Not to mention the " anything I can get away with" mentality

[doudesuka]

I have never seen such crazy parking habits. It's a regular obstacle course going down narrow streets. Total parking anarchy!

It's like what happens to the brains that operate these machines? Scary thought! Can't depend on the police unless you get hit.

 

[den4]

You drive in Japan? Wow.....you are brave...

 

[doudesuka]

Yes, I do. I would be crazy if I was stuck at home all day. I love to drive. Have you been to Japan?
By the way, I love your mushroom phrase.

 

[doudesuka]

I just want to say that I am not bashing japanese, I just wanted to know if anyone has any experiences that want to share. Just a new thread to discuss.

 

[jeisan]

I'm sure everyone has experiences with bad drivers/parkers. I have one nearly every day. But speaking of people just doing whatever the hell they want, one time I almost ran over some old folks on bikes because the truck in front of me changed lanes fast to avoid them himself, and since there was a car next to me, I had nowhere to go. They were taking up the entire lane of traffic in a 55mph (88km/h) zone, when there is an excellent shoulder/bike lane for them to ride on, paved and everything. I was within a yard/meter of them before I finally stopped, and they never even looked back the whole time. I gave them what for afterwards.

 

[neko_girl22]

Do you live in Osaka, Dou? They have the reputation for being the worst or at least the most agressive drivers in Japan!

I like the way that if you're stuck in a side street trying to merge onto a busy road, kind drivers stop and let you in, they don't do that in New Zealand.

some roads are soooooo narrow down here (pre-war narrow) only enough room for one car, so I suppose you have to learn to be considerate or you'll never get anywhere

 

[doudesuka]

I live in Toyota City.

I won't even attempt to drive in the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Only a suburban driver. That's enough for me.

 

[Hanada Tattsu]

Heh, if you drive in San Francisco, USA, then driving in places like Nagoya and Osaka will be a breeze.

I dunno about Tokyo, but in San Francisco, drivers stop at green lights and go on red lights. I was in San Francisco the other week, and seriously, I must have seen like three of four accidents in two days!

I'm sure Tokyo, one of the largest cities in the world (if not the largest) has about twenty times more accidents than San Francisco, but still, I wouldn't mind driving there. ^^

 

[kirei_na_me]

Originally posted by doudesuka
I live in Toyota City.

I won't even attempt to drive in the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Only a suburban driver. That's enough for me.

Oh, so you're in Aichi? My husband is from Aichi prefecture, too, but he's from north of Nagoya, near Gifu.

My husband drives like a madman, but he knows what he's doing. He's the only person I would trust driving me through D.C. Those Japanese driving skills come in handy.

 

[doudesuka]

Well, I have never been to San Francisco, so I don't know how people drive there, I am sure it's crazy!

I must say that I have learned to drive very good being here. I am more alert and experienced in getting out of tight spots.
I was locked in by cars at a party in the states. But, I was like
houdini in a car and got myself out. Not one of my friends could
believe how I got out.

So, It is great to have the experience of driving in Japan.
I love to drive here but I was remarking on the dangerous drivers that I observe where I live now.

:

 

[Iron Chef]

Sapporo and the surrounding region were both easy enough to get around from my driving experience. One thing that i've always thought peculiar is if you were to look at an elapsed time period of when an open parking lot for example starts to fill up (cinema, grocery store, etc.), why is it everyone feels the need to line up their cars when parking like ducks in a row? If there are 19 cars all parked in the same row, rest assured the 20th will continue to circle around until he/she can align themselves with the other 19 rather than just starting a new row by parking behind one of the other cars... Maybe it's just me but I find that odd 8-p

 

[doudesuka]

I am just being silly but maybe it's because no one wants to be the first one to start a new row as that is similar to standing out from the group.

 

[Mandylion]

Red lights in Japan are more of a polite suggestion. It would be rude to demand you to stop. We live in Japan after all.

This politness does not apply to parking lots. In the span of one year I have been driving, I cannot tell you the nuber of times I have been aggressivly cut off for parking spaces! Also, the logic seems to be, since there are no stop signs or direction markers in my local parking lots, it is every man for himself.
I have driven in many different areas of the US, and I have seen things here done by drivers never attempted in the US. This is, of course, because in the US, you would be shot and the other drivers would cheer. What astounds me is how the driving test to get your license can be so amazingly strict, I guess to drill good driving habits into you, and then have everyone disregard everything their expensive lessons have taught them.

