Tinklebells

Now I know why the car horns in the Japanese car sounds so polite….

My 無印自転車 (Muji bicyle) came with a bell so polite that it sounds like tinklebell farting… seriously! I had to tinkle it like continuously to get the attending of the people on the streets. I guess this explains why most if not all of the (working class, non-serious) cyclist in Tokyo opted not to use their bells. Instead they have something more insidious… screeching brakes!

Yes, so you think Japanese are polite… wait till you get in the way of a cyclist. They will come behind quietly and then press the brakes. The sudden screech will shock you silly, enough to jump out of the way of the cyclist. It is so common that you would think that they actually sell bikes with screeching brakes!

“Yeah, I would like that bike, can I test the screeching sounds? Hmmm…. doesn’t sound scary enough, can you make it screech louder?”

I can think of another reason why is that the frequent number of stops (and traffic lights) when riding in Tokyo, especially during peak periods in crowded areas. Cycling in Tokyo requires a good amount of balancing and brakes as your bike sometimes could slow to an almost crawl, with oblivious pedestrians in front of you. All these contribute to the early death of your brakes…

So the next time you are in Tokyo, be prepared to be shocked by these screeching bikes (as I did) as you are walking along the street.