What do you think of attempts by police to get people to stop using cell phones and listening to music while riding bicycles?

Wednesday 23rd April, 03:00 AM JST

Latest 15 of 31 Total Comments Show All

Nessie at 04:39 PM JST - 23rd April

As a cyclist I support this 100%.

Of course, it should hold for drivers, too, and the practical effect will be to give the cops yet another pretense for fishing expeditions.
blvtzpk at 05:50 PM JST - 23rd April

papasmurfinjapan

but many of these racist comments disgust me.

Pray tell, where's the racism here?

One of the joys of Japan for me is the bicycle culture - that so many people embrace such a wonderful method of transport. However, I stand by what I wrote before - for a country that trumpets its safety, bicycle riding can be extremely unsafe here because of the actions of a substantial number of riders who do not treat riding a bicycle on public roads with the seriousness it merits. Such riders do not only endanger themselves, but the safety and wellbeing of others.

If it's not done already (please correct me if it is done) children should have substantial training and guidance about riding bicycles on the roads especially given the high use of bicycles in Japan> They should be taught to follow road rules not just as a matter of obeying laws, but for safety reasons and for the consideration of others.
Richard_III at 06:59 PM JST - 23rd April

Upon seeing me on my bicycle, the snits coming the wrong way have actually moved closer to the side of the road, forcing me to move further into the traffic lane, endangering my safety.

You have this totally wrong. What I do is I get as close to the curb as possible and then raise my body up on the bars. At the same time I give them the biggest death stare imaginable. They are then forced to move into the traffic for me rather than vice-versa.

They're the one's doing the risky activity and they should take up the risk rather than you.

Those that aren't totally gormless anticipate this and move to the pavement; others have no sense and just come to a stop. Whereby you also come to a stop and politely tell them off.
blvtzpk at 08:11 PM JST - 23rd April

You have this totally wrong.

Reading on in my posts, you have probably realized what you're suggesting in your post is my strategy. However, In some of the cases where I've met these riders, there is no footpath/sidewalk/pavement for them to get up onto - the roads are that narrow, or there is a barrier separating the road from the footpath. Nonetheless, they still choose to ride the wrong way because they do expect other riders to move into the traffic to suit them.

The section of road I'm thinking about in my neighborhood is also quite steep. Imagine going downhill at a reasonable clip, sticking to the left so as not to inconvenience the cars behind me, then finding a rider pumping his way up the hill on the wrong side - it's not an ideal situation in the least.

Thinking back on what I wrote on earlier - I honestly don't think it's just a case of these riders not following rules or thinking about safety - it's all about their convenience and lack of manners. They're in the wrong lane because they can't be buggered crossing to the correct side of the road. Or they want to turn right at the next intersection, and being in the right lane is more convenient for them. They just don't think about anyone else but themselves, and they don't consider it might be ill-mannered - left alone unsafe - to be in the wrong lane.

We're pretty fragile people out there on our bicycles. I wish those people would realize that.
marilu at 05:10 AM JST - 24th April

Good luck w/ that one!
papasmurfinjapan at 08:50 AM JST - 24th April

blvtzpk

Sorry, it seems the moderator has deleted them (which I suppose is a good thing). There were a few posts in succession basically saying "Japanese can't ride bicycles", "Japanese are idiots" etc. Granted there are people who can't ride bikes and plenty of idiots here, but generalisations about "the Japanese" being something or other was going a bit overboard in my opinion.
HoDeDo at 12:06 PM JST - 24th April

This won't change anything as long as Japanese people continue going about their lives as if they had rubber asses.
blvtzpk at 01:27 PM JST - 24th April

papasmurfinjapan:

Thanks for the clarification! I can see why you were annoyed now.
1keiron at 07:10 PM JST - 24th April

I think the whole issue is stupid. Responsibility should be implimented amongst riders not stupid sanctions. For example, fair enough listen to music but not so loud that you loose all awareness of hazards around you. Using a cell phone while riding is just dumb. I'm sure the majority who want to live would stop what they're doing to handle their business on the phone instead of playing the balance vs concentration game! If anything Japanese riders should be shown some respect that they're using an eco form of transport. Shows that you cant please anyone in this day n age!
presto345 at 08:11 PM JST - 24th April

Are you kidding? The police are not going to make any attempts whatsoever to get people to stop using cell phones while riding their bikes. And while we are at it, the priority would be getting people to ride on the right (correct) side of the road [maybe we should go back further and first construct proper bicycle lanes], get them to observe traffic lights, get them to turn on their lights in the dark, to mention a few. Why aren't the police going to make any attempts, really? Well, just because in this country all the authorities ever do is drawing up more regulations, but never enforcing them. It's a rare case someone gets caught speeding, ignoring a light, failing to signal, parking illegally, etc. Let's face it, Japan still is a backward Asian country if it comes to road traffic. Sad but true.
anderstungtwist at 08:24 PM JST - 24th April

It is not racist to say Japanese, or Asians, can't ride bicycles or drive cars properly. Just look at the traffic statistics.

Would it be ageist to say that 18-25 year-olds are bad drivers? No, because the statistics back it up. That's why their insurance rates are higher. Why does Vancouver have the highest car insurance rates in North America? Because the place is crawling with Chinese.

If there are any Asians reading now, tell me please, what is the purpose of the lines on the road?
Sagecat at 08:29 PM JST - 24th April

Personally, I think it's a great idea. However, I wonder just how exactly the police plan on stopping 100,000,000 people from doing it.
presto345 at 10:04 PM JST - 24th April

*>what is the purpose of the lines on the road? * Good question. They are just demarcations. For the rest they mean nothing. Think about the center lines. They indicate the center of the road. You can cross them any time you like. I was in this country when the brilliant idea popped up to set aside a kind of sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists by painting a white line on one or both sides of the road. These new zones were respected for about 3 days I think. Look now, they are a host to shop signs and parked vehicles of all sorts. Spreading all this paint on the asphalt provided some labor for some time, but that's about it. Police in Japan have never been serious about enforcing the traffic regulations. Everybody knows it and violates every basic rule without impunity. I drive almost every day and what I see and experience daily is unbelievable to a westerner's mind. Even after decades in Japan I keep wondering if the people I meet every day at work, in shops, in my neighborhood, my friends, are the same jerks who do all these asocial, stupid, dangerous things in traffic.
presto345 at 10:05 PM JST - 24th April

Of course I meant 'with impunity'. Were there any more errors??
anderstungtwist at 08:28 PM JST - 26th April

I keep wondering if the people I meet every day at work, in shops, in my neighborhood, my friends, are the same jerks who do all these asocial, stupid, dangerous things in traffic.

I keep wondering if I've flipped off my boss, neighbor, or father-in-law, etc.

Once, I was jaywalking and a car honked. I flew the bird without even looking at the car. He pulled over ahead of me and said hello. It was one of my students.

Regarding crossing center lines, you will see in American newspapers, in the matter of record section, people being fined for crossing center lines.

Anyway, back to the topic, instead of the police, why don't everyday citizens just stick a golf club in the bicycle spokes if someone's talking on a cell phone?

Of course I meant 'with impunity'. Were there any more errors??

A comma after "Japan" in line 9 would have been nice. , "Even after decades in Japan, I keep ..."

I guess "anti-social" (bugging others) would have been a better choice than "asocial" (being absent?), but I'll have to check