The Technological Majesty Of The Automated Ticket Gate

[Mulboyne]

[Taro Toporific]

Bah. I miss the staccato rhythms that Japan Rail station guys used to play on their chrome-plated ticket punches while waiting between punching customer tickets.
On a dark night coming down the stairs to the wicket, that was the sound of finally getting home.

[Kuang_Grade]

On one of my flights to Japan a few years back, the onboard TV system was showing a Project X episode detailing the development of the ticket gates. I didn't understand about 99.9% of the dialogue but I could piece together how hard it was to develop this technology from the visual images. It may seem old hat with today's microprocessors and computer controlled servos, but back when this was developed, this must have seem like magic.

[Greji]

Bah. I miss the staccato rhythms that Japan Rail station guys used to play on their chrome-plated ticket punches while waiting between punching customer tickets.
On a dark night coming down the stairs to the wicket, that was the sound of finally getting home.

Right on. Those punch handlers used to amaze me. I'm from the era that when you were a paper boy you had to carry a punch and ring of cards when you were collecting for the paper so that you could punch the customer's card and your own card for payment. We always used to play around with those punches and then to come and see the dexterity of those guys (who would only punch about a hundred thousand tickets a day) was truly amazing.

[GomiGirl]

Bah. I miss the staccato rhythms that Japan Rail station guys used to play on their chrome-plated ticket punches while waiting between punching customer tickets.
On a dark night coming down the stairs to the wicket, that was the sound of finally getting home.

First few times I came to Japan was in the late 80's (I was in my teens) and they had all these guys. I thought they were awesome and used to try to work out which pattern of punches were from which station. They were often different patterns.

[dimwit]

Bah. I miss the staccato rhythms that Japan Rail station guys used to play on their chrome-plated ticket punches while waiting between punching customer tickets.
On a dark night coming down the stairs to the wicket, that was the sound of finally getting home.

Matsuyama City Station still had them until about two or three years ago.
My God Taro! Are you going sentimental on us? Sounds like you've been buying into this supposed 1950's craze that all the NHK people are sure is going on.

[Greji]

First few times I came to Japan was in the late 80's (I was in my teens) and they had all these guys. I thought they were awesome and used to try to work out which pattern of punches were from which station. They were often different patterns.

What's this "in my teens"? Gomi, you were 32 when you were born, and that was in the forties!

[Taro Toporific]

[quote="dimwit"]Are you going sentimental on us? Sounds like you've been buying into this supposed 1950's craze that all the NHK people are sure is going on.]
Yes I hear that poverty and hunger is the next fad in Japan.

[GomiGirl]

What's this "in my teens"? Gomi, you were 32 when you were born, and that was in the forties!

Umm no - that was YOU my friend.

[Greji]

Umm no - that was YOU my friend.

Nah, I was older than that in the forties!