Journal ObviousGuy's Journal: Train people: Phlegm Spitter 4
Japan has a reputation for being a country of the utmost politeness and courtesy. It's a lie.
In my experience of living in Japan for a little over a year I have noticed that Japanese people are much ruder to others than Americans are to others by an order of a magnitude. Most of the time this rudeness is seen in the stomping on old ladies when stepping off the train, pedestrians making no effort to move aside or make room for oncoming pedestrians, a total disregard for regulations concerning smoking, and other things that are simply bad behavior and show a lack of respect for others.
Other things I've noticed are smaller and have more to do with a lack of common courtesy than anything else. One of these is sneezing or coughing in public.
Today on the train I was able to sit for most of the trip. A guy sat in the open seat next to me a little later and then another guy stood in front of us. So far so good, I can read my book and worry about the project I'm working on in peace. But out of the blue the guy in front of us coughed.
I don't think it's a cultural thing to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. I've seen people from all over the world do it. However in Japan it's not uncommon to see people coughing or sneezing over and over onto the people around them. Today's cougher, a late 20's rock and roller (I guess, he may have had a real job, who knows?), didn't bother to cover his mouth at all. As a result, the guy sitting next to me in his windbreaker got a big glob of mucus on his sleeve. How very fucking nice.
During another trip to Kamakura SARS guy was standing next to the door. It sounded like he was going to cough up a lung. Every time the doors closed he would start coughing and everyone would look and slowly edge away so as not to catch the phlegm and spittle bouncing off the train doors. Then instead of getting off and getting a drink at any of the many stations along the route, he rode all the way to Kamakura hacking and spitting and generally being a nuisance. A mouth non-covering nuisance. Kamakura is an hour and a half away from where I live. He was on the train when I boarded so his incosideration must have lasted for a good 2 hours. When he finally got off, the window had a nice hazy film of his lung goo.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. No one wants to catch your germs, much less your phlegm. I'm truly surprised at how wrong the 'polite Japanese' stereotype actually is.
Reasons (Score:2)
Now its the Japanese themselves who have something invested in their image. "Look at us, our polite culture and communal work ethic makes us better and more economically fit."
Anyone who's had to deal with Japanese tourists knows this. The worst I've heard was one of my friends had a gifht with her parents and w
At least my train neighbor covered her mouth (Score:2)
I mean, why even get on the train? Stay home.
Add 'respect to elders' (Score:2)
It seems like that sort of respect only extends to people with whom they have a relationship: family or neighbors. Random old people are dirt there.
Was just talking about this... (Score:2)
The GF and I were on our way home from running errands, talking about cultural differences. I said, "Well, everybody thinks the Japanese are more polite than Americans and that's bullshit." She just about fell over (good thing she was buckled up.) I had to defend my stance, and pretty much said that it's a front. Japanese people are very polite and friendly when they should be/need to be. When they meet someone, or what not