> Incidentally out of this course I got some strange bits of 
> information. One
> I specifically remember is that while most of the world uses a 
> whacking
> great red button as the emergency stop button on equipment, the 
> Italians use
> a green one - why? because it is putting the machine into a state 
> where it
> is safe, so you use green. You use red when the machine is going 
> into an
> unsafe state - e.g. setting a spindle rotating so it is not safe to 
> allow
> hands, etc, into the area. When you stop and think about it, it is 
> quite
> logical - after all this is how traffic lights work - green light is 
> safe to
> proceed, red light not safe to proceed.

Maybe THAT explains the way they drive in Rome!!!
Didn't have too many problems elsewhere, but I don't really many 
traffic lights either. We didn't drive in central Rome but the traffic 
was, as everyone says, diabolical.

At pedestrian crossings they are unaware of the meaning of red or 
green lights (if they have any meaning). The guide book says to walk 
steadily across and they will avoid you. And it works!!!

A major proof of concept was tried on an extremely busy street at the 
end of the Roman forum away from the Colosseum after any amount of 
waiting hopefully at the kerbside had not produced any ebbing in the 
flow. Take wife firmly by hand. Wait until light for traffic is red 
(not green!*) and walk resolutely out. Hold wife's hand VERY firmly as 
she is now screaming and trying to pull away. Pull her gently but 
surely along behind you. Cars melt around you on either side as you 
walk steadily across, speed not, apparently, slacking. If you think 
I'm making this up then you haven't been to Rome :-).

        http://www.nycerome.com/sights-of-rome/colosseum-area/roman-forum.html
        http://www.vitruvio.ch/arc/roman/colosseum.php

___________________

Even less relevant :-)

Warning; Do NOT try the above at the Arc de Triomphe !!!! :-)   :-(

        http://www.mcgalliard.org/content/albums/arc_de_triomphe/image07.jpg
        http://www.ekke-audrey.ca/10480e00.jpg

    Many pretty albeit largely irrelevant photos of Paris

        http://images.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jellesen.dk/webcrea/places/paris/400th.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jellesen.dk/webcrea/places/paris/paris08.htm&h=119&w=180&sz=9&tbnid=qNcsWWvhjmUJ:&tbnh=63&tbnw=95&start=51&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522Arc%2Bde%2BTriomphe.%2B%2522%2Btraffic%26start%3D40%26svnum%3D100%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN



    http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Arc/

        RM



* Doing it on the green, on the offchance that the CE markings have 
confused them, would not, I'm sure, make any difference at all.


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