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09-28-2010, 12:24 AM
Notice all the packers are coming to that one car? That's probably the car closest to the exit at the station everyone wants to get off at. I bet there are open seats on the same train at a car further down the line, but it just means you will be last through the turnstiles instead of first...maybe a difference of a minute or so.
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09-28-2010, 01:25 AM
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It`s the car closest to the entrance - people rush and hop in the first open door so they don`t miss the train. If they were to go to the next car there is a chance the train would leave without them. It doesn`t matter where they will be getting off - in some cases the train closest to the entrance at one station is the furthest from the exit at another... An extra minute of walking is better than 5+ of waiting for the next train (and possibly much much longer if the next train doesn`t line up with the one you`re changing to). Taking a train 5 minutes later can result in up to an hour delay if you`re traveling far and have to change several times. Also, looking at it the other way around - taking an earlier train might mean you have to get up and leave 2 hours earlier if you live a fair distance away. (For example out where there is only 1 train every 30 minutes). 5 trips of 5 minutes takes a LOT more than 25 minutes. If they`re not timed well and you miss one in the middle... Who knows how long it will take. So you get tons of people hitting the most popular line for exchanges at the time of day when there are the most trains in sync. Chances are, 90% of them aren`t actually going to anywhere on that line itself. They`re all coming from elsewhere and trying to make the next train they need to take - that specific train is the most efficient. It`s sort of the system bottleneck. I hate Tokyo trains. Having tons of different lines is not necessarily a good thing, especially when they`re run by different companies, don`t have connected stations, and don`t bother to sync up for exchanges.
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09-28-2010, 01:30 AM
What I love about trains here is that there is virtually no vandalism or graffitti in them. Up here in rural Hokkaido the trains are never all that busy and you can always find a seat. The only gripe I have is in winter the trains are way too hot for my liking. But that's pretty much the norm up here in buildings, homes, buses, whatever.
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09-28-2010, 03:02 AM
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I definitely agree about the multiple lines/companies in Kanto. I have been in situations where I have to get off one JR train to walk to another station to get on a different company's train (and different ticket and different fare) and then eventually get back onto another JR train (again, new ticket and fare). A real pain in the neck.
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09-28-2010, 03:35 AM
This is an interesting thread.
Here's my take on it: The line near me is fairly clean. It comes once an hour and the last train is at 10 or 11. The line sometimes stops unannounced because of wind or snow. It's not something I like using very much... it comes in handy maybe twice a year. Other than that, most people just drive. If I didn't live a minute's walk away from the station, I'd never use it. As far as trains in general, I find them to be expensive and limiting. You're kinda stuck on rails. I like the idea of going somewhere and having the freedom to drive around and find a unique place that is off the beaten path. I don't really go on trips by myself, and carpooling makes it that much cheaper to go places. It might take 10,000 yen for gas (two tanks for a round trip) and 4000 yen or so in toll road fees, but I'd imagine that same trip would cost about 20,000 yen per person on a train (if you used the shinkansen). Another thing that I don't like about trains is not getting a seat on a long ride-- which is why I always get reserved seats now. Also, sometimes trains will split, which can be confusing if you're not used to it (getting on the wrong car can result in a big mistake). The biggest thing for me, though-- which is obviously a local problem, is that big trains don't go to my station. So I have to drive to that station and park (and possibly pay fees unless it's only for a day or two) in order to avoid an hour long wait to switch train lines on my way home. With all that said, though... I admit that I'm looking forward to the Shinansen that will be going from nigata through toyama, ishikawa, and fukui (I think that's the situation anyways). If you're travelling to Japan, then the train pass is great and you can experience all the trains you want-- which is the best way to experience it in my opinion.
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09-28-2010, 07:06 AM
why i put the subject of 'tell me how great japanese train is' , i live in america and american train is.... sorry very messy,smells bad, dark,lots homeless, noisy, expensive and especially the ticket(and ticket machine)is low technology!!!
As you know ticket in japan, Suica , rechargeble prepaid IC card. It is used for shop too.... On the other hand,, american one,,,, sorry,,, i can not believe it's big country... i think EU is better, doesn't it?
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09-28-2010, 10:54 AM
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09-28-2010, 02:37 PM
Ironically CA (particularly LA) had some decent public trans way back then. Companies like GM put a stop to that. Look where they are now. Look where America is now. I think a good public transportation system in southern CA could have saved the world from a lot of the economic trouble it is in now. It seems minor, but I think that played a pretty big role in what happened with the economy.
With that in mind, no matter how many shortcomings certain trains / lines have in Japan... I always think it's nice that they at least have them!
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09-28-2010, 03:56 PM
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In England the train systems don't make any sense, for example it's sometimes cheaper to buy a return rather than a one-way ticket, and at our local station the trains to the nearest city don't run at the weekend, so there's a coach outside instead. So you pay for the train, and then they stick you on a coach! Its frustrating. Some trains lacks toilets now too, making it hard for elderly or people with kids. Inside the trains smell, there's graffiti. There's always delays, never a regular service. Oh, and don't forget the blackouts in the train stations in big cities that seem to happen far too often! Ah, if the Japanese trains really are as great as they say I'd be so pleased when I get there! 
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09-28-2010, 10:09 PM
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Or is The Event happening . . . I have no Friends- The cats have scratched and destroyed all of the DVDs! I always owe someone- In fact I put two os in it! I always ruin my clothes with Bleach!- The show is so dom suspensful I spill my grape soda on them! But . . .I'll live. 
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