Last night I decided to sleep in the office because a “strong” typhoon (That’s how they offically catagorized it. Yeah, real helpful.) was headed directly towards Tokyo. Most typhoons come up from Kyushu and by the time they arrive here they’re not much more than bad rainstorms. This one was different. It came right off the Pacific ocean and hit land just south of Tokyo.
I have no idea how bad it was. Either I slept through it or it wasn’t as nasty as predicted. However, it’s 11am now and my coworkers are just starting to trickle in, so I assume the trains are a mess.
It’s pretty miserable to commute when the weather is bad. I have a 20 minute one-handed bicycle ride, holding an umbrella that the wind wants to turn inside out, followed a soping wet, jam-packed train ride that lasts around twice as long as usual. Screw that, I slept like a baby on the office sofa and commuted a whole 5 meters to my cubicle. Tony called me this morning (he has his own little ruggedized kiddie keitai) to make sure I was still alive. Someone in Nagano Pref. was killed when a tree fell on him. Ouchie.
It’s a good thing I didn’t oversleep, because I like to sleep in the nude. (Ha, ha, just kidding. Actually, I wore my socks and wristwatch.)
It was worse then I was expecting.
Due to my miss judgment I left my office a little late 7ish, here’s my commute rundown.
7ish – left office got on the Hibiya line.
7:20ish – arrived at Kayabacho station and proceeded to Tozai line platform.
7:22ish – waiting on Tozai line platform
8:00ish – First Train arrives, board train.
8:15ish – Train stops Toyocho station and cannot proceed further, everyone gets off and the train switches to out of service.
8:20ish – waiting for next train to continue my journey
9:00ish – it becomes apparent that no more trains will be leaving towards my station on the Tozai line, considering my next move.
9:10pm – decide to take Keiyo line and proceed to catch train going to Otemachi station (opposite direction from my station)
9:30pm – arrive at Otemachi station and proceed to the Tokyo station Keiyo line platform 800 meters away.
9:55pm – arrive at platform for the Keiyo line
10:00pm – Keiyo line is closed due to extreme winds.
10:05pm – decide to take Sobu rapid line which does not go to my station but can get me within reasonable taxi cost distance.
10:30pm – arrive at Sobu line platform.
11:00pm – waiting for train.
11:45pm – still waiting for train.
12:26am – train arrives, board train.
12:46am – train departs station.
1:28am – train arrives at Tsudanuma station, get off train.
1:35am – queue for Taxi in rain and 90+ kmh winds.
1:45am – get Taxi, instruct driver to take me to my station.
2:20am – arrive at my station, pay driver 3,780yen and start walking to my place.
2:29am – arrive home, wife is pissed and tell me to sleep in the living room.
Just another day in my salary man life.
Dude, not only we share the same name, we sound like we’re married to the same wife too!
Is there any other salary man named Rich that lives in Tokyo ?
But he has an USA flag ?!?!
Ventura: He probably works for an American company, and the Japan branch is a just a node on the US network.
Down here in what is/was know as, “Typhoon Ginza” Land/Okinawa…we are relieved to some extent that this Typhoon #9 had “hokujo’d” (took a northerly route) instead of the all too usual route right through our early autumn semester undoukai/sports day plans…when I say, “we” I’d like to think I am speaking for many Okinawans residents…we do feel your pain…believe me! Down here we have our typhoon disaster prevention kits at our sides at all times, at least from June-Nov…You Tokyoites may have to start to learn how to do 台風対策 properly…God knows how, though!!!
That post made me literally laugh out loud. Thank you.
Who goes to all that trouble to fake a comment? I would like to know. There is no link… it’s not like it’s spam or anything.
Rich- so your wife is that way too? We’ve been married 4 years now so I’m used to it but it sure seems cold sometime.
Also your right, I do work for a US company so were part of a global network based in NY, I’m at home now imo.
@Rich: Let’s get together sometime and compare notes on wives. Send me an e-mail.