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Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

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Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#241

Post by suls »

lovemenot wrote: post #23
suls wrote: post #8

Earlier 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.

Sendai, Miyagi it is. Trains come in from a bit more country side.

I'd like to think of Tokyo As the exception to Japan. Having said that, all the pointing and calling is happenening everywhere.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#242

Post by mturmon »

toast76 wrote: post #240
renegadesensei wrote: post #239

Been living in Japan for a while now and I've noticed this too. I always admired it. It suggested a high level of conscientiousness. Made me feel safer on public transit. Interesting to learn of the real world benefit of these type of mnemonic tricks. I do some things like this when doing operational work as a devops engineer. Helps me avoid fat finger mistakes. I also do the classic, "wallet, phone, keys" check when…

My father used to (and probably still does) call out "spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch" before leaving the house.

Testicles == zip your fly?

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#243

Post by mwill »

lobster_johnson wrote: post #238
ianamartin wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, yes. The old upside-down-tomato-sauce-can-next-to-the-door-to-remember-my-umbrella trick. That's always been a classic. The first couple of times I tried it, it didn't work very well. I was trying to leave in the morning, and I tripped over the can, and I was all, "Who the fuck put a can of tomatoes in front of the door?" And I kicked it out of the way and left without my umbrella. Then I realized I wasn't going…

Instead of something elaborate that's taking the place of the thing you want to remember, how about writing a sticky note with "remember the umbrella" on it?

Yeah ops method seems strangely elaborate. I do something similar but require far less to actually jolt my memory. Usually I just put a shoe upside down on my table, takes a couple of seconds and in the morning I think "Why did I do that? Oh yeah, thats right", has never failed me yet.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#244

Post by mturmon »

mintplant wrote: post #43

Six Flags Magic Mountain does this before launching a roller coaster. An operator announces "Visual Scan", points their hand at one end of the cars, and sweeps it along to the other.

You can see pool lifeguards do the same visual scan with pointing. Their gaze sweeps over the pool in a pattern, following their pointing finger. It seems effective in making them look at individual swimmers instead of just looking at an area of the pool in general.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#245

Post by Swizec »

macintux wrote: post #233
Swizec wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be like that about packing before traveling. Nervous that I'd forgotten something I'd keep checking and checking. With time I learned that (or got more practice) it is unlikely I actually forgot something. Probably I just don't remember packing it. 95% of the time when I fear I didn't pack some silly thing, there it is, in my suitcase,when I arrive. Thank you past Swizec! A big part of it is also that I alw…

> Oh and all you really need is your passport and your credit card. The rest is replaceable. For some of us, depending on the destination, prescription sunglasses also fall into the category of essentials. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Oh yeah, that's why those never leave my backpack. And I only have a single glasses case that normal and sun glasses share. One is on my face, the other in my bacpack in the case. Has worked well so far :)

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#246

Post by Moru »

kbenson wrote: post #224
7952 wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just put the actual umbrella against the door.

Because it's wet and gets the floor wet, obviously. But why not wait until before going to bed, and then put it by the door since it's probably dry by that point? Because I forget to do that. Why not do something so you can remember to put it out at night? Well, I tried this trick I heard about a can of tomatoes...

You could move to some area that has little rain during the day in the summer and the rest of the year it's snowing or so cold you will directly notice (and regret) if you forget the hat/gloves/coverpants?

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#247

Post by [deleted] »

Overtonwindow wrote: post #110
saulrh wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

2007 before leaving the house: "Wallet, keys, cell phone, iPod, blackberry" oh how far we've come.

[deleted]

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#248

Post by mod »

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…

On twitch, the streamers like to say "we." I've never understood it. I wouldn't bat an eye at it being an unusual thing one streamer did, but it seems like they all do it.

I think it seems phony, in that context.

In yours--I think it's uncommon, but I can't think of a reason why it would be a problem.

Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things

#250

Post by Moru »

dboreham wrote: post #124
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…

"I'm locking the door", "I locked the door", "I'm trying the door now to see if I can open it".

The third part is more important than some people think. They might believe you have some sort of OCD episode. But teachers often have more understanding about this, after all the tape that ends up covering the lock-bolt hole so it doesn't lock the door properly... :-)
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