Tag Archives: Japan

Japanese “etiquette police” take on bus foulers

Yokohama transit types, beware the Smile-Manners Squadron!

From a recent BBC article:

…transport authorities in Yokohama – a port city south of Tokyo – have appointed a team of manners enforcers, the Smile-Manner Squadron, to try to curb … bad behaviour.

The team is mostly made up of over-60s, well acquainted with the standards of conduct associated with the “old Japan”.

But many of these enforcers will be accompanied by younger bodyguards, should their etiquette advice – diplomatically given, of course – not prove welcome.

(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

Apparently, Yokohamans commit some of the same bus fouls as residents of our fair city.

… failing to offer your seat to pregnant and elderly people, chatting loudly on mobile phones, applying make-up in public, and listening to music on “leaky” headphones.

I’ve been itching to issue citations for these (and other) transit transgressions for years. Anyone down to play bodyguard?

Back to buses (sort of)

(Thanks to Peter Folger, bus nerd extraordinaire, for these links.)

Despite their high costs (approximately 60% more than diesel models), hybrid buses are becoming a popular choice for North American transit agencies:

DaimlerChrysler, whose Orion brand has close to a 60 per cent market share, estimates that, based on existing orders, the number of hybrid buses on US and Canadian streets will grow by three-quarters over the next year from 1,200 to 2,100.

“They’re selling very well,” says Brian Macleod, senior vice-president at Gillig, a Californian bus manufacturer.

Since Gillig began commercial production of hybrid buses in 2005, these models have grown to a fifth of its output. By contrast, hybrids make up less than 1.5 per cent of US car and light-truck sales.

According to the article, hybrids are ideal for the kind of stop-and-go driving that buses do, since braking charges the battery.

Speaking of hybrids…

A Japanese rail manufacturer is working on a bus/train combo vehicle:

JR Hokkaido, a Japanese rail firm, is poised to fully launch its dual-mode bus and rail vehicle. The bus-train has both rubber and steel tires, allowing it to switch between regular roads and railroad tracks with ease.

Apparently, the operating costs for these cars are significantly lower than for other types of rail cars. The intention is to use them for lines that have low daily ridership.