Gerry and Jez chat while Jane walks by. Seconds later she spots Tannerman!

[pegasus]

If it has a strap it is a sandal.

They may be called sandals with open sides, or flipflops with ankle straps (a description many shops use btw). IMO the noise peeps associate with flipflops is mainly based on the ones with straps at the front only.
 

[sadie]

Because IIRC they were on a tv broadcast. IMO they are ankle-strap flipflops (not loud flipflops which have only toe-straps).

Only toe strap "flip Flops" can be quiet if they are a good fit and high quality.    Even if not such a good fit if the sandals are good stiff quality (leather) when the wearer wants them silent, the toes can be tensed to make them so.

With an ankle strap, or back, they are as quiet as any other decent sandals.



I think you guys are thinking of the cheapo plastic beach flip flops.  Jane, who is not poor, was taking dinner remember.  She would be wearing decent footwear. imo

[pegasus]

Example of flipflops with anklestrap http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mlXEzIyDbBwwnhuHd19-AuA.jpg

[sadie]

Example of flipflops with anklestrap http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mlXEzIyDbBwwnhuHd19-AuA.jpg

Brilliant. 

I agree, they would be as silent as any other sandals.

[Cariad]

Brilliant. 

I agree, they would be as silent as any other sandals.

Footwear and footsteps aren't silent. They are audible. People can hear you coming. You can hear people approaching. That's why you don't jump every time your husband/child enters the room. You heard them before hand.

[sadie]

Footwear and footsteps aren't silent. They are audible. People can hear you coming. You can hear people approaching. That's why you don't jump every time your husband/child enters the room. You heard them before hand.

Cariad, as you well know,people walk past us every day and we dont notice their minor footstep sounds..

Why should Gerry and Jez be any different?

[Cariad]

Cariad, as you well know,people walk past us every day and we dont notice their minor footstep sounds..

Why should Gerry and Jez be any different?

I do know whether someone is approaching me, Sadie, be it in my own home or out of teh street. That's why I don't collide with people all the time. I'm aware of my surroundings.

[sadie]

I do know whether someone is approaching me, Sadie, be it in my own home or out of teh street. That's why I don't collide with people all the time. I'm aware of my surroundings.

They werre standing, not walking, Cariad

Jez didn't even know her, so was unlikely to register this stranger who was wearing an oversized fleece.

As for Gerry if he was standing on the pavement with Jez a little uphill of him ... and the little boy a little downhill of him, then Jane NEVER came into his periferal vision.  He just would NOT know she passed by.

[faithlilly]

They werre standing, not walking, Cariad

Jez didn't even know her, so was unlikely to register this stranger who was wearing an oversized fleece.

As for Gerry if he was standing on the pavement with Jez a little uphill of him ... and the little boy a little downhill of him, then Jane NEVER came into his periferal vision.  He just would NOT know she passed by.

Jez knew Jane as one of Gerry's friends. This alone would have made her memorable to him, if she had been there.

[pegasus]

Jez knew Jane as one of Gerry's friends. This alone would have made her memorable to him, if she had been there.

If I was with my tiny sleeping child in a pram and was chatting with someone in the street I would be many times looking at my child it is natural parent behaviour and i.m.o. its clear to see this is the most likely reason he was not constantly watching the pavement as some seem to suggest.

[pathfinder73]

There was nobody else on that quiet deserted street. They couldn't miss her. When crècheman looked right before crossing the road he would've seen Gerry & Jez only 20/25 metres away. I wonder if SY asked him if he saw them >@@(*&)

Crècheman's view of Gerry & Jez if they were there when he crossed the road >@@(*&)

[faithlilly]

If I was with my tiny sleeping child in a pram and was chatting with someone in the street I would be many times looking at my child it is natural parent behaviour and i.m.o. its clear to see this is the most likely reason he was not constantly watching the pavement as some seem to suggest.

Jez stated that Gerry had his back to the apartment gate, so Jane must have past directly behind him and if, as you claim, he was deeply engrossed in conversation with Gerry he would, I assume, be looking at Gerry for most of that time with perhaps the occasional glance at his sleeping child. That being the case he couldn't have possibly missed Jane as she slipped behind Gerry.

[sadie]

Jez knew Jane as one of Gerry's friends. This alone would have made her memorable to him, if she had been there.

I dont think you are right there Faith.

Where did you get this from?

[Benice]

If I was with my tiny sleeping child in a pram and was chatting with someone in the street I would be many times looking at my child it is natural parent behaviour and i.m.o. its clear to see this is the most likely reason he was not constantly watching the pavement as some seem to suggest.

Also people don't necessarily stand still when they are talking  - but especially if you need to keep the buggy on the move to keep a little one asleep.   Jez could quite easily have moved to a position so that in the couple of seconds JT would previously have been in front of him  when she passed by  - he was then facing away from her, or as you say looking down and checking on his baby.  The whole reason he was out walking was to get the baby to sleep IIRC.

[faithlilly]

I dont think you are right there Faith.

Where did you get this from?

It was in Jez's rogatory statement :

Q. Relative to whether I know Jane Tanner;
Now I know her name, description of the clothes and photos which I have seen in the press. At that time I knew of her as a member of the group but did not know her name. I do not remember having seen her when I spoke with Gerry, but I believe I saw her when I first ventured out. She was stopped on the street in front of one of the group's apartments when I passed her down towards the exit to my apartment. I do not know if it was her apartment or not. I remember that she was wearing the colour purple.