(for those who cant take a hint, mike is a truck driver and is probably the best person to listen to for this.... and well anything really)
I ride a motorbike here in Aus but I'm anxious about taking that hobby up again in Japan, after what I saw last time I was there I would probably be safer taking a bus for my longer trips
Truck drivers are one of the best to listen to for info. I should know, it is what I do in the UK. Cheers for the current info
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...Remember the Siruis Cybernetic Corportations motto: Share and Enjoy
It's all relative on what you're used to. Believe me. I rode a bicycle... not a moped, not a motorcycle, a dirt bike through these "dangerous drivers" for years. There's a certain zen to the traffic in Tokyo. Agressive? Yes. Overly dangerous and scary? I stick by my previous claim. I ride on the sidewalk most of the time in Hawaii. Too many speeding morons... and nobody can forget those statistics. I was run off the road by a city bus driver just two weeks ago. The day I moved here a 60 year old man was struck by a car going 40-50mph and died instantly. He was in the bicycle lane mind you.(for those who cant take a hint, mike is a truck driver and is probably the best person to listen to for this.... and well anything really)
I can't speak for much of the countryside. Did very little cycling while living in anything that resembled the sticks.
one point that you are not recognizing gaijinpunch, is that mr. cash does this everyday. every single day. if i ever wanted info on driving here he would be the first person i would want advice from.
ooo~
I'm fully aware of that... which is why I didn't question in it.Originally Posted by duff_o_josh
In this case you'd be getting a pretty biased report.if i ever wanted info on driving here he would be the first person i would want advice from.
I drove in Japan quite a bit while I lived there. I had a car the whole 4 years and used it quite extensively. (though obviously not as much as a pro truck driver) I found several very common habits that I found particularly annoying. Going through red lights is such a common occurance that I've seen guys do it right in front of a cop with no qualms about it, and stop signs are often treated as slow slightly signs. The following distance on the expressways are WAY too close. It is very scary to look up in the rearview mirror to see truck headlights so close you think the truck is in the back seat.
However I made it through the 4 years without a single accident. Most of my driving was in rural Japan mainly Nara-ken but I often drove in Osaka and made 2 trips to Tokyo. The original post was "wondering if he should rent a car" and I think if you are interested in getting off the beaten trail it can be very rewarding, and if you can drive in London you will probably survive it in Japan... but make sure you get the insurance
Biased, but informed.
I don't see how my opinion is uninformed...especially considering the person asking seems to have never been.
As a systems engineer I would tell you that Windows is a gigantic turd. Poor architecture and design, filled with holes, expensive, and overall unpleasant. I might even say it's a bollocks OS. As much as I hate to admit it, that does not make it fact... only my interpretation after using it (and the competition). Or perhaps I should say informed.
Sounds like another country I know of.I mean they put stickers on new/elderly drivers cars
Well, I don't disagree with you. Before blaming them though I would blame a system that requires them to work 24 hour shifts with minimal break. All things considered, I think they're pretty skilled given the stress of their job. In their defense... I've sat in many sedated taxis. I prefer the reckless ones. I'd also like to see a source on that U-turn claim. Sounds fishy, obviously.IMHO Taxis in Japan are the least safe drivers on the road.
Final Thought: If the population of the city you're from barely hits 6-digits, you'll probably not like the driving scene in Japan (Tokyo specifically). If you're from another big city, you should do fine.
I didn't say your opinion is uninformed. For that matter, I don't see how my opinion is biased, but I didn't feel like arguing about it.
List me as a source, if you like. I prefer those to the ones like I encountered the other day in Naka-Meguro who decided he would make a right turn from the left turn lane. The taxi was radio #1873 of Nihon Koutsuu.Well, I don't disagree with you. Before blaming them though I would blame a system that requires them to work 24 hour shifts with minimal break. All things considered, I think they're pretty skilled given the stress of their job. In their defense... I've sat in many sedated taxis. I prefer the reckless ones. I'd also like to see a source on that U-turn claim. Sounds fishy, obviously.
Not necessarily. Often when I see a car driving cluelessly and seemingly befuddled in Tokyo I take a look at the license plate and say to myself, "Yep. Yokohama tags."Final Thought: If the population of the city you're from barely hits 6-digits, you'll probably not like the driving scene in Japan (Tokyo specifically). If you're from another big city, you should do fine.
