Friday, January 27, 2012

Driving to work

When we were in New Zealand I kept thinking how great it would be if Japan used round-abouts at some of their intersections. It would save so many traffic lights and improve a lot of the traffic flow (after the initial problems of people getting used to them.....). And then I got back to Japan and drove to work.... and remembered why there are no round-abouts here! The videos don't really show the narrowness of the streets very well, but a lot of the roads around here are like this - just wide enough for one car to drive through. They are TWO-way streets! There is generally no parking allowed on the side of the streets here - although not many people seem to know that and a trip down these "streets" often results in backing up at least once or tooting politely to whoever is gossiping with the locals and blocking the road. This particular road is being widened at the moment - which has meant pulling down many houses and rebuilding them further back. Apparently they had to do it as no ambulances or fire engines could make it down the streets! Progress in a way, but I guess there is still a way to go till round-abouts make their debut here....



4 comments:

  1. that's very similar to the roads in yoshi's parent's neighborhood. i HATE driving there. i usually change with yoshi (because i love to drive and don't mind the interchange) at a conbini and let him deal with it. ugh! there aren't that many narrow roads here in munakata!

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  2. Crazy narrow roads! I'd forgotten those from our time in Honshu! Every road anywhere near here is double that width, but still narrower than a lot of roads in England.

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  3. BTW, how did you do the video and drive at the same time?

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  4. Anonymous8:30 pm

    YEAH, I love driving with you!!! In Germany they build "artificial obstacles" on the streets to make the drivers drive slowly. This is not necessary in your area!!!
    Bye from Hong Kong!

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