Japanese traffic signals and other driving fun

[Coligny]

did you get you IOS thing to play music in the background ?

I did not try it.

But I do remember that I was trying to play a Youtube music video in one tab of the Browser while reading the contents of another tab.

That seemed not possible, but maybe there is a setting. It all reminds me of the Macs of the 90's that could not do multi-processing TASKING.

Windows 95 was only doing a processor timeshare between tasks... NT4 on multiproc system was closer to that...

Not sure why I haven't asked you this yet...but my cheapo Chinese Nav can apparently be hacked quite easily. (Windows CE based) The current Nav. software it uses is made by a company called "DataWest" and while it's not horrible, I'm sure there is better out there. Any suggestions on what I should add? (Obviously recently updated Japanese maps is a must) Garmin?

No clues, the best I can offer is around the middle of this page:

http://www.chinavasion.com/gps-explained.html

They offer a list of software that should work on chinese WinCE device... But I think that a windshield mount for your Android phone and running google maps would make the most sense...

[matsuki]

Ooh, that sounds interesting. I also have a cheap Windows CE based navi. Yupiteru or some such. Could that be hacked and updated? It thought I was driving through rice fields the other day and the "new" road wasn't very new looking at all.

Mine is the Eonon G1311(J), apparently many people have hacked the kaigai (non J) version with both Miopocket and ceFFM.

[matsuki]

did you get you IOS thing to play music in the background ?

I did not try it.

But I do remember that I was trying to play a Youtube music video in one tab of the Browser while reading the contents of another tab.

That seemed not possible, but maybe there is a setting. It all reminds me of the Macs of the 90's that could not do multi-processing TASKING.

Windows 95 was only doing a processor timeshare between tasks... NT4 on multiproc system was closer to that...

Not sure why I haven't asked you this yet...but my cheapo Chinese Nav can apparently be hacked quite easily. (Windows CE based) The current Nav. software it uses is made by a company called "DataWest" and while it's not horrible, I'm sure there is better out there. Any suggestions on what I should add? (Obviously recently updated Japanese maps is a must) Garmin?

No clues, the best I can offer is around the middle of this page:

http://www.chinavasion.com/gps-explained.html

They offer a list of software that should work on chinese WinCE device... But I think that a windshield mount for your Android phone and running google maps would make the most sense...

confucius says:

Tomtom
iGo
Mobium GPS
Elektrobit
NAVIGON AG
NDrive

Though not all have Japanese maps...

Google maps is definitely the best route and always my backup if the navi has a seizure but can't have your keitai on the dash in plain view. If lemur A calls while on a getaway with lemur B, navigation is going to be the least of your problems

[Yokohammer]

Nobody uses Garmin?

They have maps for everywhere.

[Coligny]

They have stuff to use on cars too ? I though they only did planes and boatz !?

ok, strike that... they DO cars... the way normal companies do fighter planes...

garmin-heads-up-display-gps-projector-with-bluetooth-d-20140225143746597~338977.jpg

[Yokohammer]

They have stuff to use on cars too ? I though they only did planes and boatz !?

ok, strike that... they DO cars... the way normal companies do fighter planes...

garmin-heads-up-display-gps-projector-with-bluetooth-d-20140225143746597~338977.jpg

They do. You can buy not-too-expensive portable Garmin units with standard (not heads-up) displays at Yelllow Hat stores around here. Plenty (and probably cheaper) on Amazon too. They're supposed to be pretty good so I've been thinking about getting one to check out. The cool thing is you can take your Garmin unit with you if you're going overseas and are planning to rent a car, for example, and can preload it with the necessary map data and markers before you go.

[Coligny]

Sooo... like an IPhone with google maps... (now have offline map storage too)

[Yokohammer]

Sooo... like an IPhone with google maps... (now have offline map storage too)

A bit more navi-like, I think.

The nüvi 2795, for example, has a 7-inch display that looks sorta like this:

nuvi2795_product_001.jpg

It can show expressway junctions and exits, etc. (Not sure if Google Maps can do that).
Also, I just prefer a dedicated device for navigation that doesn't prevent use of the phone for its primary purpose, and can stay mounted in the car when not being used for walk-around navigation, or whatever. The HD navi system in my Honda Stream is actually really good, so I don't need anything there, but the one in the ol' Z4 is pretty ancient and difficult to use, so a supplementary system might be nice for getting around in unfamiliar territory. And then there are potential trips back to Oz.

[Coligny]

Is the Z4 an OEM one ?

[matsuki]

Hmmm, so I should probably look at the Garmin Windows CE software....

[Yokohammer]

Is the Z4 an OEM one ?

