Things to do when you are caught in a traffic jam

Things to do when you are caught in a traffic jam

Yes, it is summer holiday time in Japan. I noticed less people on the commuting train lately and it is not crowded. At some companies where all the workers cannot take a holiday at the same time, they started taking time off by rotating everyone’s schedule. We, at JPC, are taking our annual holiday for a week while most auction places are closed. Some auction places will open for special auctions this year but because half of us have to work in shifts every Saturday anyway and if this is a chance for all of us to take a reasonable holiday, we might as well take it. (So please do not upset by this.)

In Japan, most people take their summer holiday next week, between 10th and 17th August. Some visiting their families, some travelling around, a large number of people use their cars. Have you been in the middle of traffic jams on highways in Japan? It can be more than 100Km long and I am sure we all experienced ending in one of them. So what can you do when you are stuck in it? There was a survey result in a newspaper recently. This is what most people do:

1. Listen to music
2. Talk
3. Listen to the radio
4. Eat snacks
5. Take a nap
6. Enjoy the scenery
7. Sing songs
8. Play “Last and First”
9. Watch TV
10. Email someone
11. Check the map
12. Look at signboards
13. Check websites with a cellphone/PC
14. Watch a movie (DVD)
15. Look at clouds…

The top ones are something you can do without spending much money and you can all do this together including the driver. Thanks to multi-functioned car navigation systems, some people even watch TV or DVD movies.
The top one, “Listen to music” seems an easy choice but be careful with the song choice. You cannot really play anything which is going to send the driver off to sleep. You cannot play songs you love but bores everyone else. This will lead to a big argument. CDs of music from different decades (top of pops) and soap-opera theme songs are useful because you can sing along, just listen or sometimes start a conversation from there. If you have young children, some of you choose children’s songs but sometimes if you raise their spirits too high, they can annoy the driver like hell. Yes, you have to choose songs and the timing. Among the things you can withdraw into your own world, lots of people just look outside without thinking anything else. By gender, females spend more time “talking” while “eating snacks”. These are the rankings in Japan. What is it like in your own country?

OK, although it is fun to think what you can do in a traffic jam, the most important thing for the driver is of course to concentrate on driving. If you are tired, please do not force yourself, just have a rest in a rest area. Drive safe and enjoy your holiday!



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(Editor)
JPC TRADE CO.,LTD.
Kato building 4F, 1-1-2 Furuishiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporters Association (JUMVEA)
TEL : +81-3-5245-7731
FAX : +81-3-3643-4955