2011.10.27. Underground passages.

Interesting...  This afternoon, I discovered an underground passage (it could also be classified as a shopping mall) that links the Sapporo Station to the Odori Station to the  Susukino Station.  I walked the length of it and was pretty amazed by the underground maze that links all of these areas.  Under, above and around each station are underground shopping areas that emerge and stand up out of the earth to form malls that extend in all directions.  Up, down, and all around.  They are also not simple and easily followed.  The passages lead off in angles in every direction and those link to other ones and those to more.  I felt like a rat in an experiment!  It made me think about the potential consequences of a major earthquake.  What would happen if there was an earthquake at this precise moment when I am underground and have no idea how to get out of here.  Do I even recognize the exit signs?  Not really.  I definitely know what some of them look like, but there do not always seem to be exit signs when there are paths to the surface.  Basically, I think that I would be screwed.  If there is an earthquake right now, I'll just lay beneath the rubble and hope that I can crawl through the endless passages until I see light at the end of the tunnel.  But until there is an earthquake, I will just start walking a little faster and get myself out of  here!  I don't even like shopping malls! But this one is kind of interesting...  ;)