Don’t Cross your Legs
Don’t cross your legs like Kenny Everett used to if you are taking the train in Japan.
According to a survey by Nihon Minei Tetsudo Kyokai (The really funky name the Japan Private Railways Association goes by) the way people sit on the train is the biggest seat of annoyance to passengers. The article on mainichi isn’t that specific, but I presume it is referring to people sitting cross-legged, and taking up too much space. Not an issue to any of New Zealand Railways (is that what they are called these days?) 3 passengers - but with packed trains especially during rush hour being considerate and not sprawling everywhere like a hippopotamus in cup of hot tea is an important part of travelling by train in Japan.
Interestingly being stonkingly drunk came in at number 12 on the list of pet peeves - 10 stops behind talking on mobile phones. This is a big one in Japan. I remember when we were in the States, on the underground in Atlanta and all these people were using their cellular phones. It was most unnerving with everyone chattering away - never mind the fact that I could understand the inanity of the conversations so easily. In China they talk on their phones on the bus and the train but one doesn’t notice it so much after the shock of Chinese toilets. In Japan however if you use a mobile phone on a train you will be beaten. Severely. By little old ladies armed to the teeth with floral umbrellas. Well not really. But you get the picture.
On a related note, upstairsforthinking had an interesting post about taking trains in Japan that you may want to check out. He asked if I had any advice. I do. But seeing as most Japanese don’t mind, I think I will go and knock back a couple of liters of sake and ride around the Yamanote Line a few times instead. Should be a blast.
(Mainichi) The way people sit topped the list of most embarrassing things on trains or at railway stations for the third year in a row in a survey announced by a railway association, officials said.
Nihon Minei Tetsudo Kyokai (The Japan private railway organization) announced the results of polls by 16 major private railway operators on 700 passengers.
The polls found that 12.9 percent of respondents cited the way people sit as the most embarrassing thing on trains or at stations, followed by the use of mobile phones. Noise from music headphones came in third.
Other embarrassing situations included the way people get on and off trains, how passengers carry and place luggage, and women putting on make-up.
People that were heavily drunk came in 12th, but it topped the list when embarrassing things were divided by time periods and cited after 10 p.m.
When asked if people’s manners have improved, 46 percent of the pollees said nothing has changed, while 31 percent said passengers’ manners have worsened, about double the number of those who said manners have improved.
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