Today is a snapshot post, my old trump card on uninspired days haha! This is a snapshot of the now infamous manner posters up in the Tokyo metro stations. They are to serve as subtle reminders to be considerate to your fellow train riders, although the Japanese rail system has to be one of the safest, cleanest, and generally least unpleasant public transportation systems in the world.
Please offer your seat to those in need!
This particular poster seems like a real "duh!" sort of concept, I mean why should you need a poster to tell you to give up your seat to an injured or disabled person? But this is one of the real problems on Japanese trains, people don't like to relinquish the coveted seats once obtained.
Should a pregnant lady, or very elderly gentleman enter the cabin all eyes immediately shoot to the ground or a mobile phone, because if eye contact was made social pressure would force the sitter to move. That is the way Japanese deal with all awkwardness - just ignore it! I've even seen people on the train lift their legs as a PET bottle rolled by so they wouldn't have to be the ones to pick it up haha!
