Train Crash

Monday, April 25, 09:20 AM, there was a train crash in Amagasaki, 410 km west of Tokyo. Around 50 people died and 400 people were injured. The packed train jumped the tracks and slammed into an apartment building. CNN said it is the world's worst recent train accident.


picture from BBC News


picture from BBC News

And that is in Japan(!) where safety standards are among the best in the world! Hundred of rescuers working around the clock. The victims and their family have my sympathy...

When I saw officers writing down the identity of the victims, something struck me! A really really bad idea! It's because a month ago I joined a Japanese course in the community center here. It took the Sensei 3 weeks to be able to call me correctly! Something about there is no V letter in Japanese words. I even had to write down my name several time for him to see! And my Sensei speaks English fluently!!!
So, my concern here is what if -and GOD forbids!- what if I were involved in an accident, injured (no, I didn't picture my self dying or worst...) and the paramedics couldn't figure out what my name was!?!?! What? They could check my ID card? Well, in case you're not aware of, WOMEN don't usually carry their purse in their pocket! We put our purse in our bag -which makes it worst because in an accident, the bag is not likely to lay around...
Okay, so again, the paramedics or the police couldn't figure out what my name was, where I lived, whom to contact, and so on... and the doctors couldn't understand what kind of pain I was in... Uughh, it's totally completely hypothetically bad idea! Bad!