Japanese really don’t like any noises on trains
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I’ve previously looked at loud phone calls on the train, but this survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com found that many were annoyed by quiet phone calls too in this survey into train manners.
Demographics
Betweem the 10th and 12th of February 2010 1,080 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.0% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.2% aged sixty or older.
I actually find quieter phone conversations more annoying, as people seem to make less effort to cut the conversation short, but instead imagine cupping their hands over their mouth masks the noise.
If I rode with other foreigners what I really want to do is to point at the person and talk in English about how bad mannered the person is, but as I don’t I have to make do with scowling at them.
Research results
Of the sample 1,021 people had used a train. They were asked the following.
Q1: Do you feel bothered by people talking loudly on the phone in the train? (Sample size=1,021)
Often feel so 55.7% Sometimes feel so 39.6% Don’t really feel so 4.2% Don’t feel so at all 0.5% Q2: Do you feel bothered by people talking quietly on the phone in the train? (Sample size=1,021)
Often feel so 13.7% Sometimes feel so 42.4% Don’t really feel so 39.2% Don’t feel so at all 4.7% Q3: Do you feel bothered by people talking loudly in the train? (Sample size=1,021)
Often feel so 51.9% Sometimes feel so 41.3% Don’t really feel so 6.1% Don’t feel so at all 0.7%
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interesting survey but not surprising no one likes to be forced to listen to other people whether its train bus or plane
People talking loudly in Japanese on the train is great for listening practice.
I CANT WAIT TILL IM BIG IN JAPAN!
It’s been said before and I’ll say it again, I still don’t see why talking on the phone on the train is any different than people talking to another person on the train. There’s no way you could stop people from doing the latter, and yet you always hear complaints about the former. Get over it people.
Because when two people talk face to face you hear both sides of the conversation.
It makes some kind of difference psychologically, or people wouldn’t resent mobile phone talkers.
Japanese are pretty silly about this sort of thing. They don’t care much for people talking loudly on a train either though, although I think soft conversations are ok.
As far as being “forced” to listen to other people’s conversations, the train is a public transportation system, so by American standards it would be silly to expect everyone to be silent. I don’t go to public facilities and demand or expect everyone be hushed and quiet (libraries excluded). Whatever, when in Rome….