At least the Tokyo/Kawasaki/Yokohama commuter trains in Japan are safe to use...

Dear Fellow Earthlings, I used to love riding the commuter trains in Japan. In the old days (the late 1970s and early 1980s) the only unpleasant part of riding the trains in Japan for me was the fact that smoking was permitted. Otherwise, the experience was very nice. Often people would ask me where I was from and a few of the braver ones would ask me to help them with their English as we rode along. All in all, it was a very human experience, despite the fact that the rush hour crowds were not very pleasant to be caught in. And it was even possible to open the windows a bit so that you could let some outside air enter the car you were riding. Now, however, things are really unpleasant on the trains. To begin with, 95% if the riders are caught up in the mesmerizing effects of playing with their cell phones and other handheld devices. There is very little human-to-human interaction. Above the seats are video monitors spewing out the same advertisements over and over again Furthermore, it is no longer possible to open the windows on the trains. Even worse are the horrible English language announcements (made by the same woman, her voice recorded some 15 years ago, complete with bad pronunciation, ridiculous diction ("Please "off" your seat for people with disabilities."), and unnecessary pronouncements ("The train may have to stop suddenly to prevent an accident (SIC), so please be careful!'). But the ludicrousness continues to progress: Now that same woman's voice is so loud that, even with the train doors closed -- and from speakers some two or three or four platform widths away -- you can here her bellowing out over the station speakers: "Please stand behind the yellow line!" Whenever I ride the Keihin Tohoku Line and the Tokaido Line I hold my hands over my ears while making gurgling sounds inside my mouth to cover the terrible noise. And guess what? Just two days ago a "fellow passenger" chided ME for making noise! Why can't they just say the name of the station where the train will be stopping and cut out all the other barrage of noise pollution? Many other foreign riders of these trains have told me how they too are overwhelmed by the din and the fustian put out by the railway companies in Tokyo and Yokohama. How about a little quiet, please! Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.