Random J in Japan: The cycles of life (and death)
Friday 15 May 2009 @ 3:48 pm | By Random J 5 Comments
China is known for its population loving a good old ride on a bicycle. (Something that Chun-Li’s stage in Street Fighter II taught us years ago). But I had no idea so many Japanese folk rode bikes too. Bikes run rampant in Japan. They’re bloody everywhere!! I’m honestly surprised I’m still alive, because I came too close on one too many occasions to being mowed down by a bicycle.
Dodging and weaving in between people on the streets of Japan is difficult enough. But then to have bicycles thrown into the mix!? It’s dangerous. Japan has a low crime rate. So holding onto your bag and your wallet isn’t what you need to be focusing on. What you need to focus on is not getting your arse run down by a bike. People ride FAST. They creep up behind you, they won’t steer out of the way of you and there’s no sympathy for you being a foreigner.
Not all areas have marking on the pavements clearly showing where you should walk and where cycles should ride. So you have to gauge how and where people walk. There seems to be this secret society system to how the Japanese walk in regards to bikes on the pavements. You do catch the hang of it eventually. Looking ahead to see if there’s a wave of people shifting to one side to let a bike through. And listening intently for the speedy spokes, or a bicycle bell unintentionally sounding quietly as the bikes goes over an uneven slab on the pavement.
Me being from London – the city of zig-zagging walkers and pavement blockers, it took some getting used to. But it’s something you do have to adjust to. Unless you want to spend your holiday in a nice, but expensive hospital.
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Abraham 'Velcor' Duarte
David 'KidKobun' Bruno
Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano
Random J
Sol
I knew people rode bikes to get around, or assumed from the great amounts of anime i’ve seen, but this sounds insane!
I’d like it if Los Angeles was a bit more bike friendly, although not to the extent of Japan. Sometimes is better to just use the bike instead of using the car.
Certain streets in Japan are like Chun-Li’s stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2. Just a constant torrent of bikes. I was in shock! Plus, there is no type of person who doesn’t ride one. School kids, University students, OL’s, Salary men – everybody!
It’s not so much of a problem once you get used to them. It helps keep the roads less congested, plus it’s a decent bit of exercise for those who cycle around. And then you have the whole lessening of CO2 emissions as a result of people opting for cycles instead of cars.
It’s one of many things about Japan that other countries could do with adopting.
In Korea, they have bike rentals for some apartment complex. Dont know how it exactly works but you give them your apartment number, and get a key to use unlock the lock that’s locking the bike. They have as much bikes in Korea as they do in Japan. Also they have parking for bikes then they have for cars.
When I was in college I got knocked down by a bike. True story, the guy didn’t even give me chance to get by. I was crossing one of the small street ways minding my own business. Boom Boom Pow! I’m on the ground and not as nice as I am now. Luckily, I had an umbrella in my hand. I pushed the button to extend it and the top part shot through his spokes, locking his back tire. He did a wheelie, fell, and all I ended up saying was sorry.
A wrong made a right in my book.