Y'hama designates all subway seats for Taro!

[Taro Toporific]

[Big Booger]

time for me to break out the cane and old timer costume.

[AssKissinger]

Anybody with any decency at all will give up their seat to someone who really needs it in any section. It's amazing how many people lack this common courtesy. It's sad they even need a silver seat at all but making every seat a silver seat defeats the purpose doesn't it? Or are people really too thick to realize it's the right move to offer up a seat to an elderly or handicapped person unless there's a sign?

[japslapper]

AssKissinger

Or are people really too thick to realize it's the right move to offer up a seat to an elderly or handicapped person unless there's a sign?

they are not thick - they are Japanese! We all know any capacity for TIY -thinking it yourself- is beaten out at an early age.....

Given the greying population, Yokohamas policy is a good one(for Japan)....

...morality? none of that .....thats why were here isnt it?

[AssKissinger]

This sort of segues into another subject but...we all know how JPN are sometimes loathe to sit next to those of us who as my wife charmingly puts it 'smell like butter'. But recently I've noticed this has gone to an even more sinister level. If the last seat is the one next to me and if the Hicksville Junction fills up it's sure to be, then I've noticed old ladies who obviously want to sit and the seat next to me is vacant but instead of sitting there they glare at me as if I was using up two seats unfairly! I guess since they won't sit next to me in their eyes I am! I've been tempted to stand just so they can sit down without having to sit next to a gaijin! Even though they're racists old babas I feel sorry for them when I see their old knees about to crumble.

[Taro Toporific]

... I've noticed old ladies who obviously want to sit and the seat next to me is vacant but instead of sitting there they glare at me as if I was using up two seats unfairly! ...

Gee, you should see the look at the warm-hearted Japanese when I stand up on my crutches and offer them a seat. Here's a photo of they must be seeing when they look at me offering a seat.

[Nagged]

Gee, you should see the look at the warm-hearted Japanese when I stand up on my crutches and offer them a seat.

Taro, you must kidding me. You are using crutches and you stand up for others? And they allow you to do it?

Sorry, I am well and truly shocked. Don't care about race or whose country it is, there is no way I'd tolerate seeing people pull stuff like that.

I do see people give up their seat to less fortunate quite often, so I don't think it so much a Japanese thing as a problem with bad attitudes. Mind you, I would agree with everyone that the atmosphere on trains here is pretty depressing at times. (I'm neither a basher nor an apologist, I just believe in giving people their due)

If I get a seat, I usually just go to sleep. If people want to sit next me, it' up to them. It's a free world, not to mention the fact that it's public transportation. Usually people aren't so bad to an old fogey like me anyway.

[Taro Toporific]

Gee, you should see the look at the warm-hearted Japanese when I stand up on my crutches and offer them a seat.

Taro, you must kidding me. You are using crutches and you stand up for others?

I'm stand for someone worse off but after 20 years of warm-hearted Japanese behavior it's hard to do sometimes.

Taro's World Scorecard for offering a train seat to a guy on crutches:

Japan: 1 offer per 10 train rides (always a peer)
Korea: 1 offer per 50 train rides (always someone in uniform)
China: 0 offers for 30+ bus/train rides
France: 3 offers per 10 train rides
Netherlands: 4 offers per 10 train rides
UK: 5 offers per 10 train rides
Canada and US: 8 offers per 10 train rides
Sweden: always an offer (cute girls mostly)
and the winnner...
MEXICO CITY: always an offered to seat in the Ladies-Only Car, police escort during rush hour on the platform

[Nagged]

Hmmm. Seems that some countries should focus more on decent education.

I'm sorry if I offend, but I think that the less fortunate should always take priority on public transportation - elderly folk, parents with very young kids, pregnant mums or people with a handicap. (Good to see you extend this courtesy to others also)

It's a very poor reflection on society when this does not happen. I can't really speak for other countries, but maybe they need a shame campaign.

[GomiGirl]

Well that statistic strengthens my resolve to help mothers with strollers, offer seats to oldies if only to set a good example.

Honestly, I don't think it is deliberate (no I am not an apologist) but it is perhaps that people are not forced to think outside the square and/or are used to living in a huge city where being anonymous is easy to do.

I offered a seat to a chap on crutches who had a leg in a cast and I had a hard time convincing him to take it.. I mean he had a broken leg and was hobbling up the aisle looking for a seat.

So a shame campaign would probably be a good solution. The Yamanote line has a cute one on the trains with TV screens.. a group of cartoon animals and the only person who stands up for a person on crutches is a tiny bunny while the rest of the cartoon animals put their head down and pretend not to see.. the next shot is the rest of them congratulating the tiny bunny. This needs to be on TV as well...

Salary men are the worst.. I have seen an able bodied salary man push aside an older lady in a kimono to get to a seat.. that was disgraceful.. I glared at him and shook my head.. peer pressure is the only effective method...

