Tokyo Metro: Do it at Home, Biyatch!
I know, I know… the Tokyo Metro ‘Do it at home’ poster series has been blogged about numerous times, but…
When has anyone ever accused me of being original?
Anyway, while I thought the first 5 or 6 posters were cool, it appears that the whole ‘Do it at home’ campaign has died in the arse, so to speak. Yeah, a cartoon image of a drunk salaryman splayed across a train floor with two disgusted onlookers and several oblivious others with the message ‘Do it at home’ was pretty funny. The creative mind behind that poster and the original few others must have turned into something of an overnight success because stations and the insides of trains were suddenly full of the mind-your-manners messages.
And yeah, a lot of people riding the Tokyo rails really do need to mind their #@&!ing manners, but that’s a post for a different day. Come to think of it, it’s a post that’s been done to death so… you’ll probably see another one at this blog sometime soon.
So, Ok… the good people of Tokyo have been reminded repeatedly to do it at home. But what about the latest poster?
When I first checked this poster out, I was a little confused. I mean, what’s wrong with a happy little couple sharing tunes on an iPod and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes? But, then I noticed… they weren’t properly giving up the priority seats they were occupying for people like the overlooking pregnant woman. Ok, stand up douchebags, er, I mean lovebirds, and do the right thing.
You wanna selfishly hog a priority seat? You wanna ignore frail-bodied old farts, pregnant women, and handicapped individuals?
Do it at home. I mean, come on… get a clue for chrissakes and do it at home!
At my old man’s place, the only priority seat in the house was his seat on the sofa. Not giving up that priority seat would earn you an ass-beating, so I couldn’t even do it at home.
But, if you can get away with it…
An American living in Tokyo. Can be seen bounding through Shinjuku Station most mornings, teeth gnashing, eyes bulging, a cup of cheap coffee clenched in one fist and a satchel in the other. God help those who don't see him coming.
February 13th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I find it amusing that Japan who prides itself on politeness has to constantly remind it’s citizens not to behave like pricks.
[Reply]
Billy W Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 12:50 am
You say “remind”, but I’m willing to bet too many people never learned in the first place.
Just the other day, I saw a mother and her kindergarten-aged boy come onto the fairly crowded train I was riding to work and stop right in the doorway, even though there was still room in the center of the car and lots of people still wanted on. They stood there, both facing the throng of boarding passengers, she had a hold of his hand with one of hers and in her other she was busy doing something with her mobile phone. People had to squeeze past them to get on, even as the announcement that “The door is gonna close on yo asses!” blared repeatedly.
[Reply]
February 14th, 2010 at 2:17 am
Yeah, and I guess there are different standards of politeness depending on where you go. Overall Japan is a pretty courteous country, but I find that you can’t take anything for granted when you’re commuting - that’s when it often becomes every salaryman, grandma, and kindergarden kid for himself. I mean, I’ve stood up from my seat on the train quite a few times after a throng of people have gotten on (intending for a woman or old person to take my place) only to have some a-hole salaryman swoop in.
[Reply]
February 14th, 2010 at 3:48 am
I think the weird guy with no eyes should be a man and ask the young couple to give up a seat for his pregnant wife. What a spineless creep, afraid to approach teenagers. Where’s the chivalry? It’s a wonder he ever got laid in the first place!
By the way, maybe I’m paranoid, but doesn’t the phrase “please do it AT HOME” printed in English stink of a thinly veiled xenophobia.
[Reply]
February 14th, 2010 at 4:33 am
@Blue Shoe:
I rarely see a man give up a seat for a woman just because she’s a woman. In fact, I often see men sitting while their wives stand, sometimes holding shopping bags.
@Roaf:
Haha. You might be onto something.
[Reply]
February 14th, 2010 at 10:44 am
i completely misread the sign.
i thought that the paternity tests had come in and the nerdy looking guy was confronting the young dude (as he preyed on his next victim) for knocking up his wife after an intimate moment they shared in the women-only carriage 8 months before.
i interpreted the sign as saying that if you want to knock up other people’s wives don’t do it on the train.
given the declining birth rate in japan, tokyo metro obviously doesn’t want to discourage people having sex so they are requesting for people to impregnate other people’s wives at home instead. a community service really.
[Reply]
Billy W Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 11:41 am
You might be onto something, but if they really support the impregnating of other people’s wives, why not just put in a row of closet-sized rooms in train stations for that purpose?
[Reply]
February 21st, 2010 at 10:24 pm
The funny thing I noticed on these posters is that the guy who is somewhat bothered and complaining about others’ behavior is always the same person. A sinister figure I must say. It seems a character from Blake & Mortimer comics’ series.
[Reply]
March 17th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Hello! Your post (Tokyo Metro: Do it at Home, Biyatch! | Tokyo Filter) does so well that I would like to translate it into French, publish on my french blog and link to you. You have something against it? Regards
[Reply]
Billy W Reply:
March 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
No, I don’t have a problem, but if you’re looking for a fight, step outside, tough guy…
[Reply]
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:07 am
A friend of mine has a brilliant picture of a crazy (gaijin) friend re-enacting the famous “please do gymnastics at home” poster. I don’t know how he did it, but he’s doing an upside down rings number using the train hand straps as rings. The surrounding Japanese passengers looked more congratulatory than the spectacled drone we see in these posters.
[Reply]
April 21st, 2010 at 4:13 pm
there’s really so many posters created and they are all good
http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/tokyo-metro-posters-please-do-it-at-home/
[Reply]