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That and, having taken taxis in Japan... they're honestly very decent. Much better than the taxis I've taken elsewhere. Partly because the roads are less cong

That and, having taken taxis in Japan... they're honestly very decent. Much better than the taxis I've taken elsewhere. Partly because the roads are less congested, even in the heart of Tokyo, since so many take the train. I never found myself wishing I could take an Uber in Japan -- a taxi was always there when I needed it... and that was only if I wasn't near a train station, which was almost never.

ixtli 10y ago
This is basically it. Japan is a very service-oriented country. People take pride in how well they interact with customers from book stores to restaurants to taxis. This interaction assumes a certain level of honesty and it really changes how you interact when you exchange money with someone for something.
ajmurmann 10y ago
The biggest culture shock coming back to the bay area from a long Japan vacation was the taxi from the airport to a nearby hotel. The day before out return we had a driver in Tokyo who had approached it hotel from the wrong direction and had to drive around the block to get us to the front entrance. We were happy to walk half a block but he was very embarrassed and insisted to drive us to the front door and took way more off the charge than seemed reasonable and refused extra money we wanted to pay. Needless to say the car was immaculate. The taxi at SFO was filthy and the driver got grumpy as soon a we told him that we were going to a nearby hotel. He ignored both the directions from his navigation system which he claimed was broken as well as our instructions and kept missing roads leading to the hotel that he claimed he couldn't find despite it being in sight and us telling him where it is. When I protested and told him that I'm concerned about having to pay higher charges because of his obvious mistakes he insured me to not worry that he would take that off the charge. When we arrived at the hotel he took less than 10% off and got rude and insulting when I protested. Bottom line: I would not hesitate to take Japanese taxi any time even over an uber black. I can't wait for the SF taxi industry to completely collapse. Edit: There is a flip side to this though. In Japan it was obvious to me that people take pride in their work. Even people who drove taxis out clean train stations. The resulting quality of work was astonishing. However, I also got the impression that these people are give respect for their good work. I don't think many taxi drivers in the US respect their own work and society for sure doesn't make them feel respected. Respect seems to be much tighter coupled to monetary success and I can't say I'm free from that.
- BurningFrog 10y ago
  > I can't wait for the SF taxi industry to completely collapse. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
  - draw_down 10y ago
    Good grief, I'm having trouble thinking of a less-apt deployment of that quote. What the hell.
    - BurningFrog 10y ago
      I do get carried away some times...
- taxicabjesus 10y ago
  > I don't think many taxi drivers in the US respect their own work For me, taxi driving was a game: "I wonder who I'm going to meet today..." One of my passengers had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He didn't win - I picked him up at the homeless shelter. He was going to work, and was almost back on his feet... Sometimes passengers remembered me. Sometimes passengers provided the rest of the story for things I'd been wondering about, or confirmed 'tall tales'. Like the bartender who confirmed that the visiting NBA basketball players really did come into his bar that night... Months before, the other night driver on our little team had said, "YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO WAS IN THE CAB LAST NIGHT!" > and society for sure doesn't make them feel respected. Respect seems to be much tighter coupled to monetary success and I can't say I'm free from that. Plenty of my passengers let me know that they appreciated us. Taxi driving has traditionally been a rough occupation. Drivers used to carry a lot of cash, and were seen as targets for thugs who were desperate for money. Cash isn't as common as it used to be, so taxi drivers don't have to project as much "toughness" as they used to. I was always looking for a bigger picture, so I guess my experiences in the cab reflect that.
- 2bitencryption 10y ago
  Yeah, when it comes to services in Japan, they go REALLY hard. In the hotel I stayed in, there was always a team of people standing by the entrance to the lobby just to welcome you inside, or tell you to have a nice evening when you leave. They had other people at the elevators with the same job: greet the people who come out of the elevators. When we missed the shuttle to the train station, the shuttle manager apologized profusely, like they had done something wrong, when really we had just showed up a few minutes late.
twblalock 10y ago
Not to mention that there is generally a line of taxis outside of most Japanese train stations and office buildings, ready to go at a moment's notice. Uber is actually slower, because the taxis are already right where you are.

