LIMO LINES: Trapped Limo

LIMO LINES: Limousine Diet

31 May, 2014

San Francisco

Japan has always fascinated me! Its language, customs, history, food, even the land itself seem to be an enigma.

During my youth, I watched TV programs about Japan, and read books and pamphlets about the country. I even visited the Japanese Consulate-General enough times to be recognized by the staff!

 By age 7, I could count to ten and knew a few other words. I would copy Japanese kana characters from the instructions of toys my grandfather sent me from his visits to Kobe and Yokohama. 

When I became a chauffeur, given my interest and very basic conversational ability in the language, I was routinely assigned Japanese clients. 

I was the favored driver for guests of the Japanese Pavilion of the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. It was not unusual for me to transport members of the Japanese Diet, their Congress. (日本国の国会)

On Japan Night, I was in charge of six Diet Members, ranging from obviously junior to relatively high-ranking. They invited me to observe the ceremonies of turning over the World's Fair flag to Japan, host of a 1990 World's Fair. 

When the ceremonies were drawing to a close, I broke away and hustled down to get the car and bring it around to pick the gentlemen up. I got there and got a bad SURPRIZE: I was blocked in completely by two parked trucks.

I surveyed the scene, and there was not even an inch leeway to gradually see-saw out of the spot. The trucker didn't even leave me a CAN-OPENER to pry the car loose.

Honesty is always the best policy. I headed off the group and explained them the situation in my best lousy Japanese. 

We all walked to where the poor stretch-Lincoln was entombed. The guys they did something amazing: they looked all around to make absolutely sure that nobody was looking, and then pealed off their suit jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and like college fraternity brothers, assumed cardinal positions on the car.... and LIFTED THE LIMOUSINE and unblocked it. 

They were carrying on just like college boys might have done under the same circumstances. It was a decided departure from the conventional. 

The job done, smiles quickly vanished as the shirts were tucked, sleeves rolled down, and suit coats donned once again. The drastic breech of protocol was no more, and the pecking order was reestablished. 

It was a fascinating glimpse into Japanese hierarchy and protocol, and how necessity can allow them to briefly put all those cultural trappings aside for the overall good. 

Thus I saw a living example of the Japanese ethic known as Gamberu to do one's utmost always.