How to make a right hand turn in Japan...

If you're ever driving in Japan, there are specific instructions for making a right hand turn at a traffic light. This is only used on roads that have two lanes in each direction and no dedicated turning lane.

1. Get in the right hand lane.

2. Come to a full and complete stop at the red light.

3. Wait for a car to stop behind you.

4. Wait until the lane next to you fills up and blocks the guy behind you from changing lanes.

5. Wait until the light turns green.

6. Turn on your turn signal.

 

I don't get it. That's what you have to do anyway isn't it? Let me see if I'm missing something.

THis morning on the way to work I pull in to the right lane because that's where I want to turn (would work on the left as well I guess). Stop because the lights are on red. Cars pull up in the lane to the left of me and behind. Lights turn green so turn right as do with a few others following me.

Hmm, I know there's a joke in there somewhere but I can't find it. Maybe because the UK and Japan drive on the same side??

Yakumo

EDIT * I get it. Yep, you live in Kita Kyushu right Eric! Yep, these fuckers in Kita Kyushu have no idea how to use an indicator. I see your point now. I F*ing hate driving to Kita Kyushu every day for work. Yamaguchi drivers are far better.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Japanese drivers' antics bug you when you're driving on the streets with them...

Try walking around Japan in regular urban/suburban areas without nearly being killed by drivers who dart out of small lanes without stopping at marked stop lines, making left or right turns without ever slowing down to check for pedestrians, etc etc etc... Japanese drivers drive me nuts with their seemingly oblivious attitude towards pedestrians, even though the laws do give pedestrians the right-of-way.

>:-(

 

Bad Asian drivers? I've never heard of such things! :icon_bigg

 

This is how you do it on a bicycle:

-Weave in and out of cars to get to the front of the lane.
-Wait until the light is green, or has only been red for a short enough time for other cars to not start going
-Haul ass and make your right turn

Very few people actually ride their bikes in the street here in the city though, so they're usually a bit freaked out to begin w/ when they see you riding beside them.

 

what are you guys on about, the traffic in Japan was a cakewalk!

you should try driving in greece, thailand, london or paris for that matter :dance:

 

It's not that it's bad, it's that there's a lot of it. I can't really speak for the sticks, but Tokyo has cars everywhere. It's nothing compared to Seoul though. That place is the worst. The one time I went to Thailand wasn't bad, but I feared for my life in the cab.

 

It depends upon what part of Japan you are in. You see in Yamaguchi where I live we have pretty good drivers who follow the rules and give way. Drive 30 minutes to Kita Kyushu and you'll find yourself in a hell hole for drivers. These people don't give way, go from lane to lane without indicating, drive right up your arse and basically piss me off. The amount of times I've shouted "F*cking Wanker" at someone this year is unbelievable. I did hear that Osaka is the worst place in Japan for driving manners though.

Yakumo

 

Not while there's those US military bases on Okinawa.

 

And what of those fortunate enough to live (having grown up) in the area.

If you think Japan is responsible for "the oldest profession in the world", you might want to reconsider (hence it's name).

But, there are neighborhoods in Tokyo far saucier than anything near a base. (EDIT: some of which are apparently going to be cleaned up soon). That's kind of beside the point though. Nothing you can say can really excuse some of the behavior that goes on there... whether it's baited or not. Never heard one case like those in Kansai/Okinawa while I was in Hawaii, and there's an assload of military there (w/ tons of prostitution and that other good stuff)

It's not just the drunk morons either. In Osaka they crashed a fucking helicoptor into a dormatory (this is well off base, fyi) and then unlawfully qurrrantined the area to retrieve it, keeping out Japanese police officers. I would've shot one of them in the foot and told them to fuck off and get in their own jurisdiction before waving around machine guns. Good thing I'm not a Japanese police officer.

 

heh Jeeze I just wanted to make a joke about people not using their turn signal until it's too late, now we're getting into shooting soldiers? It's like a YouTube session....start with a video about a game and the next thing you know you're watching videos about a guy who can whistle N'Sync songs through his nose.

 

This is actually quite tame. I can point you to some really childish threads (mainly on other forums).

 

Hey they're not all bad. I was born on one of them.

 

1: That's not really an option if there were no immediate threat though, is it?
1B: Nobody's going anywhere w/ the whole North Korea issue, and as much as the Japanese hate to admit it, it's the truth.
2: How much money could they put into the economy? You're talking about a fraction of the populace of the country, many of whom spend the majority of their money on base (in America, as it were). Wikipedia says a bit over 33,000 US military personnel in the whole country. I always thought it was more. Anyways, they don't really pay rent on those bases either. I read that the US Embassy in Akasaka runs $15,000 a year (and they were delinquent in payments for years at one time - The lot could easily generate millions of USD a month).
Actually here is the source. 200 yen per square meter. My rent is 3,333 yen per square meter in a less central (although central) location to put that into perspective. This article states the Okinawa bases are rent free. Last I checked, land in Okinawa is obscenely expensive. That alone would make it "not worth it" if you're looking at economics of the situation alone. I understand there is protection from commies, and the whole WWII thing thrown into the mix.

Yeah, well, when you're in one of the few demographs below the poverty line and many members of your race do somewhat high profile crimes (murder your host family, hold up stores, etc.) and then leave the country, people don't forget. I'm not saying it's right to lump all Chinese together, but it makes it somewhat understandable.

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, but a well-known columnist has put forward his own explanation of the origins of the word: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_266c.html

 

While on the red-light topic,read this:
http://www.thailandstories.com/article/non-fiction/humor/conversation-with-a-bar-girl.html

Hillarious...even more so if you've ever been to Bangkok.

 

My god, she talks like a 4-year-old!

And that's an image I do NOT want to have when I'm doing a girl! ...Though I hear some folks go for that sort of thing. Hence, Gary Glitter.