Over 70 penalty!

Everyone with a driving licence who goes over 70 is penalised in Japan.

And that’s not 70kph.  

When I had my 70th birthday I was ordered to pay 

¥5,800 and sit through a 3-hour lecture - a similar penalty  to that meted 

out to those who have committed a minor traffic offence.

The lecturer, (remember that members of the audience, like myself,

have generally survived over 50 years of road usage), spends thirty minutes 

explaining the various dangers of not being careful at road junctions. 

He then goes on to reveal that mirrors can be useful for seeing what’s 

 behind the vehicle, and follows this gem of wisdom by delivering

a detailed explanation of the significance and usefulness of turn signals. 

All this information is verified in leaflets handed out prior to the

lecture with illustrations drawn, it appears, by or for a kindergarten class.

A short break is followed by his making everyone aware of their deficiencies

as senior citizens. Our bad eyesight is pointed out; our slower reactions, and 

all the inherent dangers we present to the public.

To further demonstrate what useless old gits we are a hi-tech machine

 is trundled out and we are invited to glare at bulls-eyes, twiddle knobs 

and generally prove how incapable we have become. 

None of this effects our qualifications for a licence, however,  

and after the paperwork we are invited to dig out another ¥2,400 

for our new licences plus ¥1000 for a postage stamp size photo 

and, oh, before we go a leaflet is thrust at us 

asking if we’d like to donate X amount of ¥ 

to the current road safety campaign for seniors. 

No thanks, I gave at the office.