Japan – not for people with disabilities

I’m so much a ninja, apart from the limping,
people can’t really tell I even had knee surgery – can you?

Anyone who has lived in Japan (or even visited) knows how crazy the morning rush hour commute is. It is a hectic, push and shove match that – I strongly believe – is the dry-land version of a feeding frenzy. Or a rugby match on crack. Those unfamiliar or unindoctrinated with this particular event will find it overwhelming. My brother did when he came over to Japan and spent a few days in Tokyo.

In fact, even for those who know what to expect can still be stressed out over it. I see it every day, upon the faces of the office workers and employees that dash and violently manuver their way to their connecting train lines or exiting the train stations.

And these are able bodied people who have not had knee surgery.

I have had knee surgery. Let me tell you now, it SUCKS to be disabled in Japan.

It’s not like I’m complaining – okay, maybe I am – but I have just cause to throw a hissy fit. Everyday I head to work I have to catch the bus then transfer to a train in order to get to the school I have to teach at. Sounds simple, huh?

Well, my first obstacle of the day are the world’s most deceptive deathtrap – the stairs of my apartment.

deathtrap for ninjas who’ve had knee surgery

They are only one flight of steps. Unfortunately they slant downwards – read: not level. The first time I walked up them, I noticed something was wrong. Everyone else who has been to my apartment always comments about those stairs.

Whenever I walk up the stairs it feels like I’m leaning backwards and walking down the steps feels like I might fall forward. To make matters worst the steps are smaller than my feet.

The distance to the bus stop from my apartment would normally be 5 minutes. In my current state, 12 minutes. And the bus doesn’t wait – I’ve been left behind – twice – being only accross the street from the bus stop, hands waving madly in the air, signaling the driver to wait for my broken limping ass. They don’t wait.

Don’t let the white icon on the blue square fool you…
this bus is not wheelchair friendly… neither are its passengers

When I do get on the bus, it is always packed with no place for me to sit down. If you’ve ever been on a crowded bus and had to stand on one bad leg, let me tell you the experience is horrible.

The train station I leave from is far more worst. There are no elevators, so I have to walk up and down stairs.

the second set of stairs I encounter – massive amount of Japanese
coming down the steps may or may not be included

after getting my ticket I walk up these bad boys

I should point out that the handicapped toilet in the photo above is inaccessable to anyone in a wheelchair – the only way to get to it is to walk up or down a flight of stairs.

if only this could be a slide into a pool full of jello

The train station I arrive at has an elevator. But only if I need to enter or exit the station. Getting to/leaving the train tracks well… that means more stairs.

you’ll either really like this view or hate it… I hate it with a passion

all hope’s not lost, see? A lift and an elevator! Or two lifts – get it? Just that nobody uses the lift because they know public transport sucks for disabled people

My daily trip is not over just yet. It takes 15 minutes for me to walk from the station to the school. A 5 minute walk for all the students that pass me by. However, when I do make it to school I’m really happy to be there, I get to sit down and have free coffee while I wait for classes to start. Johnny Drama Victory indeed.

I walk from the signal light to those buildings
far off in the upper right corner – my best lap time 15 minutes

Johnny Drama VICTOOOOOOORYYYYYYY!!!!

Oh, I forgot to mention. Yeah. The school I teach has four floors and it does NOT have an elevator. Whoops! That’s a Johnny Drama fail if there ever was one – oh, there are lots of them on Entourage. Nevermind.

how many floors? count ‘em! one, two, three… FOUR!

On a good schedule day, I might have five classes to teach but if they’re one after the other so I get to say upstairs for a good portion of the day. If it’s a bad schedule day – like if I have only three classes to teach BUT they’re all first year classes (which are on the forth floor) – I walk up and down stairs multiple times within the school day. That does not make me a happy person.

And I haven’t been a happy person for some time now. Happy teacher – yes. I always give my students my best no matter how crappy I feel. I think that can be applied to any task that needs to be accomplished – be it work, exercise or, in my case, rehab.

But a happy person? Ha. Cause, you know, at the end of the day I have to repeat this process. Go up stairs, down stairs, up the steps, down the steps, take the bus, walk to my apartment and – finally – go upstairs, sit down and ice my knee.

The only joy I take in having to commute by public transportation is the fact I am as much as a hazard/interruption to other people as they are to me. I can walk as slowly as possible thereby forcing people behind me to slow down, take a breather, possibly miss their transfer… yeah, brings a smile to my face. Hey, if people are going to be bumping into me trying to get to a seat or make their next train, I might as well milk being the walking obstacle for all it’s worth.

Oh, and I get to take pictures like this.

I like ‘em all lined up like that… iz predy

Ah, Japan… it can be a pain in the neck sometimes.