The navi in the Z4 is the original one (circa 2003~2004). It works, but it's a pain to use.
The Honda navi is much, much better. It even cleverly changes to an alternative route if there's a traffic jam ahead, and it does it quite well (saved my ass on the expressways in Tokyo last December). It has been a bit confused on a couple of occasions, like wanting me to turn onto a bridge in Fukushima that had been destroyed by the quake, but generally it is right on the money.

[Coligny]

VICS traffic updates...

Drive Me Julie nuts...

[matsuki]

VICS traffic updates...

Drive Me Julie nuts...

But can be helpful....

Back to the ticket debacle....

So after you have not paid the fine within the allotted time (usually about a week or so) they will start sending you notices to pay. Ignore these. They even go as far as asking you to postage for all the shit they're sending you!! Ignore this as well. The first time they ask you to come in (between 1-3 months after the ticket date) will be a request to go to the 通告センター(Tsukoku Center) but this is not only optional and a waste of time, but it is guaranteed to piss you off. They will lie and suck through their teeth to try to get you to pay the fine and accept the ticket. (So you shouldn't bother to go) Eventually (about 6 months after the ticket) you will get a notice from the court or prosecutor's officer. This is the only one that means anything and you do need to show up to the (likely the police station) designated place in person to basically either pay and accept the ticket or refuse to pay and reconfirm you're disputing the ticket. Changing the date/time of this appointment is possible and easy. The cops will want to pressure you, ask your reasoning, and try to get a statement (confession) from you there....BUT you need not say anything other than you are disputing the ticket. (The J-people had some creative suggestions like "I'm a fucking alien, your laws don't apply to me!" but yeah, no need to give them a reason at all) From there, the shit gets passed on to the prosecutor, who, in 99.999999% of these minor violation cases, will dismiss the case. (you actually have to call 30 days later to find out if the case has been dismissed 不起訴 (fukiso) as they won't notify you (assholes!) unless you are actually being prosecuted.

So there you have it...if you're good at shutting assholes down, I imagine you can be in and out real fast, limited the time wasted on contesting the ticket.

[matsuki]

So the next installment of driving in Japan drama....

Went by the lemur lounge to drop off some stuff this morning, stopped the car, hit the hazards, unloaded everything and my bladder, come downstairs (3rd floor) and have one of those huge yellow stickers on the windshield. It's some sort of notice (looks like it's not from the cops but the subcontracted parking patrol) saying the owner of the vehicle "may be liable" for abandoning the vehicle in a no parking zone. I've seen a lemur get one before but she left the car there for 30mins+ so no argument she fucked up there. From everything I've seen, they usually chalk one the tires on the vehicle and come back about 15mins later to see if it's been moved, then issue a citation if it hasn't....but I was in and out in less than 5mins. Sure enough, the notice only says the car was there for 4 mins.

From what I understand, these subcontractor dudes have to submit all the info and pics to the police and the police decide whether to issue a citation or not. (So right now all I have is a notice) What I don't understand is, if they will actually issue a citation. The area is indeed a no parking zone but NOT one of those no parking and no stopping zones where loading/unloading isn't allowed. I've actually asked the koban cronies in the past whether loading/unloading was ok (moved a lot of stuff to and from there) and they said it was fine as long as I was quick and not blocking traffic. Can't get much quicker than 4 mins and I was stopped on the shoulder, not obstructing traffic. Anyone else have experience with these?

[yanpa]

'Fraid not. Did you leave your warning blinkers on? That seems to be very important when parking a vehicle temporarily.

Another use for warning blinkers I learnt about yesterday is that if a bus moves away from a bus stop on a multi-lane road with its emergency warning lights blinking away, it means it is trying to insert itself into the middle lane because the left-hand lane is left-turn only and the bus is going straight on, thank you very much. At least that's what I inferred. (Mind you by the same logic, the characters "駐輪禁止" mean "free all-day cycle parking" ).

[matsuki]

'Fraid not. Did you leave your warning blinkers on? That seems to be very important when parking a vehicle temporarily.

Sure did, and always do to show I'm not planning on actually parking here but loading/unloading.

Another use for warning blinkers I learnt about yesterday is that if a bus moves away from a bus stop on a multi-lane road with its emergency warning lights blinking away, it means it is trying to insert itself into the middle lane because the left-hand lane is left-turn only and the bus is going straight on, thank you very much. At least that's what I inferred. (Mind you by the same logic, the characters "駐輪禁止" mean "free all-day cycle parking" ).

Don't get me started on buses....twice in the past week, I have almost been sandwiched between two buses. (bus in the left lane that is drifting in and out of my lane, me in the right lane...oh hey, that bus that just entered the right turn lane is too big for the lane...oh...shit!!)

[matsuki]

Old J-d00d I work with is like "4mins? That's BS! I doubt they'll issue a ticket for only that."

