# Japanese train departs 25 seconds early - again



## caravanman (May 17, 2018)

If the details are anything to go by, customers are faced with slipping standards: a train last November left 20 seconds early while this time it was a full 25 seconds premature.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44149791

Ed.


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## cpotisch (May 17, 2018)

No! What will those poor people do! It is crazy that their timekeeping is usually so precise that a 25 second difference makes the headlines.


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## Mystic River Dragon (May 17, 2018)

Oh no. This is the beginning of a slippery slope. Pretty soon they will be like NJ Transit, which is routinely late except when I am walking to the train at my commuter station and am halfway across the parking lot. At which point, it sometimes comes in 9 minutes early, thumbs its nose at me, and takes off. Not every day, of course--it doesn't want me to be able to plan for it.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 17, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> No! What will those poor people do! It is crazy that their timekeeping is usually so precise that a 25 second difference makes the headlines.


Looks like it was a morning rush hour train in a culture that does not understand "train problem" as a valid excuse for arriving late. Japanese people are just as shocked that we casually accept routine delays from our core infrastructure and just show up whenever the train happens to arrive.


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## cpotisch (May 17, 2018)

Devil's Advocate said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > No! What will those poor people do! It is crazy that their timekeeping is usually so precise that a 25 second difference makes the headlines.
> ...


If memory serves, a couple years ago, the Tokyo subway system had a grand total of 45 seconds of delays the entire year. In NYC, you're lucky to have one subway train less than 45 seconds delayed.


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## Seaboard92 (May 18, 2018)

This post reminds me of a documentary I just watched about Japanese railway safety. Their safety culture has to be among the highest in the world if not the highest. If I remember right, point, say, do is part of it. It's quite interesting to say the least.


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## cpotisch (May 28, 2018)

I wonder what a routine train rider in Japan would think if I told them that my Silver Meteor arrived into NYP 20 hours late back in January. Their face would probably melt or something like that.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 28, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> I wonder what a routine train rider in Japan would think if I told them that my Silver Meteor arrived into NYP 20 hours late back in January. Their face would probably melt or something like that.


Japanese people are generally pretty careful about showing obvious shock or displeasure, especially in the presence of strangers and guests, but inside they'd probably be wondering which third world war zone you called home.


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## Seaboard92 (May 29, 2018)

Devil's Advocate said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder what a routine train rider in Japan would think if I told them that my Silver Meteor arrived into NYP 20 hours late back in January. Their face would probably melt or something like that.
> ...


DA. You just made my night. Thank you for that.


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