Canned

I jumped on the last train to come home on Saturday night and sat down. Someone had obviously been drinking in the train (collective gasp) and had left an empty crushed up beer can on the seat facing me. The carriage filled up until there were only two seats left, one each on either side of the offending can. Two 20-ish girls walked onto the train talking to each other, and eyed the seats warily. Finally, after some deliberation, they decided they’d risk the can. Rather than put the can on the floor or flick it somewhere else or gasp take it and put it in the bin on the platform, they sat on either side of it. So as not to touch it, they both adopted a bizarre “one butt cheek on the seat” angled style of sitting, occasionally glancing at the offending object with disdain but never quite working up the courage to do anything about it.

I was trying hard not to laugh, so I started sketching their expressions in the magazine I had on my lap and got a “hrrrmmph” from the old man sitting next to me reading a pornographic comic that I could best work out was about a school girl taking a shower and moaning a lot. I take it drawing other passengers on the train is a no-no but hey, reading a special edition of “octopi rape schoolgirls 7: this time it’s personal” is totally kosher. My mistake.

This fucking country, I swear.

Permalink Posted in Japan on Monday June 6, 2005.