Lemurs says "even if for only a second, you leave the car without someone there, you're fucked. All the delivery companies are always fighting with the patrols over this because it makes their job impossible to do alone."

We'll see what happens...

[Coligny]

Old J-d00d I work with is like "4mins? That's BS! I doubt they'll issue a ticket for only that."

Lemurs says "even if for only a second, you leave the car without someone there, you're fucked. All the delivery companies are always fighting with the patrols over this because it makes their job impossible to do alone."

We'll see what happens...

RT law says:

Stopping is
Waiting less than 5 minutes to ... Blah blah blah list of conditions some including being available to drive the car, some not, in the traditionnal poorly worded clusterfuck...

But no matter the conditions, below 5 minutes, they wrote 4...
Methink they just wanted to put a sticker somwhere to proof they are trying to work...

[matsuki]

Mama-san at the office just said basically the same thing...

"less than 5mins, as long as it wasn't a no stopping area as well, then you shouldn't get a ticket"

No yellow curb and the sign is not no parking only....but then I found a few sites online that say "may stop for up to 5 minutes for loading and unloading provided a driver is present at all times." They gotta be some kind of ninjas to have cited me and got out of sight within 4 minutes.

[Coligny]

In the rt law book, the mention of driver available is highlighted for stop in place leaving less than 3.5 m of road available for passing vehicles. And a mix of here and not here for loading passengers, just leaving the car, but more fuzzy for the cargo management part...

Are rt laws books subject to ...VALID... Copyrights in this country ?
I could scan the related pages, showing the extend of the disaster...

[matsuki]

There was more than 3.5m of space for passing.

[wagyl]

Are rt laws books subject to ...VALID... Copyrights in this country ?
I could scan the related pages, showing the extend of the disaster...

You worry about copyright over an extract from the publicly gazetted laws of the land, but you don't worry about .... let me just check ... 89 images, of which one is a promotional banner and the other 88 are commercially produced pornographic images in which you do not hold any rights.

I have always thought that if you wanted to host those images you should do it yourself. It can't be that hard to set up your own tumblr account and just link to that, rather than host here, but that is just my own opinion. I fully recognise that you have never asked for my opinion, and you do not need to pay any attention to it, but I do note for completeness that you have never been shy in offering your own unasked-for opinions to others.

[Coligny]

Are rt laws books subject to ...VALID... Copyrights in this country ?
I could scan the related pages, showing the extend of the disaster...

You worry about copyright over an extract from the publicly gazetted laws of the land, but you don't worry about .... let me just check ... 89 images, of which one is a promotional banner and the other 88 are commercially produced pornographic images in which you do not hold any rights.

I have always thought that if you wanted to host those images you should do it yourself. It can't be that hard to set up your own tumblr account and just link to that, rather than host here, but that is just my own opinion [which, like for assholes, everybody got one...]. I fully recognise that you have never asked for my opinion, and you do not need to pay any attention to it, but I do note for completeness that you have never been shy in offering your own unasked-for opinions to others.

Reposting/re-hosting TGP with totally unknown status of license and/or ownership found on the internet is one thing.

Scanning paper documents is another one. (including that whole media shifting thing)

But I know that your kind prefer that everyone assume it's copyrighted to hell and back and self censor. You like abusing laws to make them yours, give you that little feeling of power that you've been longing for since you whuz in your father's ballz. The next pathological step will be "I don't like him so he must be breaking laws" like your little fuckbuddy, who's clearly on his way to lost marble land (if he's not diagnosed with a real live case of rabies first), then it will be the standard busybody "i don't like something, so it should be illegal"... That why you are a crab... Irrelevant as an individual, annoying as a colony, nefarious as an outbreak...

(This people, is why you should never let crabs go unchecked... SHAVE YOUR PUBES...)

[Coligny]

There was more than 3.5m of space for passing.

with both lane ? one lane ? from the curb or from the line... close to a turn ? a parking exit ? a fire hydrant ?

endless clustefuck fun that ends up making no sense whatsoever...
In fine, you just learn which box to tick for the test, without trying to understand the question...
quickest way to pass the written test...

endlessly twisting rules are a disaster, leaves way too much space for busybodies to be a pita, while cherrypicking allows everyone else to be a complete fucker no matter the lack of common sense used...

[wagyl]

Reposting/re-hosting TGP with totally unknown status of license and/or ownership found on the internet is one thing.

Scanning paper documents is another one. (including that whole media shifting thing)

But I know that your kind prefer that everyone assume it's copyrighted to hell and back and self censor. You like abusing laws to make them yours, give you that little feeling of power that you've been longing for since you whuz in your father's ballz. The next pathological step will be "I don't like him so he must be breaking laws" like your little fuckbuddy, who's clearly on his way to lost marble land (if he's not diagnosed with a real live case of rabies first), then it will be the standard busybody "i don't like something, so it should be illegal"... That why you are a crab... Irrelevant as an individual, annoying as a colony, nefarious as an outbreak...

