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You should visit Berlin, Vienna, or anywhere in Japan. Though Japanese culture is not likely to tell you directly that you shouldn't cross against the light. Y

You should visit Berlin, Vienna, or anywhere in Japan. Though Japanese culture is not likely to tell you directly that you shouldn't cross against the light. You will see the natives wait very patiently at an empty intersection waiting for their turn to walk. You may also want to visit New York or Vietnam a place where people cross between moving traffic. The US and Europe are very large. There is no federal US law about Jay walking and lumping it all together because a few places are strict about it is odd. It's like thinking all drivers in Europe drive on the left side of the road because you only visited London.

karaokeyoga 4y ago
I noticed that in Japan (specifically, Kyoto, where I lived) that people would wait for the light to turn green … but, if I made the first move and crossed on red, most of the other folks waiting would happily follow.
- Brian_K_White 4y ago
  Now that is quite interesting. It reminds everyone that just because you can observe a behavior like obeying a rule, does not mean you can make assumptions about the cause of the behavior. Maybe they respect rules, or maybe they simply herd and don't like to stand out. Or "you can't make assumptions" means who knows maybe something else entirely like it just never ocurred to anyone. Or maybe "don't like standing out" is yet another merely a behavior with a presumed cause. Maybe they avoid standing out, but not because they don't like it, but because it's penalized. And so on.
noodlesUK 4y ago
I’ve not visited Berlin (though I have spent time in other parts of Germany). I would find it hard to imagine that a person would get in trouble with the law for crossing in the middle of a small street or other very normal behaviour. I’d make a distinction between “crossing at a red signal” and jaywalking (crossing where there is no signal). There are certainly places in Europe I’ve been where the former would be frowned upon, but nowhere where the latter is. New York is kinda the example of the weirdness I’m getting at. People do cross wherever they want to, but it’s illegal and people do get ticketed for it.

karaokeyoga 4y ago

I noticed that in Japan (specifically, Kyoto, where I lived) that people would wait for the light to turn green … but, if I made the first move and crossed on red, most of the other folks waiting would happily follow.

Brian_K_White 4y ago
Now that is quite interesting. It reminds everyone that just because you can observe a behavior like obeying a rule, does not mean you can make assumptions about the cause of the behavior. Maybe they respect rules, or maybe they simply herd and don't like to stand out. Or "you can't make assumptions" means who knows maybe something else entirely like it just never ocurred to anyone. Or maybe "don't like standing out" is yet another merely a behavior with a presumed cause. Maybe they avoid standing out, but not because they don't like it, but because it's penalized. And so on.

noodlesUK 4y ago

I’ve not visited Berlin (though I have spent time in other parts of Germany). I would find it hard to imagine that a person would get in trouble with the law for crossing in the middle of a small street or other very normal behaviour. I’d make a distinction between “crossing at a red signal” and jaywalking (crossing where there is no signal). There are certainly places in Europe I’ve been where the former would be frowned upon, but nowhere where the latter is. New York is kinda the example of the weirdness I’m getting at. People do cross wherever they want to, but it’s illegal and people do get ticketed for it.