 

[doudesuka]

Ha Ha! Your telling me! Last week in the hospita parking lot which is very narrow driving path between bumpers. A man was going the wrong way. He kept driving past me and I barely made it without a scratch. I just don't get it when there are arrows pointing the way. Any type of signs don't mean a thing I guess. It's because there is no real policing anywhere on the roads. So people have learned that they can do what they want and get away with it most of the time.
My father-in-law said traffic lights are not meant to regulate traffic but to control the flow of traffic. What's that suppose to mean?

 

[doudesuka]

That damn driving exam at the agency is just a way for you to keep paying them money until they feel they have stolen enough from your pocket. It's all a big scam like everything else.
Are you from the states? I just got back from the states with a fresh intl' driver's permit. You can get yours through the mail. All you have to do is send two passport pictures and 12.00 and this form.

 

[jeisan]

i think those international drivers lisence things are a scam. besides in alot of places you can use your native lisence without worry.

 

[Mandylion]

(AAA in the US is a reliable IDP source)
In Japan drivers from the US can only use an IDP for one year, non-renewable. If you wish to use an IDP after the one year limit, you must be outside of Japan for at least three months. Otherwise you must convert your license to a Japanese one. All nationalities must do this, though the process varries. People from Canada, the UK, France and others can simply visit the licensing center and exchange their license. US drivers and some others must pass the practical driving exam, though it is not practical at all. DON'T drive illegally on an expired or renewed IDP. It is like driving without a license and your insurance company most likely won't cover you in a wreck. Also, you can be fined big-time by the cops. We are talking thousands of greenbacks in fines. "I don't speak Japanese" doesn't work. You have been in Japan a year and should at least know the laws, so the logic goes.

 

[doudesuka]

I was there for 2 months. I got it from AAA

 

[budd]

bad drivers are in every city, with people being in such a hurry
i have had people pass me, then slow down so they can make a right/left turn in front of me
or worse, slam on their brakes at the red light
that right there is why i don't have a firearm (carjacking/robberies are rampant in this city), i am like "lawd hammercy... (edit) give me strength!"

 

[doudesuka]

Where do you live?
I know there are bad drivers everywhere.
But, her it is different in a way that people do what they want and pay no attention to traffic lights. If they cause an accident. then that's when they think oh no! The streets and roads are not monitored here like they are in the states. People get away with more reckless driving. Somethings would totally amaze you.
Maybe it's all in my head. More than likely we don't get away with running a yellow light or red light. But, here people who have slowed down just go through it when they could of stopped. That's what I am talking about.

 

[mdchachi]

I used to drive in Tokyo -- a car occasionally, a motorcycle daily. Overall I thought Japanese drivers were pretty good considering the circumstances of crowded, narrow roads.

I happened to run across this description of driving in India today. In comparison, I think I'd prefer driving in Japan.

India 1997 - Part one - Delhi, Varanasi and Agra - A Travelogue by Doug Burnett

A travelogue of a trip to northern India, including Delhi, Varanasi and Agra, in February 1997 by Doug Burnett.

web.archive.org

Ah yes, the traffic: I have never seen anything like it. At first I was convinced it was pure chaos, but after a few rides I began to see the pattern. It is really quite pragmatic. Pedestrians give way to bikes, who give way to motor scooters. They in turn give way to cars, who give way to trucks. The king of the road is the cow: everyone avoids the cows. It's a size thing, small gives way to large. What could be more obvious?

The traffic flows something like a fish swim. Each vehicle is aware of its immediate neighbor and, reacting to it, moves away to avoid hitting it. Yes, it was like two long, thin schools of fish swimming next to each other. Sometimes one of the "fish," usually a scooter, would stray into the oncoming school. No problem. With much honking of horns and ringing of bells, the other "fish" make room. Eventually the errant "fish" finds its way back into it's own school.
...
Indian traffic follows the same general rules on the cross-country roads as in the cities: small gives way to large. If you are motoring along and - as often happens - a truck decides to pass a scooter as he meets you, your driver will stop and/or pullover. He's not stupid: he doesn't want to get hit by the truck. On the other hand, if your driver wants to pass a cart as a motorcycle is in the on-coming lane, the motorcycle will stop and/or pull off the road: he doesn't want to get hit either. All this is done without the rancour that you would find in the west. It is simply the expedient thing to do: survival of the fittest.

 

[alexi32]

what funny about japanese cars is like everyone drives these tiny cars, really small, but like they are really tall. Then you get inside and they got somesort of high tech navagation thing you could use to attack soldiers, or robots or somthing!

meow!