Japanese train driving

[lmsforever]

I have started watching vidios of Japanese railways and very enjoyable they are offering a different style of trains and scenery.One thing I have noticed  is that drivers give a forward facing hand signal at regular intervals during journeys is anyone able to tell me the signifant of this.

[roythebus]

Usually waving at the driver of the train coming the other way. Most train drivers do it.

[Trainshed Terry]

I think that it done on approching a signal or a station , it is a form of making sure that the driver has done the job right.

 

Terry

[chris p bacon]

Drivers are to 'salute' the signal as a means of keeping concentration, it apparently works very well.  Note they are nearly always wearing pristine white gloves.  I lived in Nagasaki in the mid 70's when Dad worked there, the tram drivers wore the same pristine white gloves and yet the controller was brass, I never understood how they didn't go black considering the humidity.

[davefromacrossthepond]

This article may help.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-and-calling-japan-trains

Dave

[DavidB-AU]

It's called shisa kanko ("finger call") where you point out important things and speak the status out loud. It's a common occupational safety technique in Japan but train drivers are probably the best known example.

 

Cheers

David

[royaloak]

The Guards do similar things during dispatch, pointing at the signal, then the clock etc.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Has anyone done a spoof overdub of one of the many videos?, seems ripe for development IMHO.

 

Mike.

[KeithMacdonald]

12 hours ago, DavidB-AU said:

It's called shisa kanko ("finger call") where you point out important things and speak the status out loud. It's a common occupational safety technique in Japan but train drivers are probably the best known example.

 

Cheers

David

 

I hear it's common in some parts of Ireland as well?

 

 

Drink! Now!

 

But (I'm told) it's not a good safety technique to stand in the way.

[kevinlms]

But the Japanese can also overdo the 'perfection' thing, with tragic results.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amagasaki_derailment#Investigation

[roythebus]

13 hours ago, kevinlms said:

But the Japanese can also overdo the 'perfection' thing, with tragic results.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amagasaki_derailment#Investigation

with the usual black humour that surrounds such events, someone reported the fault card in the leading car reported "big flats on front car".

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I've seen bus drivers in Japan use the same 'point and call' procedure as well. 

[caradoc]

I sometimes use a 'point and call' procedure when driving my car, although not in quite the same polite way as the Japanese.......

[Right Away]

1 hour ago, caradoc said:

I sometimes use a 'point and call' procedure when driving my car, although not in quite the same polite way as the Japanese.......

Ha ha! So it was you!

[keefer]

The other British Sign Language - 'Two digits, rampant!' and 'Nescafé'

Edited January 25, 2020 by keefer

[TravisM]

I watched a programme on the New York subway a few years ago and at certain stations, the conductor (guard) had to point at repeater signal before closing the doors.  I believe every train is filmed to make sure they do.

[jim.snowdon]

4 hours ago, caradoc said:

I sometimes use a 'point and call' procedure when driving my car, although not in quite the same polite way as the Japanese.......

I believe it is (original at least was) part of the training for those police drivers permitted to use blue lights etc., although obviously without the pointing. Its purpose was to encourage thinking and spotting potential hazards well ahead of their becoming real.

 

19 minutes ago, jools1959 said:

I watched a programme on the New York subway a few years ago and at certain stations, the conductor (guard) had to point at repeater signal before closing the doors.  I believe every train is filmed to make sure they do.

A sensible precaution against what became termed "ding, ding and away" incidents, where drivers started away on the guard's signal without checking the signal ahead.

 

Jim

[Martino]

At one time those doing the Advanced Driving Test were encouraged to do a running commentary, pointing out potential hazards, traffic signals etc.  I did, and found it useful. 

 

I’ve tried it since but my wife tells me to shut up and stop being a grumpy old B.  Perhaps that’s because my commentary fixates on those other motorists not using their turn signals, jumping red lights and doing 60 in a 30 limit!

 

 

[Rugd1022]

In certain situations we're encouraged to do something similar (Freightliner drivers that is), it's called 'risk trigger commentary', it's pretty much a verbal manifestation of what goes though your mind when driving a train, calling out the route as you drive along it. I rarely do it 'out loud' but sometimes use it as though I had a road learner sitting beside me, it's actually a good way of keeping up on your route knowledge and it does help the concentration, particularly towards the end of a long shift....

 

''Now then this is where you normally get two flashing yellows for Hanslope Junction, keep the power on at 60mph and shut off after the junction, you can see the next signal down the long straight towards Castlethorpe...''.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Rugd1022