Japanese traffic signals and other driving fun

[Coligny]

rear fog lights are supposed to be blinding...
and you are not supposed to use them in clear weather...
cars are not toasters... a minimum of attention is required when using them

[Grumpy Gramps]

Back in the day, I lived in an area of very dense fog for a while. So I installed fog lights on my "Mercury Monarch Ghia". It was hell to drill through those fat no-crumple-zone-nonsense-bumpers with my cheap drill.

But it came out very good. As soon as the lamps were there and worked, we didn't have any fog for the rest of the year.

So maybe it's the ubiquity of fog lights in Japan that causes that we have so little fog, and is, therefore, a great safety feature.

[matsuki]

Do those undercover patrol vans usually have cameras rolling?

I'm in LA right now and don't have proper video editing software but I caught quite a scene on my driving recorder as I headed to the airport. Guy on a scooter, stopped at a red light.....suddenly a cop jumps out of the unmarked van behind him (next to me) and puts his hand on the guys shoulder and says something to him. (no idea what he was being pulled over for...maybe a stolen bike or something?) Anyhow, without even looking back, the guy immediately jets into the intersection (still a red light)and makes a red light across the traffic. The cop tried to grab him and give some chase but quickly gave up. Cop on the opposite side of the intersection on foot couldn't do anything. (wait...where the hell did he come from?!) As far as I can tell the guy got away.

[wagyl]

Cool story, bro.

I would guess that the answer to your question is "no."

[matsuki]

Cool story, bro.

I would guess that the answer to your question is "no."

My guess as well...the "HD" quality recording from my recorder isn't looking like it will reveal license plate info for them but plenty of hilarity for youtube. (I just figured out I can trim the clip once U/L'd so I'll post once it's ready)

[wuchan]

Was he wearing a uniform?

Japan doesn't have undercover officers like the USA. They are legally too problematic and could lead to an uncertain outcome if the case goes to court. The only cops that don't wear the uniform are the detectives and the people at the top. They use unmarked cars and wear salary man suits. Most of them are "investigating" organized crime. Truthfully, the only difference between the DTs and the yaks is a badge and some paperwork. Usually they are chasing people that run sketchy businesses and drug dealers that are not protected buy the yakuza.


But why would you help the police? They are just going to take all your data, including any in your home, to try to bring you up on charges.

[matsuki]

Ehhhh, IPU would beg to differ about those plain clothes types....

Anyways, not posting to help the cops as much as to laugh at their fail:

I trimmed it down but until the trim update takes affect, 3:55 is when I pull up to the light.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Wuchan, plainclothes and undercover police aren't the same thing. Japan does have plainclothes cops.

[wagyl]

Nice view of your luggage. Also, I have too much of a potty mouth when driving to have a dashcam.

Edit: cool video, bro.

[matsuki]

Nice view of your luggage. Also, I have too much of a potty mouth when driving to have a dashcam.

Edit: cool video, bro.

Can always cut the audio?

[wagyl]

Which makes it almost worse than not having a dashcam -- what is he hiding? Just imagine if your cause célèbre of police body cams had a faulty audio feed.

I see that proximity to San Fernando Valley is influencing your writing again? I hope you find dogfood.

[matsuki]

Really? I'd be fine with no audio for an in car dash cam.

If I had my way with the JDM police, they's have the body-mounted cams and that's where you'd definitely want audio.

[wagyl]

JDM police

What about the export police?

[Wage Slave]

You two are very very funny. Keep it up.

[Russell]

You two are very very funny. Keep it up.

[matsuki]

[matsuki]

I really don't want to go all SJW here but fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!! Pulled over and searched again (this time in Gotanda) for driving while gaijin. Not trying to equate this to racial harassment in the US as I wasn't beat down and no guns were drawn....but it's pretty clear what that one cop told me about recent targeting FG for stops/searches is true. Never had this happen until the past few months....and last night makes 5 times I've been stopped/searched.

I was dropping my friend off at his hotel, pulled over, turned on my hazards....suddenly the patrol car I saw two intersections ago swings around the corner and two cops come running at me. (we're still in my car) An out of breath officer motions for me to roll down my window and opens with "are you lost? you look a bit lost..." I answered politely that I wasn't, just dropping off a friend before heading home. Teeth sucking ensued and then it was full ID check, friend had his passport checked, ran my plates, license, etc. My friend's wife started calling, freaking out as she was watching the whole thing from above and not knowing what was going...and started watching right about the point where they opened the back and started rummaging through my tool boxes. Another 40 mins wasted for them to eventually just politely bow out.

[Yokohammer]

Just out of interest, is the car registered in your name, or some organization you're associated with?

Tokyo plates?


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[matsuki]

Just out of interest, is the car registered in your name, or some organization you're associated with?

