IDIOTS IN CARS
There are many kinds of annoying behaviour exhibited by people who own cars, but here’s one that may be particularly prevalent where I live, Japan.
It’s Sunday morning - spring weather has arrived - oh joy of joys! Let’s open the window and let the chirping of birds on blossom-scented zephyrs enter my humble abode.
Oh, wait, what’s that vile obnoxious cyclical high-pitched whirring noise assaulting my sensitive musician’s ears? Why, it’s a twat sitting in a motionless car for no reason with the engine idling in some irritating nosiy holding pattern, of course!
This highlights two things about Japan you may not be aware of. First, it’s a very loud place. Noise pollution doesn’t seem to be an actionable thing here. Do they even have any laws about it at all? The truck that comes round every Friday selling heater fuel to old folks obviously doesn’t know of any, as it blasts out a truly horrendous chirpy childish song to attract its customers. That was really nice when I was still doing classes on Zoom, I can tell you.
The local authorities themselves are in on the game, whether it’s the blaring announcement to tell the kids to get home at 5pm, or the droning reverberating proclamations of doom that come out of a network of speakers all over the town in Orwellian fashion from time to time.
The actual twat who decided to leave his engine running while he read a book outside my apartment this morning.
The second thing is that there as just as many annoying selfish arrogant arseholes here as there are anywhere else. You have may been led to believe that the Japanese act according to unwritten laws of social harmony, but let me tell you that is a load of bollocks! OK, so the antisocial dickheads here aren’t going to knife you or beat you up, but they’re still going to be engaging in annoying activities. In fact, it’s the very idea of ‘social harmony’ that allows them to get away with it, since so few people dare to complain about anything here.
But back to this sitting in cars business. Another kind, considerate individual who lives in my apartment building does this for over an hour every morning from about 5am. Usually I’m in REM sleep by then so I don’t notice, but sometimes I wake up and can’t get back to sleep because the noise is so intrusive, and that’s with my window closed, earplugs in and a white noise generator going! I did once lob a large plastic clamp for tethering washing onto his car roof, but that didn’t seem to help. Lol.
Perhaps it’s a lack of privacy that forces these people to grab some alone time in this manner, but I wish they’d turn the fucking engine off and not do it right under my window, the wankers.
Have a nice Sunday, everyone!