Aug 4, 2019
Crowds and children in the heat
I was thinking about a story my husband told me while I was on an overly packed train a few days ago.
My husband came to Japan when he was in grade schooland back then he was not a tall person by any means. He went to his first summer festival in amazement at the crowds of people moving through the streets. His amazement turned to panic part way through the evening when the throng of people became so dense that he was trapped in and couldn't breath due to the heat. Not only was it sweltering hot from the day's sun absorbed by the pavement but the bodies above him trapped in more of the heat and he nearly fainted.
As a tall adult, I am privileged to be face first with the fans and cooling unit on most trains. I am a head above the crowd so forget what my son has to struggle with closer to the asphalt. I carry a fan now not for myself but for my son to get some circulation.
2 Comments
TonetoEdo
on Aug 4
I totally get you. Some years ago at the Yokohama fireworks, I saw a little person struggling in the crowd. He was overheated because he was close to the pavement. Helpful people made him and his dad some space so his dad could hoist him up to get air. You have to be careful with wee people in the heat.
edthethe
on Aug 4
@TonetoEdo the people in the train were nice enough to watch their bags so they weren't smacking him in the face, but no one could really do much about the heat...