Some Japanese are sometimes very sad people...

[Rezz]

I was on the train yesterday coming home from Shinsaibashi, basically one of the 3 main entertainment/shopping areas in Osaka. So I'm just standing there on the train swaying to the side-to-side movements when the train conductor flicks on da mike to make announcements:

"M-m-m-m-m mamonaku... A-a-a-a-a-amagasaki, Amagasaki desu... d-d-d-d-deguchi wa, hidarigawa desu".

OBVIOUSLY the guy was nervous and/or had a speach impediment, to which the ENTIRE train car burst out laughing... I looked around and even the old grannies got a kick out of it. I just couldn't see the humour of it, I just felt for the poor guy. Then again:

"Kyou m-m-m-m-mo... JR Nishi Nihon no oreo () okiyakusama... a-a-a-a-a-a-a-arigatou g-g-gozaimasu"...

Again... the whole train car is rolling about on the floor laughing so hard... it was embarrassing! Who are these heartless people??? Here I am looking around at these guys and there was one older woman (possibly in her 40's) just sitting there looking at me with a painful smirk on her face. She could see me looking around in absolute disgust, so I think she was one of the only ones that was aware of what was actually happening.

For the first time I felt like yelling out to the lot of them and saying (in English.. I don't give a sh!t) "You guys are ***cing sad!"

Don't get me wrong, I HAVE seen this in my country, it's just that it's always kids who do the laughing and the adult guardians/parents do the head slapping and scolding. No such thing here.

**waits for other Japan residents to prove otherwise**

I'm over it

[Evo_Lee]

Don't worry, I'd say case by case...maybe all the people in the carriage knew each other.

JR Sanda line...I used to take agessss ago had a conductor who stuttered. I the silly foreign had a smurk perhaps the first time, after which I just found it difficult to hear him especially if you were not from around here and trying to get off the correct station. No one really laughed but just minded their own business as Japanese as Japanese do.

[hippy]

i dont' understand .. why was people laughing?

[Rezz]

i dont' understand .. why was people laughing?

Train conductor making announcement over microphone has speach impediment... everyone laughs because he sounds funny.... = poor bastard = clueless people on train...

[blackanator]

bizzarro japan?

when i was in japan, the trains were spotless, odourless and every one just seem to have respect for all comuters...

catch a train in perth (its not as bad as over east) but you get to see all the windows tagged up, feral kids uttering obscenities like it were the new alphabet, 9/10 the train pongs of B.O / vomit / fart / piss/ shit / - choose any 3 at any given time.

heh so its not all perfect in japan...

oh well.

[Rezz]

If somebody laughed at my speech impediment I'd probably punch them... it's a pity all the people on the train couldn't think about it that way.

blackanator: it's not bizzaro Japan, it's not about perfect trains either... it was simply about immature reactions by everyone on the train: no matter if they're young/old/rich/poor/retarded/smart.

[InspectorGadget]

heh so its not all perfect in japan...

Nope. Just f@@Ked up in different ways.

For the first time I felt like yelling out to the lot of them and saying (in English.. I don't give a sh!t) "You guys are ***cing sad!"

Yup. The old traditional Japanese values that people with disabilities should be hidden from society because they don't fit into the group.

In some of the more rural areas, it is still an embarassment for parents to have children who are physically or mentally disabled. Reasonably often they send them away to homes or institutions to get them out of the way. This happens more often with those in professional positions, as they have 'reputations' to uphold. That and government support for people with disabilities is practically non-existant.

It often surprises me that for a country with so many people, I see so few people with disabilities.

Good on the bloke for getting out there and contributung to society. And good on JR for employing him, as it would have been so easy for them to turn him away.

IG

I get pissed off when people laugh at my speech impediment as well. But usually that's becuase I've forgotten that I have a mouthful of beer when I start to talk.

[Rezz]

Good on the bloke for getting out there and contributung to society. And good on JR for employing him, as it would have been so easy for them to turn him away..

This is the point, the guy gets out there and contributes to society... and gets laughed out of the building so to speak... unforgivable.

[akeenan]

**waits for other Japan residents to prove otherwise**

i cant prove anything... good ole japan...