Sorry then. Just sounded that way. I think by default your opinion on traffic would be biased though. I think anything someone does daily, especially for a job, has an impact on how they see things.I didn't say your opinion is uninformed. For that matter, I don't see how my opinion is biased
Naka-Meguro who decided he would make a right turn from the left turn lane. The taxi was radio #1873 of Nihon Koutsuu.Well indeed every population is going to have some seriously clueless people. I guess some people are luckier than others when it comes to how often they encounter them.Not necessarily. Often when I see a car driving cluelessly and seemingly befuddled in Tokyo I take a look at the license plate and say to myself, "Yep. Yokohama tags."
well, I don't particularly think that drivers in Japan are that safe. I mean they put stickers on new/elderly drivers cars so that they have less responsability and more on you to be "aware" of those drivers and what they "might" do! Also, taxi drivers and buses have the right of way no matter what! Taxis can may an illegal U turn or drive at incredibly slow paces to try and drum up business from people who are not even trying to hail cabs! IMHO Taxis in Japan are the least safe drivers on the road.
japan isnt the only place where new drivers have to have somesort of sticker on there car. in british columbia canada, new drivers have to have a huge green "n" sign on their vehichle. one thing i find a little dangerous about japanese drivers is the curtiousy to turn off their headlights at intersections, but not all remember to turn them back on, thats a bit scary when crossing the road.
Well, coming from the US, this was new to me...also, they are not held as liable in an accident as you would be...even if they hit you. You (being an experienced driver) should not have been in the area at the time of impact seems to be the train of thought here! Basically, because they have that little sticker, I am supposed to read their freakin' mind and know that they are gonna change lanes without a signal and sideswipe my car in my blind spot!But no worries here, I stay away from the new drivers and the elderly ones too! Those damn taxi's and the driving school cars get on my nerves the most though!
The stickers for the new drivers are mandatory for the first year. The stickers for the elderly drivers are optional.
Doesn't a biased opinion just mean leaning one way or the other... regardless of what that opinion is based on?Saying that someone's opinion is "biased" gives the impression that the opinion is either based on a misunderstanding of actual facts or
I'd have to disagree with both Windows users... Calling me tainted is an understatement, so perhaps that was a bad analogy. Perhaps if I spent all day in trafffic, I'd have a different view of that as well.
In what way does my opinion lean? Away from an accurate representation of the actual circumstances, I mean.
Today's taxi-drivers-have-l33t-skillz balloon burster:
I was sitting at a red light on Yamate-dori in Shinjuku today. Next to me were two taxis. The one in the front was driven by Mr. Magoo. Traffic cleared out a little bit on the other side of the light and Mr. Magoo takes off. The taxi behind him took off behind him.
Only problem was....the light didn't change from red to green until about 10 seconds after they were both gone.
Last edited by Mike Cash; Jun 7, 2005 at 20:36. Reason: speling eror
Doing something all day every day will taint anyone's opinion on anything, no? That's all I was getting at.
Doing something all day every day will certainly affect anyone's opinion on anything, I agree. As to whether it will taint it or not......
Touche'
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Come to Hawaii. Less traffic, more space, yet they still seem to smack into pedestrians on a regular.More hilarity.
Some pedestrians just seem to really need a good smacking, doncha think?
is gaijinpunch a fighting style or a drink?
There is indeed a lot of truth to that.Some pedestrians just seem to really need a good smacking, doncha think?
It is neither. It's just a name I came up with. I was frequenting the game centers back in my younger chain smoking days when Virtua Fighter 4 came out, and they had the cards which stored your name and displayed it on-screen while you fought. I was clearly a gaijin, and it was a fighting game so I went with 'punch'. After that, it just stuck.is gaijinpunch a fighting style or a drink?
3 Japanese (on the sidewalk) were hit by a car in Waikiki this last week my wife tells me. :/
No, it doesn't work that way. Every 5 minutes you will see (probably) more than 10 drivers that you could consider poor...they may just not be very attentive...but that translates into a bad driver. Especially when they routinely cut you off, turn without signals, park on the side of the road or major highway in front of a no parking sign so that they can either pee or talk on their cell phone...there is an endless list of offenses.
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