So today for some reasons the bus drivers have been super pissy. Bf and I were running to get to a bus, I was literally waving at him to wait for us, and we almost got to the door, the driver looked at us and closed the door right in our faces, and left, like… what?
Later in the day, we were taking another bus back home, and I wasn’t feeling well so I took a seat at the priority section while bf stood. A couple stops later we realised that there were open seats at the back so decided to move. As we decided to do this, the bus started moving. We were holding on to everything available and walking very slowly, but the moment we took a step or two, the driver started screaming 動かないで下さい！動かないで下さい！ And even stopped the bus in the middle of the street????!
In my 8 years in Japan I’ve seen a lot of people move around while the bus was moving, I have probably changed seats a few times myself, but never have I seen any bus driver react like this. Is this normal? I’d like to hear about everyone else’s experiences.
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>In my 8 years in Japan I’ve seen a lot of people move around while the bus was moving, I have probably changed seats a few times myself, but never have I seen any bus driver react like this. Is this normal? I’d like to hear about everyone else’s experiences.
Hell yeah it’s normal. That’s why you’ve only encountered it for the first time in your 8 years here!
But yeah generally I find train staffs are way nicer than bus drivers. Maybe because bus drivers have to deal with passengers directly more often.
発車します bitches
I rarely see bus drivers wait for passengers. I see them leave all the time with late would-be riders trying flag them down. Even saw one Tardy Taro run in front of the bus. There was a two minute standoff but the buss driver didn’t let him on.
I don’t even bother trying anymore. If I’m late to the stop it’s not their fault.
Idk. Call me old fashioned but
1. It’s dangerous to be running down a bus. People get tunnel vision etc. If you’re late you’re late, catch the next one. Shouldn’t have to hold everyone up.
2. I mean, you should be sitting down in a moving vehicle? If you want to move, move when it’s stopped. You could’ve easily fell or stumbled into a passenger.
Both situations you are at fault. You were not on time and you were moving around when the bus was moving. Sure it might not seem like a big deal or warrant the door being shut or be told to sit down but idk. It’s just one of those things were you’re in the wrong and while most times they won’t yell at you for it or pass you up, it doesn’t mean they were wrong to do so when they do.
You mention seeing other passengers moving while the bus is in motion, but you’ve conveniently left out the part where there’s announcements warning you not to do that.
If a passenger is injured, it’s treated as a traffic accident and the driver may be on the hook for it. He’s just covering his ass. He may be a jerk about it, but you’re in the wrong.
They may have got stricter recently. Last time I was on a bus the driver literally said “don’t move while the bus is in motion” every single time he started off from a bus stop. Never remember hearing a driver be so insistent on the warnings. Although it did stick out in my mind as he was clearly bored of saying it by his labored tone.
Likely he’s angry because of the herds of tourists who don’t follow the rules since they opened the borders and you were the lucky winner to receive that anger.
Taxis too are asking passengers to wear a seatbelt, especially in Tokyo. This wasn’t the norm until recently.
I imagine busses, taxis, transport companies in general are become more risk averse. Some notable accidents in recent memory like that tour bus crash on Fuji…
I don’t know where you’re catching busses but where I am catching busses in Tokyo/Saitama/Chiba there are big ass signs everywhere and announcements constantly telling people *not* to do these exact things. They’re both dangerous and have the potential to inconvenience everyone else on the bus when you fall over, bump into someone else or delay the bus in general. Don’t do those things.
Same with trains, they will not wait for you to depart. Yesterday I saw a group of tourists run towards the train with the doors closing and one only managed to get on. The JR guy was just standing on the platform right near them and he didn’t care. It’s no different from buses.
If you need to move on the bus wait until the bus stops at a designated bus stop picking up other passengers. It’s ok to sit in a priority seat. As others say there’s a risk of injury so they ask you not to move. I don’t know what bus you took but there’s signs and announcements everywhere telling you that.
The first one happens sometimes and I’m Asian and look Japanese, so it’s likely not a foreigner thing. I think its that the bus would run late if they had to wait even a little bit longer for passengers, or the drivers just being an asshole.
For the second one, that’s on you. You’re not supposed to stand up when the bus is moving. Some drivers are more lenient and some passengers don’t care, but the general rule is that you only get up to change seats or exchange your cash when the bus stops.
Buses in the city almost never wait if you are late, in my experience. I imagine schedule pressure is tight.
Yeah, you shouldn’t be moving around while the bus is moving, and there’s lots of signs telling people not to these days.
this is the strict month of public transport regulation so driver must be angry if you stand up your seat jump around the crowded bus. Were you living in the countryside before where running around is allowed ?
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