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Thursday, February 24, 2011

What the Japanese Think About Americans - Volume One

I just came back from the grocery store. As we were driving out of the parking lot, there was a huge truck backing out of the parking lot too. 


TO MAKE THIS ARTICLE EVEN MORE RIDICULOUS THAN IT ALREADY IS 
CLICK ON VIDEO THEN READ!


Japanese truck and taxi drivers are the best drivers in the world. I've seen truck drivers driving down streets (sometimes backwards) where there wasn't 5 cm  (about 2 inches) space on either side of their rear view side mirrors. I thought, "There's no way they are going to make it down that street without hitting a wall or something!" Yet they did it. 


Typical American female truck driver (writer's image)


They were able to navigate the streets without hitting the sides or scratching their mirrors. I've seen Japanese truck drivers who could drive their 8 foot wide trucks down a 6 foot wide road. Of course I'm exaggerating, but I've seen some awesome driving in this country.


Hell, you should see my car. I never drive in tight spots, yet I have nicks and dings all over the place. My car bumper is a mess! (They are all my wife's fault, of course!)


Anyway, as we left the grocery store parking lot, there was this huge truck backing out and navigating a few curves and turns then out into the street. I was thinking, once again, "What an awesome driver!" When I noticed that the driver of this huge truck was a girl who looked to be in her twenties!


I said to my wife, "Wow! Look at that! That truck driver is a young girl! She looks like she's 25-years-old or there about."


I was surprised that women, especially young ones, were driving trucks in Japan. That says something about the economy and the mind-set of young people today. It says a lot about the way Japan has changed. 


Actually, this girl was petite and pretty, as truck drivers go, which really surprised me. 


Typical Japanese female truck driver (writer's image)


I then added, "That's a big difference between Japan and the United States. In America, a lady might drive a truck, but she'd be huge and fat (muscular) tough as nails, smoke cigars, have tattoos and drink Jack Daniels."


To which my wife replied, "In America, a woman doesn't need to drive trucks to do that!"


And that's what the Japanese think about Americans Vol. 1. 
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    Your wife is much wiser than you, Mike...

    ReplyDelete
  2. mike in tokyo rogersFebruary 24, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    Ah! Dear Anonymous. Yes, probably true... But I did trick her into marrying me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Guy JeanFebruary 24, 2011 at 6:41 PM

    Anonymous beat me to it! Please post more of your wise wife's comments!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. KonaCinFebruary 25, 2011 at 4:30 AM

    Good one Mike! : ) I would love to hang out with you and your wife some time! heheheh...you are such a chauvinist! (kidding, but i had to say it!)
    Thanks for the laughs...I still am laughing about the "wood"!

    ReplyDelete

Comments must be succinct & relevant to the story. Comments are checked frequently and abusive, rude or profane comments will be deleted. I’m just one of many bloggers who answer questions online and sometimes for the press. I usually handle questions about Japan, marketing or the economy, so in those areas I’m more likely to make sense and less likely to say something really stupid. If I post something here that you find helpful or interesting, that’s wonderful. This is my personal blog. If you don't like what you have read here then, just like when you go into a restaurant or bar that allows smoking, if you don't like it, there's something at the front that has hinges on it and it is called a "door."