. So yes I guess it works to force the mental focus.
Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
81–90 of 334 posts
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#82In Saitama I saw an old guy on a pedal bike (not a train) who did this the other day! In fact, I made a note specifically to ask a Nihon friend just what the hell he was doing (so I'll just ask HN instead)... I understand stopping at an intersection and looking both ways. But making a specific pointing gesture and verbally calling out while doing it I thought was just a bit odd. Particularly cause he was the only per…
In Cycling Proficiency lessons in the UK in the 1980s we were taught to point and say our intentions at roundabouts and junctions.
I still so and it often earns a wave of thanks from drivers. I assume that forcing the subconscious lip-reading onto the drivers is part of the 'connect as humans' psychology
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#83In Saitama I saw an old guy on a pedal bike (not a train) who did this the other day! In fact, I made a note specifically to ask a Nihon friend just what the hell he was doing (so I'll just ask HN instead)... I understand stopping at an intersection and looking both ways. But making a specific pointing gesture and verbally calling out while doing it I thought was just a bit odd. Particularly cause he was the only per…
Bus drivers and taxi drivers do it sometimes too (depending on the company), so probably he's a professional driver who just thought it was a good idea. I won't speculate on what he was saying, though.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#84There is a similar situation in NYC [0]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9jIsxQNz0M
I know this is just a bunch of kids taking the piss, but little things like this make a boring day working on the train a bit happier. Thank your local transit workers if you have them.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#85This is the same as they do for climbing. "on belay" and so forth. I think it's also like trigger discipline for firearms, in the broader sense of developing habits that make accidents less likely.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#86I've lived in Japan off and on for a number of years. "Pointing and shouting," and other similar gestures, are used all over the place. I typically heard it referred to as "yubisashi kakunin," which basically means "confirm by pointing with your finger." I've seen elevator attendants do it when operating the buttons, and cashiers will verbalize the counting of change, and hand it back in a very animated way, which I believe is the same sort of thing.
Where I live, I think a company would have to really work to get their employees to do it, but in Japan, it seems to have become a part of the culture. My wife, who is from Japan, does it while she's cooking to make sure she hasn't left anything out.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the "clockwork" reference is somewhat overrated. Local trains are often late due to wind or snow ..
Do you live in Hokkaido? Or maybe on a really local branch? I live in Tokyo, take around four trains a day on many different lines and that is just not the case here.
My experience with Tokyo (I only visit about once a year, live in Kyushu) is the trains there are always off-schedule due to "accidents" :/
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#88Wow this is fascinating. Clockwork, like everything else in Japan. I first noticed this when in Kyoto. The driver would point at the schedule, speedometer, sensors and all else. I found it slightly odd but made a mental note to google it later, which I eventually forgot.
I think the "clockwork" reference is somewhat overrated. Local trains are often late due to wind or snow ..
In Japan they might be a little delayed. In Boston the trains just don't come at all. One time I was stuck on a train for four hours because a switch was frozen (normally a 40 minute trip).
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#89Very interesting! The word 'embarrassing' comes up a lot, but I wonder why this would be perceived as embarrassing compared to, say, the ritual bowing to empty carriages that takes place on Japanese trains. Or simply compared to the gesturing that takes place in other professions like the construction industry. Without knowing the psychology behind it, a good guess would be that it derives from the sense that observe…
Good point. If it's seen as professionals doing their job, then it ceases to be embarrassing. In turn, you can then dismiss people that giggle about it as ignorant fools and, well, ignore them.
When I watch a referee in a sport I don't know, the shouting/pointing/gesticulating seems funny, but nobody would consider the referee's job to be embarrassing.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#90I have a strict rule that I must touch my keys before closing the front door, because I discovered the keys in my memory don't open the door as well as the keys in my pocket.
Same. I have a "keys-wallet-phone-pad" routine in which I make sure my pockets contain all of: my keys, my wallet, my cell phone, and the 7-inch tablet that I carry everywhere. I've gotten into the habit of doing it every time I get up if I'm not at home or at my desk at work.
Yes, the usual triple tap routine