(This people, is why you should never let crabs go unchecked... SHAVE YOUR PUBES...)

Wrong. I am wondering why you have a sudden squeamishness about posting publicly gazetted information. You haven't shown squeamishness otherwise. I don't know what paper documents you have in front of you, but they will most likely have the name of the agency which published them on it, and a search of the website of that agency often has a link to a pdf of the exact document you are looking at. It solves all your problems all at once. At no time am I suggesting that you should keep the laws of the land secret and censor them. Instead, I am suggesting that it is incredibly rude of you to abuse the hosting offer by the fine folk at FG and put them at risk of trouble, to satisfy your Yua Aida lust.

[Coligny]

Wrong. I am wondering why you have a sudden squeamishness about posting publicly gazetted information. You haven't shown squeamishness otherwise. I don't know what paper documents you have in front of you, but they will most likely have the name of the agency which published them on it, and a search of the website of that agency often has a link to a pdf of the exact document you are looking at. It solves all your problems all at once. At no time am I suggesting that you should keep the laws of the land secret and censor them. .

My RT law book is translated in english and from the Toyota driving school. They claim copyright. But regarding laws, these claims are most of the time baseless. HENCE MY QUESTION ABOOT COPYRIGHT.

Instead, I am suggesting that it is incredibly rude of you to abuse the hosting offer by the fine folk at FG and put them at risk of trouble.

And you at certainty of making shit up: if you ignore enough of the context and situation it effectively allows you to make it look like a crime against mankind... Qualifying it as a rude abuse under your own terms, without really minding what people really in charge care or not...

I'M REPOSTING TGP THAT HAVE NO REASONNABLE TRACEABILITY... MEANING I CAN'T LINK THEM TO WHICH VIDEO OR PHOTOSHOOT THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TAKEN... THEREFORE CAN'T KNOW WHICH PHOTOGRAPHER OR STUDIO TOOK THEM UNDER WHICH LICENSE.
Despite being Yua Aida's #1 personnal biographer in the BigT region (yea, I asked local video and seks shopz aboot that...) I can't get all data possible for every bit of digital material available...

Under your line of though, they should be censored in case somebody might miss an opportunity to monetize from them... good, do that in your home if you want we don't care...

Usually on the interweb. Until someone make a claim... and that claim is verified as being valid and from the proper owner, not some shitstain pulling a tantrum in the name of a law he have no right enforcing... it's game on...

Can you now go back to anger butt fuck your little Bosybuddies so we can go back to "parking warz: Indiun edishiun" ?

[wagyl]

No problem matey. It just reflects on you and your attitudes.

It is certainly clear to everyone already that you don't care how you look.



But thank you for providing more context about the Rules of the Road book you have. Information of where it was issued by does in fact make a big difference as to whether the contents are protected as original writing or whether they are the text as decided by the legislature and thus not subject to any rights. Without that information, nobody could have ever answered your question. I am glad that our exchange gave you the opportunity to be more open about what you have. I just wish it didn't have to be so bloody difficult.

(By the way, your "origin is unclear so I am free to abuse rights as long as I want until someone tries to enforce them" is disingenuous. Will it help you if I tear the back page off your booklet so that you don't know where you got it, then you can get mad with the scanner?)

[Coligny]

N

(By the way, your "origin is unclear so I am free to abuse rights as long as I want until someone tries to enforce them" is disingenuous. Will it help you if I tear the back page off your booklet so that you don't know where you got it, then you can get mad with the scanner?)

And as a good samaritain that you are, the concept of "good faith" don't exist in your little world... To prevent it from crumbling i suppose...

The source (here book) is not giving certainty. If totoya republish a law and claim copyright because it translated them... While for Harry potter it would work... In case of public laws, in some countries, translation is not necessarily considered a transformation big enough to claim copyright. And in a catch 22, if copyright is granted, then the legal value of the document falls appart... It's not law by the book of law... It's laws as translated by totoya...

[wagyl]

By this time I suppose you could have typed out what you were wanting to show to Choko, but anyway....

The Road Traffic Law has not been translated into English by the Ministry of Justice Japanese Law Translation Database System, but the Japanese text is here. I don't know if Coligny has section numbers to refer to in his document, but if he does maybe they will help him explain to Choko what he wants to explain.

[Coligny]

By this time I suppose you could have typed out what you were wanting to show to Choko, but anyway....

.

You are like having the run... Even when you think it's over there is another blast tainting the bowl...