Mind the Air

This is a post I've been wanting to put up for several months, but have been waiting until I collected the the minimum number of photos to illustrate my case...

It's no news to any foreigner who's been living in Japan for any period of time, no matter how short, that the Japanese love to warn you about stuff. This has been written about plenty by all sorts of bloggers living in Japan, and my blog isn't specifically meant to be about Japan's quirky differences (my blog isn't actually about anything, really, just whatever comes into my head)... but I had to do a little photo essay on this topic for those of you back home who don't get to enjoy this everyday.

So, there are notices stuck on everything, particularly anything that can be perceived as a physical obstruction to your walking down the street. This means there are a hell of a lot of cones everywhere. And in addition, almost invariably a man with a white helmet and a stumpy light sabre to wave you in the right direction as you walk past the cone. Yes, even if the cone is at the side of an otherwise unobstructed pavement.

I don't have many photos of the storm troopers at work, but here are a couple:


"This way please, people. In spite of the cones, we can't trust you not to throw yourself blindly into the man on the ladder."


(Through loudhailer) "People, be aware that there is a fat white cable on the ground. Yes, a fat white cable surrounded by flashing cones, and which two seconds prior to the taking of this photo was entirely covered with yellow and black metal protective ramps for your safety. And yet in spite of all of this we simply cannot trust you not to throw yourself on the floor."


And then there is the issue of cones set out for the protection of... well, what?


Steps?


Flowers?


Air?


Question: "If the wind knocks over some cones in Japan, and nobody is around to see or hear it, does anyone care?"


Answer: "Duuh, of course! The people approaching the cones still walked around the outside of them and shortly thereafter a stormtrooper appeared to put them upright again."


And how do they hande this in England, you might ask? Well, as far back as in March, with this post in mind, I took some photos to show just how England deals with public safety.


"Aahh, faack it, that'll do."


"Aahh, faack it, pile 'em on. That'll do."


Interestingly, this is a sort of public artwork/fountain built into the pavement in the new "More London Place" near City Hall (yes, stupid name I know, but that's what the street is actually called)... and while it is essentially a cattle trap built to break the ankle of anyone who isn't looking where they're going, it goes mostly unguarded. I say mostly...


Because this exceptionally dangerous point is covered.