Small Adventure 69

Japan has a reputation for being a polite country, and for the people themselves to be considerate of each other's feelings. But, there's also this under-current feeling of self-righteousness and arrogance, at least with what I have seen in smaller countryside cities. This becomes most apparent when four or five people are walking down the sidewalk, 4-5 abreast, blocking the way for everyone approaching, or trying to get around them from behind. Housewives and school girls are the worst, followed by salarymen and college-aged boys. The image is of "we were here first, everyone else has to take account of our presence and not get in our way, or go out of the way to avoid us."

Individuals, on the other hand, have it a little harder in trying to ignore their impact on those around them. In general, this is done by staring at the ground a few inches in front of their feet, keeping their heads down, and bulling forward. In the last couple of years, a new excuse to be a jerk has emerged - smartphones. If you have a smartphone, just hold it low, right in front of your chest, bend your head forward, and weave erratically left and right along the sidewalk as you go, deliberately cutting off anyone approaching you. Everyone else has to get out of your way, and no one dares complain out of fear of actually making eye contact with the braindead, and that whatever you have is contagious.