Baka Gaijin... and bikes?

[mercedesjin]

What are some stupid (but funny) mistakes you've made while in Japan? Or any other countries, if you'd like to share that experience.

I was in Sendai, going to Miyagi Gakuin, when I got on the completely wrong bus. I noticed that the bus was making different stops I wasn't used to, so I asked the bus driver if I was on the right one. He spoke really quickly, so all I could understand was "iie" and "ushiro." So, I look behind me, and there's the bus that I'm supposed to be on. I had to jump off of that bus and run on to the other one.

Also, I have a question that's sort of related to the idea of "baka gaijin"... has anyone, while in Japan, made a stupid mistake while riding a bike? Because every single person I speak to here in the USA says, "Whatever you do, DO NOT RIDE A BIKE." But riding bicycles is one of the main modes of transportation, right? I'm also not really sure why everyone I speak to is so worried about me riding a bike. It can't be that hard... right?

[Khengi]

Crowded sidewalk + bike = ?!

I digress, the Japanese seem good at it.

[Columbine]

Eating various things with chopsticks that most people eat with a spoon. -__-; Oops. Mostly though, people were just kinda impressed that the chopsticks didn't slow me down. Lol.

No idea what the bike panic is about. I used one for a year in japan without any problems, though I will say is that a lot of Americans had a few issues with the whole 'driving on the other side of the road' thing, particularly in checking the wrong way first, and the forgetting to double check. that and the cheap bikes tend to not have gears- a hardship if you're used to them.

Drivers in japan I found to be fairly careful around cyclists (with exceptions, naturally, but not quite on the same cyclist-loathing scale the UK has), but there aren't many (any) cycle lanes and the gutters are bike-eating horrors with spontaneously vanishing covers, so definitely be wary of those, particularly at night or when it's raining heavily- they can be hard to see if they flood. Go careful on sharp bends/hills and make sure you have lights on after dark. Actually, i think it's illegal not to.

I'd say, get a bike sure, but also make sure you get a helmet and some liability insurance. That's just sensible wherever you are.

[mercedesjin]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Eating various things with chopsticks that most people eat with a spoon. -__-; Oops. Mostly though, people were just kinda impressed that the chopsticks didn't slow me down. Lol.

No idea what the bike panic is about. I used one for a year in japan without any problems, though I will say is that a lot of Americans had a few issues with the whole 'driving on the other side of the road' thing, particularly in checking the wrong way first, and the forgetting to double check. that and the cheap bikes tend to not have gears- a hardship if you're used to them.

Drivers in japan I found to be fairly careful around cyclists (with exceptions, naturally, but not quite on the same cyclist-loathing scale the UK has), but there aren't many (any) cycle lanes and the gutters are bike-eating horrors with spontaneously vanishing covers, so definitely be wary of those, particularly at night or when it's raining heavily- they can be hard to see if they flood. Go careful on sharp bends/hills and make sure you have lights on after dark. Actually, i think it's illegal not to.

I'd say, get a bike sure, but also make sure you get a helmet and some liability insurance. That's just sensible wherever you are.

Cool, I'll keep all of that in mind. =)

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by mercedesjin

Cool, I'll keep all of that in mind. =)

Hope it helps! Especially about the drains. I watched one poor soul sail slightly too far to the side of the road into a 'puddle' and basically vanish into five foot of water. Epic.

[sarasi]

I can't imagine why people in the US say not to ride a bike in Japan- maybe if they were American the "wrong side of the road" thing made it harder for them? I am from a country which drives on the left, so don't have that issue, but it's true that there are a lot of people with really poor road sense about. I came very close to colliding a few weeks ago with an older lady who came flying around the corner on the wrong side of the road out of a blind intersection (in the suburbs of Tokyo there are often no sidewalks, the roads are very narrow, and the walls of houses/properties often block the view of what is around the corner). We managed to scream to a stop with our wheels about 2cm from each other- she even had a small kid on the back of her bike, but was that careless, and this kind of thing happens all the time.

The number of people who ride while sending emails from their cellphone or talking on them, weaving all over the place as they do, has to be seen to believed.

Still though, as long as you are careful it is a great way to get around. Ride defensively.

Do not under any circumstances ride your bicycle if you have been drinking- I know several foreigners who were seriously injured while riding their bikes on the way back from the bars- among the injuries were fractured eye sockets, broken noses, all front teeth smashed, and one guy with a serious brain injury who needed extensive rehabilitation.

[sarasi]

Incidentally, getting on the wrong bus is hardly a "baka gaijin" mistake- Japanese people also get on the wrong bus (or train) as well- I've seen them do it if a lot of buses pull up at once. I've probably done the same thing in my home country.

[mercedesjin]

Originally Posted by sarasi

I can't imagine why people in the US say not to ride a bike in Japan- maybe if they were American the "wrong side of the road" thing made it harder for them? I am from a country which drives on the left, so don't have that issue, but it's true that there are a lot of people with really poor road sense about. I came very close to colliding a few weeks ago with an older lady who came flying around the corner on the wrong side of the road out of a blind intersection (in the suburbs of Tokyo there are often no sidewalks, the roads are very narrow, and the walls of houses/properties often block the view of what is around the corner). We managed to scream to a stop with our wheels about 2cm from each other- she even had a small kid on the back of her bike, but was that careless, and this kind of thing happens all the time.

The number of people who ride while sending emails from their cellphone or talking on them, weaving all over the place as they do, has to be seen to believed.

Still though, as long as you are careful it is a great way to get around. Ride defensively.

Do not under any circumstances ride your bicycle if you have been drinking- I know several foreigners who were seriously injured while riding their bikes on the way back from the bars- among the injuries were fractured eye sockets, broken noses, all front teeth smashed, and one guy with a serious brain injury who needed extensive rehabilitation.

Most of the people who say don't are teachers, adults that have known me all of my life... so they're probably being overprotective. I'm also used to driving on the left side, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by mercedesjin

What are some stupid (but funny) mistakes you've made while in Japan?

Sitting on a crowded train, the seats opposite each other, you know the type where it's hard not to look the other passengers in the face, I focussed on a pillar in-between two windows for about five minutes, all was quiet, then suddenly I stood up and screamed!

Everyone jumped out of their skin, my Japanese female friend next to me couldn't stop lauging, and we got to our train station just as the guard made it to our carriage to see what all the fuss was about!

[mercedesjin]

Originally Posted by ozkai

Sitting on a crowded train, the seats opposite each other, you know the type where it's hard not to look the other passengers in the face, I focussed on a pillar in-between two windows for about five minutes, all was quiet, then suddenly I stood up and screamed!

Everyone jumped out of their skin, my Japanese female friend next to me couldn't stop lauging, and we got to our train station just as the guard made it to our carriage to see what all the fuss was about!

lol why'd you stand up and scream? You just felt like it?