ixtli 10y ago

This is basically it. Japan is a very service-oriented country. People take pride in how well they interact with customers from book stores to restaurants to taxis. This interaction assumes a certain level of honesty and it really changes how you interact when you exchange money with someone for something.

ajmurmann 10y ago

The biggest culture shock coming back to the bay area from a long Japan vacation was the taxi from the airport to a nearby hotel. The day before out return we had a driver in Tokyo who had approached it hotel from the wrong direction and had to drive around the block to get us to the front entrance. We were happy to walk half a block but he was very embarrassed and insisted to drive us to the front door and took way more off the charge than seemed reasonable and refused extra money we wanted to pay. Needless to say the car was immaculate. The taxi at SFO was filthy and the driver got grumpy as soon a we told him that we were going to a nearby hotel. He ignored both the directions from his navigation system which he claimed was broken as well as our instructions and kept missing roads leading to the hotel that he claimed he couldn't find despite it being in sight and us telling him where it is. When I protested and told him that I'm concerned about having to pay higher charges because of his obvious mistakes he insured me to not worry that he would take that off the charge. When we arrived at the hotel he took less than 10% off and got rude and insulting when I protested. Bottom line: I would not hesitate to take Japanese taxi any time even over an uber black. I can't wait for the SF taxi industry to completely collapse. Edit: There is a flip side to this though. In Japan it was obvious to me that people take pride in their work. Even people who drove taxis out clean train stations. The resulting quality of work was astonishing. However, I also got the impression that these people are give respect for their good work. I don't think many taxi drivers in the US respect their own work and society for sure doesn't make them feel respected. Respect seems to be much tighter coupled to monetary success and I can't say I'm free from that.

BurningFrog 10y ago
> I can't wait for the SF taxi industry to completely collapse. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
- draw_down 10y ago
  Good grief, I'm having trouble thinking of a less-apt deployment of that quote. What the hell.
  - BurningFrog 10y ago
    I do get carried away some times...
taxicabjesus 10y ago
> I don't think many taxi drivers in the US respect their own work For me, taxi driving was a game: "I wonder who I'm going to meet today..." One of my passengers had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He didn't win - I picked him up at the homeless shelter. He was going to work, and was almost back on his feet... Sometimes passengers remembered me. Sometimes passengers provided the rest of the story for things I'd been wondering about, or confirmed 'tall tales'. Like the bartender who confirmed that the visiting NBA basketball players really did come into his bar that night... Months before, the other night driver on our little team had said, "YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO WAS IN THE CAB LAST NIGHT!" > and society for sure doesn't make them feel respected. Respect seems to be much tighter coupled to monetary success and I can't say I'm free from that. Plenty of my passengers let me know that they appreciated us. Taxi driving has traditionally been a rough occupation. Drivers used to carry a lot of cash, and were seen as targets for thugs who were desperate for money. Cash isn't as common as it used to be, so taxi drivers don't have to project as much "toughness" as they used to. I was always looking for a bigger picture, so I guess my experiences in the cab reflect that.
2bitencryption 10y ago
Yeah, when it comes to services in Japan, they go REALLY hard. In the hotel I stayed in, there was always a team of people standing by the entrance to the lobby just to welcome you inside, or tell you to have a nice evening when you leave. They had other people at the elevators with the same job: greet the people who come out of the elevators. When we missed the shuttle to the train station, the shuttle manager apologized profusely, like they had done something wrong, when really we had just showed up a few minutes late.

twblalock 10y ago

Not to mention that there is generally a line of taxis outside of most Japanese train stations and office buildings, ready to go at a moment's notice. Uber is actually slower, because the taxis are already right where you are.