The 48th Episode : Not accepted "look right and left" on crossing the street
[April, 1991 Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
We learn “look right and left, and right again on crossing the streets to check it's safe" when we are children. This is the way in Japan, and the right handed traffic countries like the UK, Australia, South Africa, India...etc.
There was a street in front of my staying hotel and tramway was running. I was going to cross the street to go to the stop of the tramway. I took the customary habit, looked right and left and right again. No car was approaching. I put one step forwards, then a car passed just my front from left to right.
Because it was a left handed traffic country cars come from the left on the front lane. It passed without making slow down as there was no traffic lights. If an accident happened there, I was 100% blamed.
In any case, even if a car hits a walker who got in the crossing in red light, the incomprehensible penalty “inattention on the part of the driver” is put on the driver in Japan mostly without exception. As far as I know only Japan take such a penalty.
As mentioned in the UK column, to blame the ones break the rule. The walker stepped out to the car lane would be blamed, that’s all. I’d like to say loudly to the Japanese police that they need to make an effort to have people keep the rules strictly and that judge in accordance with the rule without observing the offenders stealthily from hiding.
