The English and Japanese invented polite: HK people are more polite and orderly in public transit. >
England lost politeness, etiquette and manners when hordes of barbarian immigrants arrived. Japan has maintained them.
In 1974, in central London, it was still mostly local yokels, other than the odd IRA terrorist who would bomb something else each day. There would be the usual orderly queue of people lined up to get the next bus. The bus would arrive. The immigrants nearer the back of the line would bust and run for the door to crowd on first. Which meant the English would have to do that too or be always left on the kerb waiting for the next bus.
On the City Line at Waterloo in 1986, English civil rules were still in force. The City Line was predominantly used by English gentlemen proceeding from Waterloo Station to the City underground station.
They formed large lines in perfect order, dressed in the uniform of dark suits, carrying brief cases and umbrellas. The lines were interesting and I [an immigrant, but a civil one] was bewildered. Everyone was facing parallel to the tracks. The queues weren't actually evident as everyone was packed reasonably tightly and I was looking at the scene side on, having just arrived.
The train pulled in, and the crowd didn't walk towards the doors to get on, they started walking along the platform past the open doors. The people walking into the doors were the ones whose queue was terminating at those points. The queue I was in was heading for a carriage further along the tracks. People to my left would enter the door before our queue. People to their left would enter the door before that. The people to their left would enter the next one. When the train was full, the doors would shut and we would wait for the next train in about 4 minutes.
There was no pushing and shoving. It was pleasant and orderly. People could read their Financial Times while they waited.
Any barbarian immigrants trying to bust the system would have found an array of unbrella points aimed at their delicate parts.
I surged along with the crowd, on the sacred principle of when in Rome do as Romans do.
Japan should not allow immigrants in - other than selected high quality ones. Even then, the gaigin would pollute the place as it's difficult to do in Rome as the locals do because rules are not evident and are complex.
Mqurice |
