No phones on train, bus, etc.

I need some clarification when it comes to this topic. I know it is rude to be talking on your phone in the train but can you have your phone out in a train? Like, can I take out my phone to text someone and so on or it would be the same as talking on my phone? because some people tell me no phones are allowed on trains....

While talking is not considered polite, texting and web browsing is perfectly fine!

You will plainly see, once you get there and board any train, that most people spend their time either sleeping or using their phones on the trains. Texting, surfing, etc. are fine. Talking on the phone, however, is not that common and usually discouraged.

Most trains and buses encourages you to completely turn off your mobile phone when you are near the "priority seats" for the elderly and disabled. This is because the transaction of the phones may disturb the use of delicate medical devices such as the heart pacer.

In truth, this is becoming to be debatable, because researchers are starting to prove that mobile phones are quite harmless. Yet, it would still be a great gesture to turn them off just to make everyone relaxed. For this reason, most trains and buses have signs and announcements telling you to turn it off near those designated seats. You will notice the priority seats by their icons. This is an example of a JR company seat icon.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/equipment/equipment_1/car/

If you are not near the priority seats, you may use your mobile phone quietly, meaning that you should turn it to "silent mode" and avoid talking on the phone, but texting and playing games are fine.

I know that a lot of locals are not obeying these manners, but you should know that this is the general rule.

On a related note, I notice that some foreign tourists do not even know about the priority seats. Of course, you can say that it's the same things since you surrender your seat as soon as you see someone obviously in need of a seat. But there are people who may look young and healthy and yet have difficulties that are not obvious or cannot speak up. So when I ride trains and buses, I try to make sure that there is at least one unoccupied seat in the priority seat section, which is usually situated at a place where it is easy to get on and off the vehicle.

oh, ok

When I was on the train with my infant, a lot of people (all Japanese) didn't offer the priority seat to me, a foreigner. It's not only something gaijin do, Uco.

I'm sorry if my previous post was misleading, but I never said that foreign people do not surrender their seats. I don't even recall them occupying them when they're not supposed to.

On the contrary, I simply thought that foreign visitors should have the right to know that those seats exist so that they could take advantage of them when they're having difficulties. Or perhaps when there are other unoccupied seats in the train, they can try to sit in those other seats instead.

Anyway, I wasn't implying that they're not obeying manners and such. I was just trying to provide some information. Sorry for the confusion again.

Xibln, since you've addressed me, I'd like to express my personal sympathy for you.

@Xibln

Lets just say that it can be a one of case, or you were unlucky, I've seen locals offer their seats to visitors.

It also happens in hong kong on the MTR, I've personal experienced this myself.

I think its not ok to talk in phone when the train buses are heavily crowded in most of the countries. If the train is not so crowdly then having a quick chat wont matter. If you are with other japanese then dont talk, but when you are along then it wont make a huge scene if you have a short talk like "i am in train. Call ya later" You are gaijin so you can use bakagaijin card.

"bakagaijin" sounds offensive to me. I wouldn't use this term.

have a short talk like "i am in train. Call ya later"

Actually, this is the most expected behavior in trains/buses in Japan, whether you are alone or not or whether the vehicle is crowded or not, unless you are near the priority seats where you are supposed to completely turn off your mobile phone.

Cheers, Uco.
@ kms899 - seats were offered on most occasions but there were definitely times when we were ignored. It was more the point that Nihonjin don't always offer seats either.

Xibln,

Again, thank you for agreeing with my post as of 2015/6/23 15:31.