[kamome]

I always stand for people with physical disabilities, the elderly, and mothers with small children so the whole family can sit together. It's great to see little kids sitting with each other - I don't know, I just get a kick out of it.

By the way, this morning I again boarded a crowded subway during rush hour where the only empty seat was next to a black guy. This was at least the third time I have seen that happen on my train line. Of course, I went right over and sat next to him.

This is the one exception to the rule of getting up for the elderly: If an elderly passenger is too racist to take a seat next to a black guy on a crowded train, I will surely take it and watch their knees crumble under them without pity.

[Nagged]

The world needs more people like Gomi Girl and Kamome.

[GomiGirl]

The world needs more people like Gomi Girl and Kamome.

Damn - the last thing this world needs is more nutters like me!!

But then maybe Kamome and I can breed a little FG do-gooder tribe of our own??

(Relax Kamome - you don't need to lose your lunch.... )

[Nagged]

Damn - the last thing this world needs is more nutters like me!!

Better "nutters" like you than the real McCoy - Ishihara and friends

[vince]

Kyoto has been cemented over, kids don't know how to use chopsticks, but there is still an empty seat next to a gaijin on a train.

[kamome]

The world needs more people like Gomi Girl and Kamome.

Damn - the last thing this world needs is more nutters like me!!

But then maybe Kamome and I can breed a little FG do-gooder tribe of our own??

(Relax Kamome - you don't need to lose your lunch.... )

Wow, what a nice thing to say, Nagged! It made my day.

GG: Are you ovulating right now?

[GomiGirl]

GG: Are you ovulating right now?

eeewww.... that is hardly a question I am going to answer in mixed company!!!

Obviously you are very goal orientated!!!

[Nagged]

The world needs more people like Gomi Girl and Kamome.

Wow, what a nice thing to say, Nagged! It made my day.

Don't mention it.

GG: Are you ovulating right now?

Is this a prelude to a mating ritual? Ultra, is this kind of thing allowed on forums such as this?

[cstaylor]

Is this a prelude to a mating ritual?

Nagged, you must find this "fascinating".

[Nagged]

Is this a prelude to a mating ritual?

Nagged, you must find this "fascinating".

CS, it's not just anyone who can make a Vulcan laugh!

Highly illogical but most amusing.

[American Oyaji]

That was indeed a pretty funny exchange all the way through.

[cstaylor]

Highly illogical but most amusing.

Well, you are half human after all.

[Nagged]

That was indeed a pretty funny exchange all the way through.

Thanks Oyaji. But I feel a bit guilty for getting away from the importance of the thread.

Well, you are half human after all.

You've been watching your Star Trek.

[Mr. Noodle]

this probably explains why people 'fall asleep' so easily on the train. cause they dont have to offer someone their seat, if they are 'asleep' when new people get on the train.


side note: first post, wahoo!

Noodle

[Taro Toporific]

this probably explains why people 'fall asleep' so easily on the train. cause they dont have to offer someone their seat, if they are 'asleep' when new people get on the train.
side note: first post, wahoo!

Welcome aboad to the SS Titanic Maru Noodle-san. Since you're from 'hama, you'll be "surprised" to note the next time you're on the Yokohama subway ALL people are now fall asleep standing or sitting whenever a guy like me on crutches walks into the car. It's a special super power I now have.
I'm truly TORPOR-rific!

[Nagged]

Saw this on Mainichi News...

Yokohama subway gives elderly, disabled passengers priority to all seats

Younger train riders weren't as pleased.

"I only learned about the changes when I rode the train today," a 34-year-old woman said. "I suppose there's not much I can do about it." An 18-year-old schoolboy said, "Sometimes young people can feel sick, too. What are they going to do?"

Some people need their asses kicked REAL bad...

[Big Booger]

Just wear your old people costume when you ride trains.

[jez]

"Sometimes young people can feel sick, too. What are they going to do?"

Some people need their asses kicked REAL bad...

It's true though' young people can feel sick/tired, can't they? I remember when I was a kid in France, putting my school bag next to my seat while I went to check something(the route maybe). While I was up, an 'older' man kicked my bag out of the way and took my seat. I remember a warm feeling when I overheard two 'older' ladies criticising him and saying how kids had heavy bags and must be tired..natsukashii na [/quote]

[American Oyaji]

Welcome aboad to the SS Titanic Maru Noodle-san. Since you're from 'hama, you'll be "surprised" to note the next time you're on the Yokohama subway ALL people are now fall asleep standing or sitting whenever a guy like me on crutches walks into the car. It's a special super power I now have.

ITS OFFICIAL TARO-SAN!!! You've been in Japan too long.

[spunky_karasu]

Hey all,

I have been riding the trains in Japan recently, in the Okayama area, and have noticed the people don't give their seats up, and have noticed some people snoozing on the ride. I figured it was something to do with being bored and nothing else to do. I hadn't really put much thought into it, that there could be other reasons.
I was given an assignment for school to find out why they don't. I never thought about why they tend not to. I guess it's different for each area.