mad pierrot
I jump to conclusions
- 22 Nov 2003
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I'm not referring to the alien registration card that foreigners residing in Japan are required to carry. (Although that is a great topic.) When I say gaijin card I mean using your status as a foreigner to get special treatment generally not granted to Japanese citizens.
Case in point: Recently a friend of mine was pulled over for speeding. Of course the first thing the police officer asked for was his driver's license. As it happens, my friend doesn't have a license. He only had an international permit which expired a year ago. My friend, who speaks decent Japanese, pretended not to understand what the police officer was asking. So, he intentionally continued to act confused, and showed the police officer other documents he didn't ask for. Eventually, the police officer was so exasperated he gave up, warned him not to speed, and let him go.
In fact, I find that feigning ignorance is probably the most common thing I see other foreigners doing in tight situations.
My question: Is it acceptable?
My suspicion is many long term or permanent residents, such as MikeCash, would find this behavior as unacceptable, since it perpetuates the sterotypical image of foreigners that many Japanese people have. (Detrimental towards their efforts to show that not all gaijin are incapable of functioning on their own in Japan.)
Well, waddya think?
Case in point: Recently a friend of mine was pulled over for speeding. Of course the first thing the police officer asked for was his driver's license. As it happens, my friend doesn't have a license. He only had an international permit which expired a year ago. My friend, who speaks decent Japanese, pretended not to understand what the police officer was asking. So, he intentionally continued to act confused, and showed the police officer other documents he didn't ask for. Eventually, the police officer was so exasperated he gave up, warned him not to speed, and let him go.
In fact, I find that feigning ignorance is probably the most common thing I see other foreigners doing in tight situations.
My question: Is it acceptable?
My suspicion is many long term or permanent residents, such as MikeCash, would find this behavior as unacceptable, since it perpetuates the sterotypical image of foreigners that many Japanese people have. (Detrimental towards their efforts to show that not all gaijin are incapable of functioning on their own in Japan.)
Well, waddya think?