better to err on the side of caution
なんともせちがらい世の中になったものです。日本の「よさ」が少しずつ壊れていっているのを物語る事例です。そういえば子どもの学校でも不審者情報がメールで送られてきます。
Heightened sensibilities regarding child safety get man written up for asking directions
An elementary schoolgirl in Aichi Prefecture is believed to have reported a man to the police late last week when he stopped her to ask for directions to the station.
Most elementary aged children in Japan make their way to and from school on foot, with each child’s route kept on file at the school office to ensure their safety. Children are also arranged into small groups or have walking buddies who take the same route, and local Parent Teacher Associations ensure that there is always someone manning busy intersections each morning to help the children cross the street and keep an eye open for anything suspicious.
Kids are taught the safety rules of not only the road, but also how to prevent becoming victims of crime. Of course, talking to strangers is out of the question, but they are also encouraged to report anything “out of the ordinary.” On occasions such as these, the “suspicious characters” are reported, and a letter goes out informing parents about the time and place of the sighting, as well as the physical description of the individual.
Although the details of the incident in Aichi are not yet clear, it is believed that this deeply ingrained fear of “suspicious persons” is the basis for the girl calling the police. Of course, it is necessary to take precautions and better to err on the side of caution, but it does seem a waste of police resources to be called out for a man who only asked directions to the station. Regardless of the man’s true intentions and seemingly innocent conduct, the incident was written up as one of the “Suspicious Characters Reports” anyway. The date and time of the incident along with the words the man used when asking the way to the station and his physical description were all made note of.
better to err on the side of cautionは慣用句です。「注意するのにこしたことはない」あたりの訳とともに、丸ごとおさえておいてください。（UG）
