Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2011
EVERYONE’S A CRITIC
Regarding “Digging on Don” (Mediabox, August 12): I find it ironic that you have a letter in your Aug 12-25 issue criticizing Don and his giving away spoilers for films while in the very same issue there is Don managing to somehow give away spoilers to Triangle without managing to say anything meaningful about the story. I never read the movies section anymore as I find it generally frustrating and useless. How about taking a page out of Mr. Schwartz’ book: “The genus is not for everybody, but it does have some rib-tickling moments.” A reviewer that tries to give a hint about why you might like a film, or who would like it (even if it’s not him)? If you won’t find a new reviewer, how about getting a second one to unburden Mr. Morton of seeing movies he’s clearly set his mind against beforehand? This section brings down your magazine.—Jeff Light
PS—don’t bother having Don respond to my letter in the letter column. You’re a professional reviewer, man, don’t strike back at readers. If you get criticism—up your game.
Wheels on Fire
I’m really getting the feeling that the employees of Metropolis are seriously selfish a—oles (as my grandfather would say). Why are you even in Japan? Why don’t you just go home? Why would you go to a foreign country where you think everyone who doesn’t bend over backwards for you is HATEFUL?
You do nothing to try to be a good Japanese citizen, you bring TODDLERS to a lecture and bother every single person there, and then you ignore any rules or laws that you don’t feel like obeying.
Someone else’s parking space, who cares? Didn’t bring the proper paperwork, so what? You strike me as the kind of person who goes to foreign country and calls THEM foreigners.
I honestly do not understand the point of going to LIVE in a foreign country if you don’t want to live as they do.
Even assuming you are in Japan “against your will”, maybe because your husband transferred there, you need to understand that YOU are the foreigner, YOU need to work twice as hard, you need to speak THEIR language, you need to obey THEIR rules.—Pigumon
Forgive the length of this post, but I gotta share…
The DMV in Samezu is a case-study in dysfunction. My last visit to get an International driver’s permit was classic. I reviewed the online documentation before I went and by my estimation I had everything I needed to complete the application, but I was wrong. I got to the window, license and picture in hand, and the lady at the counter asked me for my passport. My passport? The police department’s website said nothing about this, but she was insistent. Thus begun one of the dumbest dialogs I have ever had the misfortune to have to participate in. It went something like this:
Lady: Please show me your passport.
Me: You need my passport to issue an International Driver’s Permit?
Lady: Yes.
Me: Well, I have my Alien Registration Card, which has my passport number, the issuing authority and expiration date. Will that do?
Lady: No. It has to be THE passport.
Me: Seriously?
Lady: Yes.
Me: Well, you guys are closing at 4 and I won’t have time to go home and get it. Isn’t there something else I can show you?
Lady: Do you have a copy of your flight itinerary or an e-Ticket?
Me: Ah – yes I do! Just a moment. [fumbles with iPhone] Here it is!
Lady: Sorry, it needs to be printed.
Me: What? It’s an e-Ticket. You don’t print e-Tickets.
Lady: Sorry.
Me: Well, can I email it to you and have you print it?
Lady: We don’t have email.
Me: Could I fax it to you?
Lady: We don’t have a fax machine.
Me: So what am I supposed to do?
Lady: Well, there’s a convenience store around the corner. You could copy the screen on your phone and use that.
Me: You’re serious?
Lady: Yeah, that would work fine.
Me: Uh, Ok. Whatever you say. I’ll be back in a few.
——–
So I did just that, but not surprisingly you can’t photocopy an LCD screen. So I took a screenshot of my phone, emailed it to our office receptionist, had her print the email, then fax it back to me at the convenience store. How’s that for efficient? 15 minutes later and I’m back … waiting in line again. 25 minutes and I’m at the window. The conversation continues…
——-
Me: Here is the e-Ticket, printed as per your request.
Lady: Yep, that’ll be fine. Please go to window 7 and pay the fee, then come back.
Me: [why the f!#@ didn’t you tell me about the fee BEFORE you sent me on this fool’s errand and made me wait in line again?] Thank you.
——-
I pay the fee and get back in line. Another 10 minutes go by and I finally reach the window again…
——-
Lady: Welcome back. Do you have all the documents?
Me: Yes. Here you go.
Lady: Great. Lets’ see here… Yes, everything’s in order. Have a seat and I’ll call you when it’s ready.
——-
What happened next absolutely made my blood boil. She stamped the application and passed it onto the drone behind her, then handed everything else back to me – – – including the fax of the printout of the email of the screenshot of the e-Ticket! WTF?! I took two steps then lost it and turned around.
——
Me: Lady, if you didn’t intend to keep this e-Ticket or use it for anything, why the hell did you make me go through all that just to give it to you on paper? You DO realize that it is nothing more than a paper copy of the screen I showed you earlier, right? I mean, that IS what YOU asked for, right?
Lady: Yes, I know, and I totally sympathize. But those are the rules.
Somebody rescue us (them).—Michael
Regarding “Drive Angry” I had a very different experience at the Shinagawa drivers license center. The employees were very friendly and helpful, and it took less than 30 minutes to get my license issued. The only time I was chided was while taking the photograph: “no smiling!” But since I have never driven a car in the subsequent 25 years, I have never felt the need to go back and renew the license. Maybe things have gotten worse since then…—pwillener
MetroCommunity Group of the Week
Learn Japanese
This is a free and fine group to help people learning Japanese. We’ll give audio-books and ebooks and software to aid with you with successful Japanese studies so you can express yourself confidently in Japanese without any problem. Feel free to join
Join the Metropolis Community at http://metropolis.co.jp/community
