farquah 0 Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 Japan is filled with workers who do almost nothing. You probably haven't needed a crossing guard to help you across the street since you were five years old, but you can find crossing guards on quiet streets far away from schools and playgrounds here. Operating an ATM should be the simplest thing in the world, but almost every bank has a "lobby lady" to help you with your transaction and in case you find the task of pushing an elevator button too overwhelming, there are elevator girls in a lot of the big department stores. Flag men do, of course, play an important role in directing traffic around construction sites on busy roads, but do drivers on back streets really need three or four old men to direct them, when there are already 5000 pylons around the site? The reason for all the useless people is that these jobs are giving retired people with small pensions a way to earn some extra money, and, depending on how you look at it, the dignity of having a job (even if it is a useless one). It also keeps the unemployment rate down however here are my top five usless jobs: 1 Crossing Guards (even if there are traffic lights next to them they stil appear!!) 2 Elevator Girls (except the exceptionally attractive ones!) Apparently they average 2500 bows a day!! 3 MUSEUM LADIES Go to any museum in Japan, and you will see an elegant looking lady sitting in one corner of almost every room. They don't do anything, they don't say anything, and they don't seem to know anything about, or be particularly interested in, the art around them. These human scarecrows just sit their calmly for hours and hours without moving, their laps covered by a little blanket. 4 99% of electronic store workers!! They know nothing about the item you wish to purchase yet give you the best and deepest bows you`ll get! 5 MOBILE LAUNDRY POLE SALESMAN I'd like to nominate those people that drive around every Sunday in their vans, blaring their megaphones, selling laundry poles. How often do people really need to buy a new laundry pole? I think once every 5 years would be sufficient, but these people somehow feel the need to drive by at 8 in the morning EVERY Sunday in my neighbourhood. Japan-the land of over employement!! Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 Perhaps the reason the laundry pole people continue is that they actually sell some of the things? Just a (hard to believe) thought. Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 Got to add construction workers to that. 6 of them to dig a hole, 3 to watch and 4 to stop traffic. 5 others having a smoke. Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 classic useless worker story... I was driving home to work when I used to live out in the inaka...construction as usual with 5000000 redlights flashing to make sure you dont drive into the new hole in the road they made... In front of the mess is a cardboard cutout of a traffic guard with a mechanical arm that moves up and down holding a the standard issue red batton...and right next to this cardboard image was a real live person doing the same exact thing... wish I had my camera on me for that one...classic! danz Link to post Share on other sites
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