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Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:27 am
by Primarch_Vanguard
Cars should have names like slowasDeleted, burro or geriatric because the names swift, move and vamos have lost their meaning on the drivers of these cars. Is it me, or does anyone driving these cars seem to drive so slow?

But to my real beef. I drove in Canada for 30 years, on and off again, and never once did I have road rage or incidents like I have had in Japan. It is a monthly occurrence for me to have to "teach" someone manners here.

Just last night, I'm driving home. I live way in the countryside and thus the road is empty but still a new road with lines and yeah, everything. I coming speeding along and the jeep in front is doing all of 40. Whatever your thoughts on speeding are, fine but this is too slow in my books. I go to pass and the car pulls into the middle. I think, great, drunk driver. Even more reason to get around the guy. He moves back and I move out and he moves back again. Ok, I'm irritated now. A hill is coming and I'm not stupid so I wait. As soon as the hill ends, the jeep pulls back into the middle. It's not looking like random drunkenness anymore but someone being a Deleted. I'm plenty Deleted now. We are approaching a red light and the car suddenly stops. I'm not tailgating and I'm like, wtf? I've had it. I pull up beside him and he pulls further ahead. Almost into the intersection. I jump out of my car and head to his. He floors it through the red light and traffic. He's lucky he didn't get t-boned. Excuse my language, but Deleted Deleted Deleted coward. This happened a few months ago. Again! And last month was a yakuza Deleted. He took off. And then an older couple needing re-education on why you don't flash your lights at someone at night and blind them, just because they pass you. Anyone else had similar experiences of Deletedery like this?

End of rant.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:41 am
by me_in_japan
My wife and i nearly got killed here, once. We were crossing the street, about 1am. The street in question was route 23, the major traffic artery that runs through the whole prefecture, top to bottom. 3 or 4 lanes in each direction. We were crossing in the centre of town, just near the station (we were on foot). We wait at the traffic lights. They change to red for cars, green man for us. We start to cross. I, being a well educated lad who listens to his mammy, continue to look left and right while crossing out of well-ingrained childhood habit. What should I see but a set of car lights heading down the road. Not the only car on the road, mind you. The rest are all diligently waiting at their red light, letting us cross. But not the incoming car, oh no indeed. This chap seems to think "red light. Cars all stopped. Pedestrians crossing" equates to "accelerate and dodge round them".

Bastich must have been doing a hundred kph at least. Tbh I don't think he even saw us till he was past the red light. I had about enough time to stop myself, shout at my then g/f (now wife) to dive for it, and he had exactly enough time to swerve round her and keep on going down the road. He left skid marks on the street, and frankly I nearly did too. Stupidest dumbass I ever did see, in any country.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:39 pm
by Colonel Voss
Doesn't surprise me. Next time you see the cops around, thank them for being such lazy schmucks and not enforcing the traffic laws.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:45 pm
by Spevna
My last run in with a bad drive left me with 2 black eyes, 2 broken wrists, 2 broken thumbs, a broken toe, a missing tooth, and minus most of the skin on both hands.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:17 pm
by kojibear
Primarch_Vanguard wrote:Cars should have names like slowashit, burro or geriatric because the names swift, move and vamos have lost their meaning on the drivers of these cars. Is it me, or does anyone driving these cars seem to drive so slow?
I drive a Swift ;) ;) :P

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:40 am
by Primarch
Primarch_Vanguard wrote: Excuse my language, but Deleted Deleted Deleted coward.
Forum Admin time here.

Whilst I will let the occasional expletive slide here and there, please try to refrain from swearing. I want to keep this site fairly clean.

Now that that is done with,
This area of Japan is famous for it's bad drivers. Whilst I don't drive in Japan, I have lost count of the number of times I have seen cars speed through obviously red lights in the middle of Nagoya, or switch lanes suddenly to undertake the vehicle in front. A couple of weeks ago I was in a car with Col. Voss and a truck cut in front of us at a junction. Crazy.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:46 am
by kojibear
Yep, the not stopping at red lights is pretty popular here :evil: Oh, yeah, and I can't count the number of times people have not used their indicators.

Strange though, that they have to pay megawads of money to get a license and have so many strict lessons. I guess such people just have no concecpt of anyone else on the road except themselves.

As for speeding, in a country road I get it, but around town where there are traffic lights everywhere, there really is no point. Waste of petrol and needless risk to others.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:51 am
by Primarch_Vanguard
Spevna wrote:My last run in with a bad drive left me with 2 black eyes, 2 broken wrists, 2 broken thumbs, a broken toe, a missing tooth, and minus most of the skin on both hands.

Damn. Hope the payout was huge.

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:52 am
by Primarch_Vanguard
kojibear wrote:Yep, the not stopping at red lights is pretty popular here :evil: Oh, yeah, and I can't count the number of times people have not used their indicators.

Strange though, that they have to pay megawads of money to get a license and have so many strict lessons. I guess such people just have no concecpt of anyone else on the road except themselves.

As for speeding, in a country road I get it, but around town where there are traffic lights everywhere, there really is no point. Waste of petrol and needless risk to others.

Why there are indicators on cars here is beyond me?

Re: Horríble driving habits here!

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:16 am
by me_in_japan
The thing that drives me nuts, far more than any other driving problem is:

Small children standing on the front passenger seat of the car. No seat belt. I mean wtf? I've actually asked Japanese drivers about this (when I worked in eikaiwa) and the response was "but I'm a careful driver. I won't crash."

Lady, I ain't questioning your driving ability. I'm questioning your telekinetic ability to stop your child from flying through the windscreen at 70kph when some other drunk idiot sideswipes you on the way home. It's like there's some kind of national perception of driving accidents only ever affecting those who actually drive the car.
I'm a careful driver = I am safe in my car.

Gah!

Ps: it's been said before, I know, but for the record I think censorship to the level displayed on this forum is wrong and it offends me. I don't think the majority should be ruled by the over-sensitive dispositions of the minority, and I don't think those who are offended by swear words have a greater right to assert their moral standards over those who wish to use swear words to express themselves.