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Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

atlasobscura.com

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Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#151

Post by peletiah »

euske wrote: post #24

I think that the root of this goes back all the way to Zen-type of thinking. In Zen, it's often taught that mind is elusive/delusive and action matters. "Mindlessness (mu-shin)" is often thought of the best way of carrying tasks, and I see a similar principle in many traditional martial arts/craftsmanship; a new learner should just do certain tasks without thinking/questioning, and eventually their muscle memory will…

> doing rituals is more important than believing.

Erm, catholicism?

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#152

Post by URSpider94 »

frik wrote: post #149
geofffox wrote: post #146

It's a little late in the game to get this seen, but they do this in the NYC subways too. It made for a great video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9jIsxQNz0M

Thanks for the link. Btw. one of the subway drivers explains in the YT comments that NYC had this gesture first, Japan copied it in the mid 1990s. Conductors point at the board because it is required by TA rule. This idea was adapted by the Japanese subway in the mid 90's. We point because if the window of your cab is somewhere within limits of that board, it means the Train operator, the one who actually moves the t…

I doubt that is true. Per the article, it goes back to the Meiji dynasty in Japan, which ended in 1912.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#153

Post by throwanem »

dkobryn wrote: post #137
throwanem wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Extending the metaphor, some of the older Mesoamerican religions are imperative, in that they involve a lot of telling people what to do. Contrariwise, hermetic magic is purely functional, in that the practitioner expresses a series of state transformations with no side effects.

Could you elaborate on the idea that hermetic magic is purely functional? How does a practitioner make a state transformation in oneself?

It's a joke, the meat of which is that hermetic magic involves complex series of esoteric invocations that consume time and effort to no meaningful result.

I didn't work it out very well, though, and it didn't land. So it goes. The next one will be better.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#154

Post by Maakuth »

prashnts wrote: post #117

Slightly off topic but this practice of talking-out-loud to get yourself doing stuff is also beneficial to people with executive dysfunction. If your executive function is impaired you generally don't have the "internal monologue" or the voice in your head. This makes seemingly simpler things like taking a shower, driving, or eating, very difficult! I'd often "forget" to eat, simply because I could not get myself to…

This technique is also useful for software development, and is referred to as rubber duck debugging (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging). Verbalizing your problem lends you another point of view to your thinking and often allows you to discover the problem yourself.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#155

Post by zo1 »

saulrh wrote: post #60
DonHopkins wrote: post #48

I 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.

Another thing that helps, and I do it as well. Is to have dedicated pockets for each item. E.g. Car keys in back-right, house-keys in back-left, cellphone in front-right, and wallet in front-left.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#156

Post by metricodus »

Darthy wrote: post #133
johansch wrote: post #36

The Swiss train system is similarly renowned. How do they do it?

Well, they definitely don't do any pointing-and-calling. This might be a good subject for a study - compare both rail systems, does this really lead to higher performance and lower accidents?

Maybe in the end it all just boils down to how much money is allocated to run the systems...

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#157

Post by crooked-v »

prashnts wrote: post #117

Slightly off topic but this practice of talking-out-loud to get yourself doing stuff is also beneficial to people with executive dysfunction. If your executive function is impaired you generally don't have the "internal monologue" or the voice in your head. This makes seemingly simpler things like taking a shower, driving, or eating, very difficult! I'd often "forget" to eat, simply because I could not get myself to…

> If your executive function is impaired you generally don't have the "internal monologue" or the voice in your head.

You're assuming here that all people even have that in the first place.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#158

Post by 77pt77 »

DonHopkins wrote: post #48

I 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.

I have a rule that I only close the front door with the keys inside the lock and after having turned them in the unlock position.

Has served me very well so far.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#159

Post by logotype »

13of40 wrote: post #71
jakub_g wrote: post #32

I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…

Whenever I need to remember to do a one-off thing in the morning, I just leave my car keys next to (or under) something that will remind me. That way I literally can't leave without remembering to do it.

Whenever I need to remember something, I switch my phone wallpaper/lock screen to one of the default ones which I normally don't use. Then I can usually associate what I needed to remember. Works better than writing a note, or adding a reminder/alarm since these notifications is easily missed/ignored.
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