Job Discussion Forums

[matko]

Ok,

Does anybody know if there are rules in Japan for bicycles. My biggest problem is not knowing which side to move to when another cyclist is coming at you. The funny thing is, the Japanese don't seem to know either, at least by they way the ride.

Also, if I get hit by another person again because they are too busy texting and riding, I think I'll lose it!!!

What the bloody hell are those people thinking!?!?!?

[bshabu]

This has happened to me more times then I can remember. Once I High School boy was riding while typing on his keitai. I screamed at the top of my lungs "ABUNAI". The poor kid was so surprised that he dropped his keitai. I almost fell off my bike I was laughing so hard.

[shmooj]

One kid, in a group of many schoolkids hogging the wrong side of the road cycled straight into my wife and cut her hand. She was pretty shocked by it. He looked like he'd killed her, cut her body up and posted it through my letterbox so my fury was somewhat tempered by his obvious dismay and the fact that he was sprawled over the road.

However, going a little further on, another student attempted almost exactly the same thing about 1 minute later. I, getting a little used to this now and reeeeeaaally irate, literally kicked him off his bike in a joust-like manouver and, as we sailed past, shouted "You drive on the left in Japan -yo!" Man they think they are invincible when they cycle in a group.

There are no rules

[Glenski]

There seems to be one major rule. When riding at night, don't use your lights.

[homersimpson]

Riding a bike in Japan is like playing chicken ... except only one person knows the rules.

[Canuck2112]

Then, there's the doublers. Don't even get me started on the doublers. First off, there is something inherently wrong with two school boys in matching blazers "doubling" on a bike my Grandmother would consider "too feminine". Just the sight of it is disturbing enough. When you get one of the doublers (the front one) fiddling with his keitai, while the other one (in the rear) precariously balances some sort of cake or cake-like pastry in his free hand, you have a recipe for disaster.

I don't know what's scarier in this country...driving or biking. Sometimes the basic act of walking terrifies me.

[ntropy]

Don't get hit by a beer truck. I can tell you from experience, the truck wins.

[Celeste]

I was cycling in the bicycle lane of a crosswalk, and the pedestrian part of the crosswalk was really crowded with pedestrians. I slowed considerably and had one foot down for sfety's sake because pedestrians had started to spill over into the bicycle part of the crosswalk. Good thing I had a foot down because a middle aged salary man was running and shoving his way through the crowd. He walked right up to me and placed both hands on my shoulder and SHOVED ME OFF MY BIKE into the middle of the intersection. I nearly dropped the bike, but I didn't fall down. I was completely without words, however. (So shmooj, what do you look like again? )

[Lynn]

Doublers!
I am guilty! When I was a student in Japan, we used to do this all the time. I was scolded by the police 3 times. "kora! futarinori orinasai!"

Geez, I thought I was so bad ass then. hee-hee

[fat_chris]

[viddy]

It sounds like quite a few of you use bicycles in Japan.

So do any of you also drive there? How difficult/different is it? Are the signposts all in Japanese, and do they have any weird laws or customs?

[TokyoLiz]

Kids, i just have to share this... Bear with me.

So, I have this beautiful Giant Rock 5000 that I bought just before Christmas, and I ride it like I do in Vancouver - defensively and in traffic. Right now I'm living in Chiba City - yes, any Chiba residents, get off the road, because your lives are in danger

Anyway, I've been parking at the station for months now, but I don't pay for parking. I saw the sign at the station that indicates that it's 700 yen per month, not that steep and I'm willing to pay. But, wouldn't you know, the entire sign and instructions for parking fees is in the most inscrutable kanji. There is a phone number at the bottom, and I would call, but I don't have the confidence to speak Japanese over the phone. I generally avoid the phone in this country. Text messaging is my friend.

Lately, my bike has been vandalized. I'm quite sure that the station parking attendants are responsible. I went to the police and did a gruelling hour-long police report with some very patient officers. I told the Captain that I think somebody is angry with me. He chuckled - he knows I've ticked off the parking nazis!

Well, I parked on the official lot yesterday morning, and put a note on the parking attendant's booth - "When you can give me English or French instructions on how to pay, I will be happy to pay for the monthly parking."

The neighbourhood I live in has a huge gaijin population, mostly English-speaking - Phillipinos, Indians, Canadians, Australians.

So far so good with the parking. There was a parking infraction ticket on my handle bars when I came home. The only part I could read was the bit that said onegai. If I took the Japanese profficiency test, I think I'd barely make 3rd level because, though I can speak Japanese, I'm illiterate. But no damage on the bike.

That's my sad bicycle tale. We now return you to your regular programming.

[ntropy]

I brought over a truly expensive bicycle and rode it everywhere, which was a mistake. The poor roads and infrastructure aged it far beyond what it should have. I was getting flats almost weekly but would have been unlucky to have one a year on Cdn. roads. I ended up buying a "beater" so my "baby" wouldn't get destroyed.

My wife also had a car and I drove it occasionally but in Japan the bicycle the train and the subway were far superior to driving. Never understood those who insisted on driving everywhere.

PS--Japanese are some of the most honest people I've met anywhere but bicycle theft doesn't seem to be considered theft.

[unchi pants]

Doubling.... I'm guilty!

Texting while riding .... Guilty!

Riding down the middle of the wrong side of the road ... Guilty!

Personally, I think the whole bike etiquette thing (or rather lack thereof) is too big to fight ... It's better just to embrace it! Afterall, when in Rome......

Just relax and accept that that's the way it is... I guarrantee you won't be so pissed off when others do it.

The funniest bike incident I ever experienced occurred one morning while I was walking to work.... On this particular day it was raining quite heavily. On one side of the footpath where I was walking, there were some trees and on the other side was a fence made of some kind of pre-fab material.

Behind me was a guy riding his bike and holding an umbrella ... He was riding dangerously fast I thought, considering how heavyily it was raining(God, I sound like an obachan) ... Anyway, he was continually ringing his bell so I moved to the left side of the path and continued to walk ahead. As I did that, I came to a tree with a rather low hanging branch, so in order to avoid the branch, I leaned (with umbrella in hand) to the right. Right at this very moment, the cyclist passed me and our umbrellas locked... Stupidly, he never let go of his umbrella but continued to ride along the path (fast, I might add) .... right into the pre-fab fence!!! He crashed and then fell onto the footpath!!!

God, the things you see when you don't have a video camera!

I managed to hold back the laughter for a second, and uttered a very concerned sounding "daijobu"? Even though nothing happened to me, he was profusely apologetic. I really felt like saying at that moment, "If you people ever bothered to look where you were going and rode your bikes more carefully, you wouldn't have to spend half your lives apologizing". AS tempting as it was, I didn't say it.

[ellienihon]

I rode my bike wherever wasn't crowded. I had two bikes stolen in 13 months. I was hit by a car at an unmarked intersection, but not hard. I rode futarinori several times. (Once with my 3 yr old host brother in the basket!)

Bicycles are wonderful, and the best way to get around, at least in Kyoto. I'm so looking forward to going back!!!