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| Talk,
Simon Anderson,
15 January 1999 | |
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The Japanese must be just about the most honest people in the world. Where else can you, like I did, get blindingly drunk and leave your bag lying in the street and, only realising it the next day, be almost sure in thinking that it will, with CD player, CDs, sunglasses all still intact, have been handed in to the local constabulary? Where else can you carry and flash around a vast wad of bank notes without fear of having your money stolen? And where else in the world is there centralized lost property offices for not only the police but all city taxi companies and railway operators?
Unfortunately, and it pains me to say it, at least twice a week I stand and curse all this honesty!
In Tokyo, Starbucks is fast becoming ubiquitous. It is the McDonalds of coffee. And recently one opened only 15 minutes from my apartment at Takadanababa (aka 'Baba' station). So, while feeling the hit from my black, sugarless 'Americano', I sit and gaup at the masses of people surging towards the trains.
But all too often, although the place has plenty of empty tables, I am deprived of a seat. This is because they've all been 'bagged'. Before joining the queue now, all too frequently Starbucks customers are reserving their seats with their bags.
I've never noticed this phenomena in the UK or in the States. Except where one person joins the queue while their friend sits coffeeless at a table. OK, so most of the time there isn't a seat as the place is full of people, but that's the way it goes. No, my guess is that western people would be all too happy to do exactly the same except they can't because they'd have no bag to return to.
Just twice a week I yearn for all those dishonest British coffee shop frequenters who have no means by which to reserve their table. Just twice a week I yearn for Starbuck's bag thieves in Japan!
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