Two nights ago, after I enjoyed dinner with my friends, I took the last train to go home. It usually takes me about 45 minutes to my home but on that day, it took me 3 and a half hours...
I left the restaurant 11:50 at night. The train was late but I wasn't worried about it too much because the last train tends to be late. Anyway, I got on the train around 12:20, and it was 1:30am when I got to the transfer station. I found out that the last train from that station had left way before we got there. The train was late not because of an accident with casualties but a trouble of a signal or something.
JR staffs kept saying they are trying to run a special train but didn't know when. I was told that it would come in about 10 minutes but ended up waiting for more than 1 hour. It was already around 2:40am when a train came although that train didn't go all the way to my station. So after I got off at the closer station, I had to wait for a taxi...
It was at 3:40am when I finally got home.
Can you imagine how tired we were?? When the last train came, so many people were lying on the seats or the floor and sleeping...
While waiting for the train, some people were screaming at station attendants asking for taxi fare, some people were logically explaining how JR violated the law, and many others were just waiting for a train to come quietly.
I personally came to enjoyed the situation. Being an actress and a playwright, I like watching people and learning their behavior. The situation like that is a perfect drama setting!! ...Although I wouldn't want to be in the situation again...
About Me
- Kay
- I am from Tochigi about 2 hours north of Tokyo. After high school, I went to the U.S. and graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Now I live in Tokyo and work as an announcer and a stage actor.
6 comments:
It's a good thing that the Japanese train system is well-developed. Too bad Philippine trains can only be found in the capital city.
By the way, I just downloaded the textbook of Radio Japan's Japanese lessons. I wonder if NHK would allow me to donate a printed version to our city library. After all, I'm not the only one interested to learn the Japanese language.
It seems that yesterday was not your day. In Taiwan, no matter what kind of transportation you would like to take, it is usually late.
Take one of my personal experiences as an example.
Whenever I want to go back to school from Chunghwa County(my hometown, central Taiwan)to Kaohsiung City(southern Taiwan), I usually take the train.
The train is usually late for 10-20minutes, and we Taiwanese have taken it for granted because the transportation system here is seldom on time. If the train comes on time, we feel shocked and see it as a miracle, haha!
The most terrible thing is waiting for the bus. It usually takes me 40-55 minutes to wait for a bus at the station. How incredible it is! And the buses in Kaohsiung are usually old, but the government has changed a lot of buses into the new ones.
So when I am back to Kaohsiung, I usually ask my friend to ride me back. Otherwise, it will waste a lot of time.
I think your incident seldom happened in Japan becuase we know that transportation system in Japan is always on time!
Kay, the last paragraph impressed me. ^-^ We in the media should always be observant and vigilant on the world around us. Ideas may just pop-out of our heads and later it apply it somewhere.
Every morning, I ride the share taxis, which are AUVs, to university to avoid the heavy traffic on the main roads where jeepneys and buses ply. The share taxis weave around shortcuts so I arrive early before my classes.
However, some drivers drive their share taxis like Formula One race cars. Because of that, I was hurt in a road crash when the share taxi I was riding crashed into another share taxi. I was seated at the rear most seat but due to the strong impact, I was nearly thrown to the front crushing the other passengers ahead of me. Though I didn't have any wounds, I was dazed and my whole body hurt. I resisted on going to the hospital and insisted on going to my class, which I did.
I also had a couple of experiences with the trains here. I always ride LRT Line 1 on the way home. Line 1 still uses infrastructure and trains from its inception in 1984. They acquired new trains from Japan's Kinki Sharyo some two years ago but often I still got to ride the original Belgian trains.
The old trains are prone to technical difficulties. There are times when the train is in the middle of its cruise when it suddenly comes to a halt because of unexpected emergency braking. Line 1 is also prone to slight closure and heavy delays whenever a fire rages near the elevated tracks or stations.
The heaviest delay I had was on my first train ride for this year. A fire was raging at a shopping center beside Baclaran Station, which is the last station to the south of the line. I'm supposed to drop-off EDSA Station which is just a station away from Baclaran. The fire began on the late hours of the night before. When I was about to ride the train at noon time the next day, the fire was still raging. PA systems on all stations kept on blaring messages of heavy delays, station closures and apologies.
I boarded the train at Central Station. The train usually stops for just a minute or two on every station. But on that day, the train stopped for 20 minutes on each station! Plus, we were going on a snail's pace because there are still trains ahead of us. The last three stations at the southern end of the line have been closed to avoid further problems. I was forced to drop-off at Gil Puyat Station.
My trips on Line 1 usually lasts for only 15 minutes but on that day, it took me two hours!
I was impressed with the Japanese rail system when I was in Tokyo in 2006. Makes the UK netework seem antiquated and useless - well, it is ^_^
UK trains are quite old and rarely run on time... and the network itself is stil Victorian!
Your tale of getting home late is something I worry about with my girlfriend - she regularly gets home from her Shinjuku office at some stupid godforsaken hour. She's only a few minutes from her metro station, but I still worry.
When I'm in Japan again this year I will be able to experience the Bullet!
THAT should be fun!
Iain, Scotland
A Filipino boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao, again grabbed another world title which no Asian had ever done before...
During his fight, however, several silly things happened here in the Philippines. One was ABS-CBN Network already broadcasting the good news while rival GMA still airs the last minutes of the undercard.
Another was the transformation of our town from a bustling business center to a state almost like those of a ghost town's. Tricycles,(you'll see an example by going to http://www.tnetwork.com/images/tricycleLadyNew4.jpg)being the most common mode of transportation, almost diappeared from sight just to watch(and probably bet)the boxing match.
All in all, the Philippines and Filipinos around the world are now rejoicing for the boxer's victory...
Jayson
Congratulations on your hero's victory! About the NHK's textbook, I am not a person who can tell you whether it's OK or not... Bus as long as you donate it to a library, I don't see much problem.
Ives
I guess I am spoiled by the Japanese transportation system...
JM
Wow! You have a full of adventure going to school every day. (^^;)
Hope your body is OK.
Iain
I can tell how much you care about your girlfriend! Lucky her! Yes, bullet trains are very nice and comfortable.
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