Japanese common courtesy dictates that while you’re on a train you shouldn’t use your mobile phone. They take it very seriously over there, and people get highly offended if you don’t respect the rules. There’s a story coming out of Japan Today that says two office workers on the Sobu line were chatting away on their handsets at around 06:40 in the morning when a fellow passenger told them to stop. One of the office workers had no problem with the request, while the other, looking to start some drama, began a small argument that resulted in over 70,000 commuters being delayed for up to 20 minutes because police had to come and break up the dispute. The two men were taken into police custody and once they reached the station they agreed to stop bickering and were left to go home.
Two guys, three if you count the chill office worker, one phone, 20 minutes worth of delays on 47 lines impacting 70,000 people. It boggles the mind that something like that is even possible since most other countries have real problems to deal with. They’ve got homeless people pandering for change on trains. They’ve got people getting hammered on trains. They’ve got real crime, the type you see featured on COPS, but in Japan … shut your mouth or be prepared to duke it out.
Are you in a country where mobile service is enabled on public transport? Buses are obvious, but what about subways? Those of you living in New York and London are probably thankful that there’s no signal underground, but both those cities have plans underway to make that a reality. What do you think will happen? Will fights break out? Will people be so obnoxious that education campaigns will have to begin, informing people about how to live with some sense of decency? Chime in below, eager to hear your thought.