JAPAN SAQ - Seldom asked questions

[Steve Bildermann]

[Taro Toporific]

[AssKissinger]

Q. I sometimes see traffic lights on red, but with filter arrows for all possible directions set on green (well actually blue I suppose), what is the red light for?
A. The red signal does not mean that you are supposed to stop. It means that traffic coming in the opposite direction has a red light so you can make right and left turns (or go straight through) without having to worry about oncoming traffic. This system is also used in some Canadian cities. Answer kindly submitted by Raymond J. Smith and Mike Kuma

Is this right? Because I've wondered about this myself. Does that mean that in Japan sometimes you can have an arrow but not the right-of-way?

[Taro Toporific]

Q. I sometimes see traffic lights on red, but with filter arrows for all possible directions set on green (well actually blue I suppose), what is the red light for?
A. The red signal does not mean that you are supposed to stop. It means that traffic coming in the opposite direction has a red light so you can make right and left turns (or go straight through) without having to worry about oncoming traffic. This system is also used in some Canadian cities. Answer kindly submitted by Raymond J. Smith and Mike Kuma

Is this right? Because I've wondered about this myself. Does that mean that in Japan sometimes you can have an arrow but not the right-of-way?

"Green arrow but not the right-of-way?": Dang, nobody knows!

I was in the district cop shop last week and I decided to ask the cutest damn shin-jin meter maid to explain. Whatta pickup gambit. She couldn't answer and neither could her boss or any of the dozen of so guys sleeping at their desks. The chief was doing kendo up on the 4th floor so I asked to go up to the dojo, play my respects, and ask him for an answer.

<Giggles> and then a long pause <air sucking>.
"Ok. <air sucking> Ask go the Chief (you baka-gaijin)." they all said.

Well, the Chief and I discussed kendo vs jodo, I showed him my famous flying-cripple, anti-Kendo footsweep. However, I got no anwer on the troubling "Green arrow but not the right-of-way." It gonna be one of the Great Mysteries of Japan like "toilet slippers".

[Taro Toporific]

Japan SAQ (Seldom Asked Questions)

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4370