To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > Travel Feb. 16, 2000 URL: http://www.salon.com/travel/planet/2000/02/16/platform Platform shoes get the boot in Osaka Police say the precipitous platforms are dangerous. - - - - - - - - - - - - By J.A. Getzlaff Gene Simmons could play bass in them, but in Osaka, Japan, you will no longer be able to drive in 'em. Local police have announced plans to prohibit motorists from wearing platform shoes, the footwear of choice of trendy young things who, according to a Reuters report, also favor "dyed blond hair, skimpy skirts and glittering eye makeup." Osaka officials believe the precipitous platforms are the cause of numerous car accidents because they slow down drivers' response times, especially when they must brake quickly during an emergency. In November, a passenger died in a collision in which the driver, a young woman, was wearing high heels. The police hypothesized that her sky-high shoes had prevented her from braking properly. Osaka's cops are now conducting tests to prove their theory is correct. If it is, teen queens and drag queens will have to leave their platforms at home, along with house slippers and geta (traditional wooden clogs), which are also illegal to wear when driving. A traffic department official told the Associated Press, "Common sense says platform heels are dangerous for driving, but we're going to prove it scientifically for the first time." Maybe they can prove that they aren't made for walking, either. salon.com | Feb. 16, 2000   - - - - - - - - - - - - About the writer J.A. Getzlaff's Daily Planet appears every weekday. Do you have a tip or tale for J.A.? Send it to DailyPlanet@salon.com.