Thursday, September 17, 2009

Job I'm glad I don't have...

Poking passed out drunks in the subway stations or on the street in the morning to see if they're still alive.


In the mornings, especially after big holiday weekends, there are police and others that go around rousting all the people passed out in doorways and on the street. There have been times in the afternoon on the weekends when we've gone out, and come back via the back street behind the park, and seen people passed out or in the process of passing out in doorways or in the middle of the street (fortunately the street is closed to vehicular traffic on weekends). One person I'm sure woke up with a very nasty bruise on his forehead the next day.

This acceptance of public drunkenness is so different from the US, and still I find it a bit unnerving to see businessmen dressed in their suits (ties have usually been removed by this point), still holding on to their briefcases, passing out in public from so much soju or sake consumption. (I've seen this in both Japan and Korea now.)

Then there are the ones that go to the 7-11 about 10 or 11 at night and buy Blue Label scotch and their freeze dried squid snacks, and you just know they're going to end up passed out on the street somewhere soon. Especially since they already aren't too steady on their feet.

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