My single biggest peeve related to Tokyo commuting is how the stations are constructed.
No one who is allowed to give input on the construction or modification of Japanese train stations has even been handicapped or known a handicapped person, has ever met an elderly person, has ever known someone who had children. And none of them could have possibly ever been children. None of them have ever walked in high heels or carried luggage such as a briefcase. Otherwise they would design the stations to accomodate people other than young men who are traveling alone and empty handed and who like to be compressed next to other people. And no one who works for a train company has ever ridden a train.
Tonight I was in a train car that was full of people who wanted to sit more than they wanted air. They literally dove across the aisle everytime they thought a seat might become available.
I was standing next to one of the doors and looking at a fairly tall man (maybe six feet or so) across from me standing near the opposite door. He was hunched over and I noticed he was at least a head taller than the doorway. Then I realized that I was almost as tall as the doorway. That must be a problem. I was not the tallest person I saw while in Japan, but certainly not the shortest either. They should really give more headroom at the doorway, I mean, really.
Posted by: Emily House | March 08, 2007 at 01:54 PM