Mr Perfect has no faults, and no problems, and absolutely nothing wrong with him.He is perfect.
He is therefore the most annoying of all the Mr Men by about a million miles!!! Grrrrrrrrr!
As a result of my speeding ticket last week, I decided to embark on a radical experiment - to try and drive in Japan whilst observing the speed limits. Today I drove around the local area at 40km/h and 50km/h in places. I followed the rules of the road perfectly. Please now call me Mr Perfect.
It is very clear to me that the speed limits in Japan are woefully out of date and need to be upwardly adjusted. In my effort to observe the local speed limits, I have had my most dangerous day on the Japanese roads. Because I was religiously sticking to the speed limits, I soon discovered between 20 and 30 cars stuck behind me and getting impatient. One car started to flash its lights at me in an effort to make me speed up and about 20 cars managed to overtake me (including one on a blind bend). All I was doing was sticking to the speed limit. I found a rather interesting site on the web with further views of driving in Japan
I am now faced with a dilemma. Do I speed up and risk being given another fine? Do I stick to the speed limits and endanger myself and other roads users as a result of their frustration at my sedate driving pace?
My experiment will continue for at least another week. I plan to drive to and from work sticking to the limits, although I know this will make me very unpopular with other road users. I'm in a rather unfortunate Catch 22 situation but there's not much I can do about it. I'll be sure to tell you how my week of perfect, law abiding driving goes. Wish me luck!
17 comments:
I bet you the real Mr Perfect keeps to the speed limits and couldn't care less about the chaos behind hime! When are you going to buy a caravan and tow it North on the A9? Your newly accuired driving style will be good practice for that!
Anyway, we can't wait to see you and Clara here and speeding along on Brittish roads! Do you still have your UK licence as well?
I still have my British licence (somewhere).
I'm almost looking forward to the drive to work tomorrow - all sorts of fun to look forward to.
Best of luck with the drive to work, I think you should just stick to the limit and adhere to the crap laws they seem to have there!!! When people flash, wave or swear (sorry they wont do that in Japan, will they?) just wave back and smile, after all you will have plenty of time for these actions. Good luck Kane.
PS remember to leave the house about an hour earlier!
Thanks for this information Kane, I have been having the same dilemma. Do I speed or suffer the annoying tailgaters? At least I don't have to see what happens if I get caught now!
Did you know you can buy in-car police radars from Komeri that beep when a police car is near?
The tailgaters were awful today....perhaps the radar detection device is needed.
Or I could trade in my car for a golf buggy as they travel at about 40km/h.
Tempting. These ridiculous speed limits wil drive me to drink.
This is not a problem specific to Japan...I'm amazed to managed to last as long as you did. But you were always Mr Perfect...
Yes, and now the pressure is on not to get caught again in the next few months. If I do, I will be classed as a repeat offender and may have to attend a 1 day lecture and sit a written test (in Japanese!!).
I have been driving to and from work adhering to the speed limit or driving about 5km/h over it. You should see the chaos I am causing. Long lines of cars and trucks, cars behing me almost touching my back bumper, and cars flashing their lights at me.
Mental.
Perhaps I have misunderstood the situation? I thought that Richard Hammond was trying to break the UK Landspeed Record (on a disused airfield).
I was unaware that he also had problems with police speed checkpoints and tailgaters. That WOULD be good to see.
I think you should really be taking a smarter approach to this, try letting the authorities know your thoughts on this rather than p*ssing off other motorists and potentially getting yourself into a nasty road rage incident!
That almost sounds like a good idea. Alas, it would need tens of thousands of Japanese to complain about the situation, not the words of a single foreigner or indeed the words of every foreigner in Japan.
Perhaps the more people get p*ssed off about the limits, the greater chance that someone will complain about them.
For me, there will be no happy ending. I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't.
Anyway, I've been thinking about what Anonymous said in the recent comment. Perhaps a little bit of positive action is also required.
I've written a letter to an English language newspaper with my story and I have asked for other peoples opinions. If it is published and if some comments are generated by other foreigners and Japanese readers, then I'll copy them and forward them onto the the regional Chief of Police (who I met a few months ago).
At least this way, I will have voiced my opinions through the proper channels. Who knows, perhaps in the next 20,000 light years some good will cme of it. Either that or I become a 'marked man' with the local police force....
I didn't need to ask. It was sitting on his desk for all to see.
It certainly was - but a little battered from years of use.
I didn't want to broach the subject. I thought he might get the idea of using it on me.
glad to hear your taking my advice! first time for everything!its all well and good saying "but I'm just one voice in a sea of many" blah blah! but I'm sure your not the only person to be stung by the truncheon weilding weirdos, please let us know how you get on,
Lorna, x
a, your weird and scary! what time?
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