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#Post#: 16906--------------------------------------------------
Re: Small talk in the public transport
By: NealC Date: June 15, 2019, 12:56 pm
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I love how you haven't been on a public bus or train in 25-30
years, and yet you are an expert and know for sure they are
miserable places filled with the homeless and mentally ill?
Where exactly do the homeless and mentally ill get money for the
fare?
#Post#: 16908--------------------------------------------------
Re: Small talk in the public transport
By: SHL Date: June 15, 2019, 1:39 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1158.msg16906#msg16906
date=1560621364]
I love how you haven't been on a public bus or train in 25-30
years, and yet you are an expert and know for sure they are
miserable places filled with the homeless and mentally ill?
Where exactly do the homeless and mentally ill get money for the
fare?
[/quote]
They probably beg it off the street Neal.
In big cities, okay (with actually LA being one exception that
comes to mind) a form of public transport is there by necessity,
a train/subway system so people can get to work. But, those
sorts of modes of transport should be avoided by tourists,
definitely. That’s not what they are for. In fact, LA’s lack of
even a basic rail system for work commuters has log-jammed the
freeways for decades making the place horrible to work and get
around in. It’s all cars. No car, and you go nowhere in LA.
Unless you want to share a public bus with bipolar people seeing
purple dinosaurs.
#Post#: 16936--------------------------------------------------
Re: Small talk in the public transport
By: Chizuko hanji Date: June 16, 2019, 12:47 pm
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I was surprised by the video which Martin showed above. I can't
imagine it will happen in Japan. As you know, Japanese are
quiet. We think chatting a lot on a bus is not good. We hardly
see people talking on the phone in the train or bus either. When
we enter the elevator, we never greet strangers. If a stranger
comes in the elevator where I am in, and he said to me, "Hello",
I would be scared like "What's going to happen in this small
box?"
In my apartment building, I always say hello as they are not
strangers.
When I shopped something in Canada, the cashier, young lady,
started talking to me. "What are you up tonight?" I was so
confused and got nervous that I answered like a robot. "I'm
going to have dinner at 7:00 and watch TV until 10:00 and go to
bed at 11:00."
She looked confused my answer in turn.
I told my daughter later. She laughed and said, " Mom, it's
small talk. It's a friendly polite manner in Canada." Then I
asked, "If I don't want to reply, what should I do?" She said,
"You don't have to answer seriously. Just say, not particular
but something good like."
But, she showed a friendly polite manner and I don't have to be
serious??? It was a culture shock.
#Post#: 16942--------------------------------------------------
Re: Small talk in the public transport
By: SHL Date: June 16, 2019, 1:48 pm
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[quote author=Chizuko link=topic=1158.msg16936#msg16936
date=1560707258]
I was surprised by the video which Martin showed above. I can't
imagine it will happen in Japan. As you know, Japanese are
quiet. We think chatting a lot on a bus is not good. We hardly
see people talking on the phone in the train or bus either. When
we enter the elevator, we never greet strangers. If a stranger
comes in the elevator where I am in, and he said to me, "Hello",
I would be scared like "What's going to happen in this small
box?"
In my apartment building, I always say hello as they are not
strangers.
When I shopped something in Canada, the cashier, young lady,
started talking to me. "What are you up tonight?" I was so
confused and got nervous that I answered like a robot. "I'm
going to have dinner at 7:00 and watch TV until 10:00 and go to
bed at 11:00."
She looked confused my answer in turn.
I told my daughter later. She laughed and said, " Mom, it's
small talk. It's a friendly polite manner in Canada." Then I
asked, "If I don't want to reply, what should I do?" She said,
"You don't have to answer seriously. Just say, not particular
but something good like."
But, she showed a friendly polite manner and I don't have to be
serious??? It was a culture shock.
[/quote]
Good comment, Chizuko.
That’s just classic North American, sort of friendly, small
talk. I think it too extreme in most cases, and is probably
just an extension of the familiar greeting, “how are you?”
That’s just the same as saying “hello.” No one is really asking
about your quality of life or interested in your medical
history, quite obviously. It’s just a “hi.” The expected answer
is “Fine, how about you?” Or, words to that effect, with the
expected “fine” to follow and that ends it. (But never ask your
91 year old mother “how are you” because you will get a 30
minutes health report.)
In banks I find it really annoying because the tellers, at one
of my banks, are taught specifically to ask what I think are
nosy questions when waiting on you, like “So, any big plans for
the weekend?” Or “Off for the rest of the day?”
They are doing it to be extra friendly, and I find it to be a
but too much. I was in the Bank yesterday (they are open
Saturdays) and the teller asked, “Any plans for the weekend?”
(With a big grin on her face). I don’t know what you are
supposed to say. Something like, “well I’m taking the boat out
and going skiing” or something? Normally, I just smile and say,
“not much.” Or, if it’s the question about being off work or
not, I just say “yes.” (I think the question is too personal
frankly). But yesterday, I said “Well, I’m going to stay home
and rest.” Then I went into detail about my heart condition and
how I couldn’t walk more than a half mile (1km) without getting
chest pains, and the whole story, so I had to take it easy. I
thought, “well she asked.”
If I hadn’t got that silly, somewhat nosy question, I wouldn’t
have said anything. But, I think it is getting a little out of
hand nowadays in certain businesses, these questions or
greetings.
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