Horríble driving habits here!

[Primarch]

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.

My Brother in law is terrible for this. A couple of years back he was driving himself, his wife, me, my wife and his two kids, with his 3 year old standing in his lap, partially obscuring his view and requiring him to take one hand off the wheel to keep him under control. Very scary.

P.s: It's been said before, I know, but for the record, I don't care.

[me_in_japan]

P.s: It's been said before, I know, but for the record, I don't care.

Dat's areet didn't want to offer my implied approval by keeping schtum, is all

[Tenorikuma]

If you want to see insane driving habits, go to Thailand some time. I have seen families of five riding on a single motorcycle.

Legal culpability in an accident (which happen very frequently) depends on who manages to pay off the policeman first.

[Primarch]

Legal culpability in an accident (which happen very frequently) depends on who manages to pay off the policeman first.

That seems like a fair and balanced system. Everyone has an equal chance.

[Primarch_Vanguard]

I have seen it many times here. Kids running around the car in front of me. Wth!? It's funny that all my friends have scary story about driving with someone here and pondering their will at the same time.

[AndrewGPaul]

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.

When I was out there, we crossed a (clearly empty of traffic) road in Nagoya without waiting for the green man. We thought the slightly disapproving, slightly amazed stares from the locals was because we weren't forllowing the proper procedure. perhaps they were startled by our foolhardiness.

Geordie is in Dublin on Business and takes a Taxi from the Airport to his Hotel in the City Centre.
As they come out of the Airport, the Taxi driver shoots through a red light. "Driver, you could have killed us, you jumped that red light!" shouts Geordie."Ah to be sure, my brother and me, we do that all the time" says the cabbie.
A mile down the road and the Taxi driver shoots over another red light.
"Driver, that was another red light!" Screams Geordie."Ah to be sure its nothing at all my brother and me, we do it all the time."
They get to the next traffic light. Its green, the Taxi driver stops!
" Driver, its a green light ! Why the hell have you stopped ?" says Geordie.
"Ah to be sure, " Says the Taxi Driver, " my Brother, he might be coming the other way ........"

[Konrad]

I'm glad I don't drive in Japan. Aichi drivers are nuts. I just cringe at some of the stuff I've seen. And what's worse, if you are injured in a traffic accident, you will be taken to the hospital on the world's slowest amublance. I mean in the States, an ambulance with lights flashing and siren on means, "Get the hell out of the way. Emergency here." Here the lights and siren are just a loud apology, "Oh, so sorry to inconvenience you, this is so embarassing, but could you let us through? No? Of course, so sorry to have troubled you."
I have a horrible pedestrian story. The pedestrian (me, American, off the plane about 3 weeks) is putting out the trash. Windy day, and the bag blows out in the street. Mr. "Drives on the right" American looks to his left for oncoming traffic and hops out in the street and grabs his bag. Hops back on the curb and a bus comes barreling by from his right side not 2 seconds later. Remember kids, look both ways before stepping off the curb. I wonder how many dumb Americans get splatted like that in a year.

[AndrewGPaul]

Kerbs? You lucky ... blighter. Just be grateful there was more than a white line in the tarmac.

[YellowStreak]

Mr. "Drives on the right" American looks to his left for oncoming traffic and hops out in the street and grabs his bag. Hops back on the curb and a bus comes barreling by from his right side not 2 seconds later. Remember kids, look both ways before stepping off the curb. I wonder how many dumb Americans get splatted like that in a year.

This kept happening to me in the US last year. Hard to break a lifetime habit of looking right when crossing the road!