Tokyo plates?

Tokyo plates, my name, OEM wheels, etc. It's a near OEM condition minivan. The rear license plate LEDs I've replaced with some amazingly bright Samsung (lets hope they don't catch on fire) LEDs so there is nothing dim back there anymore. I drive that thing as smooth as possible for maximum fuel efficiency so it's not my driving. I'm sure it's being FG, not the vehicle/driving. Each time the officers have given me the stink eye before pulling me over. None of these stops have resulted in a ticket of any kind or any concern over my driving....but they are practically drooling to search the vehicle. (though oddly they don't bother searching me?) This time they didn't even try to find something wrong with the van to cite as an exuse, just a mad dash to ask if I was lost...then, "ok, license and passport onegai." Every stop has been at night between 9-12pm so maybe it's just a night shift thing.

Like I said, I don't want to be a SJW and I've got nothing to hide so I have let them search and complied 100% but I'm starting to think I should save the videos, dates, and times to stitch together in a "WTF?" video just in case this continues.

[Yokohammer]

I don't see any harm in compiling evidence, just in case. You may never need it, but data is cheap so why not. I would.

I hardly ever drive in Tokyo, so I haven't seen this. Any other FG brethren had similar experiences?



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[Coligny]

Definately not the trend in the bigT. Meanwhile we got a growing issue with bosozoku. And the cops seems to be near powerless... (Despite being as noizy as the motorbikes they are trying to chase)

[kurogane]

The usual jokes about Matsuki's driving aside, that is pretty fucked up. It sounds to me like a make work project ordered from on high, which I think Matsuki mentioned hearing about. I wonder if they then get to write a report about their diligent activities in the service of the nation? That must be worth a few gold stars on their report cards.
It's been too long since I have driven much, but the only times I ever talked to cops was at roadblocks and drinking parties, but that was in the boonies and a long time ago. Sounds like a Tokyo FG Welcome Wagon thing.

Besides, what is a tourist doing driving a nice newer normal vehicle? That's probably the bait right there.
(I confirmed last night that we are all tourists of some sort...........) :double triple:

[wagyl]

Looks like it is just you, Matsuki.

[Yokohammer]

I'm wondering if Matsuki's mildly "swarthy" appearance is part of the problem, and if a blond, blue-eyed Ayrian type (yes, I know, don't bother) would get the same treatment.


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[Yokohammer]

One more question:

Are you driving on a Japanese license or a US/international one?



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[wagyl]

On a Japanese (and almost any other) scale, I think Matsuki would appear on the "white gaijin" end. You would probably have to search for shovel-shaped incisors to know any better.

About the only thing I can think of is that he is still in the "I take stupid risks so I might be carrying some funny tobacco" age group. He will graduate from that target group in a matter of time.

It is hard to say whether his amusing sticker on the back has a negative impact or not.

[Wage Slave]

Never once in ten years been stopped and searched. Once got stopped for a breath test when there was the annual festival in wifey's village - but they were stopping every single car and most definitely targeting drunk farmers and fishermen after the previous year's shenanigans, not foreigners.

They asked you for your passport and you had it on you? I never carry mine because I believe that for residents the ARC trumped that. Am I wrong and should I be carrying it?

[Wage Slave]

It is hard to say whether his amusing sticker on the back has a negative impact or not.

I know. I should pay more attention or do a clever custom google search or something but what sticker is that?

[wagyl]

Since this is a public forum I don't want to comment on the sticker publicly, but it is not anything anti-authoritarian like a ganja leaf or anything. Just an amusing joke.

As far as the passport goes, I think Matsuki had a foreign guest passenger. As a resident with a Zairyu card, the Zairyu card is all you need (and the strange fact is that even if you have your passport, you still must carry your Zairyu card).

[matsuki]

Yoko - I'd be crazy to be on an international license this long. I'm nearing gold status on my J-license.

WS - I have been here almost a decade now and never encountered this either. They just asked for my license this time (before they demanded both that and my zairyu card) and my tourist friend's passport. I don't think it was a serious attempt to bust over stayers, just a pretense for the vehicle search. Each time they've gone through my glovebox, under my seats, and searched the back of the van.

I have both the shovel-shaped incisors and Asian "duck feet" but yeah, assumed as your standard white gaijin for sure. (as was my passenger) Probably worth noting I don't smoke/vape/etc. so my vehicle (as noted by a precious officer who went through my car) doesn't smell like anything suspicious either. The sticker in question is a shoshinsha mark but with a US flag in it instead of the usual yellow/green. Kinda like a "driving while "merican" warning. I don't think it's a factor as last night the patrol car came from a cross street and I had already turned the vehicle around to face them by the time they came at me so I doubt they even saw it.