Old man
September 28, 2005
While returning home from the Thai Food Festival at Tennoji park we stumbled onto an example of a human being who can only be described as garbage. This pathetic man not only was taking up at least 4 seats by lying down on it, he was smoking in the train. Smoking on a train platform is bad enough but this parasite on society had the gall to even smoke in the train. Smoking is prohibited in all train stations but often there are still assholes who disregard this.
Sadly no one mentioned anything to him. Unfortunately for everyone else people in this culture rarely speak up against public nuisances such as this man. I would’ve done something but he got off at the next station. I have to admit I’ve been more hesitant in speaking up against these leeches. As he was leaving I could tell by the look on his face that he was drunk. Who is visibly drunk at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon? As angry as I am with this loser I’m sure he will get his just deserves. What goes around comes around.
The incredibly selfish man
September 28th, 2005 at 17:04
A lot of old people are of the mindset that, “I’ve always done this, why should I have to follow the new rules?”
September 28th, 2005 at 19:08
If the world were made of only these kinds of people, there would never be any progress made.
September 29th, 2005 at 03:22
I guess in Japan, there’s more respect for older people too, so you wouldn’t have anyone telling the old guy to stop smoking. I run into that problem sometimes too, i.e. there’s a grandma sitting on the bus bench smoking. Do I tell an old lady to get up and go away? It’s hard.
September 29th, 2005 at 06:34
There’s a slight difference between smoking on a bus bench and say, smoking IN THE BUS! At least the bench belongs to public property outdoors, I don’t think I would ask her to stop, but in the bus/train is just wrong.
Age be damned. People of all ages can do wrong and therefore people of all ages should be corrected.
Boy am I sounding like a communist or what?
September 29th, 2005 at 06:48
Oh and one more old person story.
On the train home from work yesterday I heard an old man start grumbling while I was trying to sleep. I didn’t really pay attention until I distinctly heard him say, “Obasan ha baca da!” or “(You there) Grandma, you’re stupid!”
I opened my eyes to see what kind of human garbage would call an old lady stupid. There was this guy in his 50s maybe and as I observed him he started making all sorts of weird sounds and started giving people the middle finger! In Japan, flipping the bird does not have as nearly strong a message as it does back home. But, on top of that he started making weird slashing gestures and giving OK signs to some people. It was weird. The two little old ladies next to me looked a bit worried.
I was getting pissed that this guy was making a nuisance so I just started staring at him with the stone cold face I have. It took him a bit to realize I was staring at him. He then muttered something which I think meant, “You shouldn’t be looking at me” (not too sure what he said). He made a few more gestures but tried avoiding eye contact with me. Finally he got up and walked to another train carriage. While he walked to the next train carriage he yelled at some young girls and made slashy gestures to some guys.
I’m not really sure still if he was an asshole or if he was just plain crazy. He could’ve passed as both. Either way it made my usually relaxing train ride back a bit stranger.