Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tiyul - day 2

Hi all....

I decided to bike back across to where I was yesterday. There were a couple of stores I had wanted to see that were closed when I was there originally. They were still closed.

During my time here, and especially today, because I was looking more carefully, I noticed three things that the Japanese do for pedestrian and traffic safety. We should learn from these in North America.

1. There are landing lights that mark dark curbs. The flash in a procession, and are remarkably helpful on dark, stormy nights.

2. When the light changes and it is safe to walk, the sign indicates as much. As well, the noise sounds in order that those who are visually impaired will also be able to go. The timing and the sound of the noise are offset from each other. This means that you hear noise in front of you and a different noise behind you, clearly sounding out the straight line in a way that is not confusing.

3. Speaking of straight lines, I had noticed 3 cm bumps in the sidewalk. The bumps are in four long columns, a total of 30 cm wide and follow the sidewalk as it goes its way. When I am walking the bicycle, I like to put it in the grooves. The bumps change texture when you get to an intersection. I tested it this afternoon. I was able to close my eyes and walk the sidewalk without bumping into anything. Again, that is a stupendous idea for the visually impaired.

Related to today's tiyul, I have a habit of playing the instant lottery wherever I go. To date, I have a winning record in West Virginia, where my only ticket, purchased on the way through, won $8.00. Jennifer and I may retire there. Anyway, I regret to inform all of you that my record in Okinawa is that I am down 400 Yen, roughly $3.20 USD.

No comments:

Post a Comment