[Informer]

Rezz,

If he was the train conductor, he shouldn't have a speech impediment. Otherwise, was there something wrong with the mic? was it freezing cold? Could you understand what he was saying? Was it a prank?

I just don't see how someone with a speech problem be in charge of making announcement on the train (not trying to be harsh here).

Maybe you're being a bit too sensitive?

[Rezz]

Rezz,

If he was the train conductor, he shouldn't have a speech impediment. Otherwise, was there something wrong with the mic? was it freezing cold? Could you understand what he was saying? Was it a prank?

I just don't see how someone with a speech problem be in charge of making announcement on the train (not trying to be harsh here).

Maybe you're being a bit too sensitive?

If you read the 1st post correctly, I made mention that he:

the guy was nervous and/or had a speach impediment

...so it's possible he was just nervous. Having said that though, he did pull off a few uninterupted sentences like he was a pro (which is why I'd say he had a speech impediment, not nervouness).

I understood exactly what he said... I mean, I bothered to type it out didn't I? Look the fact is, he was stuttering, and 99% of the people on the train laughed out so loud it was embarrassing... it just made me angry, maybe because I expected people here to have a heart and cut the guy some slack, which they didn't... 3 or 4 times in a row until I got off the train.

As for somebody with a speech impediment being in charge of announcements... I don't know??? Maybe JR were forced to hire disabled people and women?

[Rezz]

At any rate, I don't care about it now...

[blackanator]

no offense meant rezz, was just kinda weird seeing the contrasts to different aspects of both cultures, where one society lacks , they make up in other areas i guess.

my bizzaro statement referred to,

AUS - dirty train/smelly train = mature people

JPN - clean train / smelly nice = immature people

still rooted none the less.

some ppl unfortunately dont share the same sense of humour, or wish to poke humour where it shouldnt be 'socially' accepted.

like when ppl laugh at dwarfs, or those with cerebal pausy, some will laugh some wont, some try not to because its 'socially unacceptable' and some just dont.

i'll admit, ive laughed at a kid who had brain damage *(in my younger years), then i dated a girl who's brother had autism, and now i marvel at those less fortunate, as they are amazing human beings, some ppl aren't just as 'mature' or socially sensitive as you and me, its really sad, just like you said. thats why ppl are posting in here begging to differ.

i mean the same can be said about aboriginals , how people can openly and willingly insult them, or immigrants - illegal or not. some people just dont give a shit, and they most likely never will.

but im sure you know all of this already, and none of this is new to you.

yeah but i can totally understand why you made this post in the first place, good on u.

hai ski desu ne!

[Informer]

If you read the 1st post correctly, I made mention that he:

...so it's possible he was just nervous. Having said that though, he did pull off a few uninterupted sentences like he was a pro (which is why I'd say he had a speech impediment, not nervouness).  

 

I understood exactly what he said... I mean, I bothered to type it out didn't I? Look the fact is, he was stuttering, and 99% of the people on the train laughed out so loud it was embarrassing... it just made me angry, maybe because I expected people here to have a heart and cut the guy some slack, which they didn't... 3 or 4 times in a row until I got off the train.

 

As for somebody with a speech impediment being in charge of announcements... I don't know??? Maybe JR were forced to hire disabled people and women?

No problems Rezz. I'm just giving my 2 yen. I probably wouldn't have laughed, but to get angry.... well we're in Japan and it could be worst. Its just harmless and something that we shouldn't stress too much about. I get annoyed when I have a seat and some salaryman comes up waiting in front of me and coughing like I wasn't there. I mean, I don't want to be sick and would really want this guy to *** off. My Japanese isn't good yet but I hope to master the art in the near future.

Just reading some crap from an Australian car forum and sometimes I'm glad I'm in Japan.

Merry Christmas dood and a Happy New Year.

[DRiFT!]

I know just how you feel Rezz, one time I was on the bus and this kid, looked about 10years old was running to make it, as he walked in he tripped on the first step and all his coins went flying, acting quickly he picked his coins up and as he stood up saying 'Can I have one daily con-' he tripped again and his coins went everywhere. There I was surrounded by a bunch of absolute dick heads laughing as hard as they could, like leave the poor kid alone.