Tokyo - take it or leave it /Ch.7 Change without changing

Change without changing):

People here love talking about  'changes' but don't for a minute subscribe to the thought. The meaning is too superficial.

Deep down most are terrified of any change: big, small or tiny. Even little detour from the scheduled path can easily plunge everything into total chaos. If you are looking for the quick thinking on the go, you'd be disappointed. The concept of 'emergency' doesn't seem to exist. Things are done they way they were for decades as planned, laid out, approved, stamped on by numerous officials and executed with the iron precision regardless changing circumstances (as it has proven during the Fukushima crisis). Crisis management is poor, badly thought through, and mostly reliant on people to self-organize and somehow manage and persevere.

That explains the slowest ambulance ride you can ever imagine, crawling through the streets with the 'safe' speed of 40km/h. Bear in mind, ambulance stuff isn't legally allowed to perform any medical procedures on a patient before reaching a hospital. You can be sure they'll deliver him/her eventually dead or alive, as hospitals are allowed to refuse the patient citing the lack of space or staff. In several high profile cases people ended up dead before they got any medical attention being refused by numerous hospitals. 

Following protocols always overrules people's needs and people seem rather content with that. Very few ever start any litigation as it's considered somehow 'shameful' and could take decades. 

Life on the same rail is neatly arranged and it's all that matters, eventualities aside.  

People thrown out of the 'path' are largely ignored and are often powerless to change their circumstances. 

Advice? Hold on to your rail and try not to loose the grip.