Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How Did Asians Get A Bad Rep For Driving?
- Thread starter SamIchi
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I just hate asians because they can wake up, shake their head and their hair looks awesome. They don't even have to brush it. It just looks great. All the time. And it pisses me off that my german ancestors couldn't have born with hair like the asian cultures have.Stupid stupid kraut genes!
I think lots of asian people feel that the opposite is true.
My hair is always straight and uncontrollable. I can't pull off longer hair because my head is massive, so I just keep it short or shave it off entirely.
Then it's interesting that your Bio would read, "I have nice hair."
Wow. Forgot that was up there. Back then I had pretty long hair that I generally got good feedback on.
That was when it was 'tamed,' of course. I still think my hair looks nice but only after some effort.
I've never heard this stereotype...still, in my experience midwesterners (US) are the worst drivers I've ever seen. Their race doesn't play a part in it at all.
This is totally untrue. A stereotype is NEVER true...and in my experience it's people who've been through the shabby US version of a driving test that pose the greatest risk on the roads, especially on highways and sliproads.
This is totally untrue. A stereotype is NEVER true...and in my experience it's people who've been through the shabby US version of a driving test that pose the greatest risk on the roads, especially on highways and sliproads.
I've never heard of this...but normally when a group of people gets a bad rep, there are still people in the group that don't fit the generalization.
But again, this is news to me.
Yeah, I've only heard of the Asians in the parking lot stereotypes.
We were talking about stereotypes in history class, and we got to Asians. This was when I first had my license for a couple of weeks. Anywho, my teacher explained the stereotype Asian can't park well in the parking lot. He actually told us a story about some guy trying to parallel park in DC and how that went horribly wrong, as an example. Now, before this, I could park perfectly fine; right in between the lines and not too close on either side or crooked. After learning of this stereotype, I have difficult times parking quite often now
Learning of that stereotype has traumatized me and now I live it...
We were talking about stereotypes in history class, and we got to Asians. This was when I first had my license for a couple of weeks. Anywho, my teacher explained the stereotype Asian can't park well in the parking lot. He actually told us a story about some guy trying to parallel park in DC and how that went horribly wrong, as an example. Now, before this, I could park perfectly fine; right in between the lines and not too close on either side or crooked. After learning of this stereotype, I have difficult times parking quite often now
Learning of that stereotype has traumatized me and now I live it...
And that is awesome. Einstein was the man, and by having a hairdo like him, so are you.
Take heart: When the grey appears you really notice it.
Just a quick hair dye and it looks awesome again.
I think lots of asian people feel that the opposite is true.
My hair is always straight and uncontrollable. I can't pull off longer hair because my head is massive, so I just keep it short or shave it off entirely.
They don't know how lucky they are!
This is not a stereotype. This is true!
I'd be completely afraid to drive where I am... Everyone is Japanese!!!
People here floor it when they go and slam on the breaks when they stop. It's scary riding in a car. Also, people drive way too close to the car in front. And honest to god, they just started putting up posters teaching people about the 2 second rule for following a car about a month ago.
I'd be completely afraid to drive where I am... Everyone is Japanese!!!
People here floor it when they go and slam on the breaks when they stop. It's scary riding in a car. Also, people drive way too close to the car in front. And honest to god, they just started putting up posters teaching people about the 2 second rule for following a car about a month ago.
well there are bad drivers all across the board.
that said the only thing i've noticed is that asian drivers don't pay attention to their surroundings much. as in if you're behind them, they don't care. they won't move out the lane so you can pass because you're going faster than them and no one is in front of them. also the only time i've been hit as a pedestrian was by an asian as i was crossing a street (side street with stop sign) and i was already half way past her car so she hit me dead center. how she didn't see me i'll never know.
that said the only thing i've noticed is that asian drivers don't pay attention to their surroundings much. as in if you're behind them, they don't care. they won't move out the lane so you can pass because you're going faster than them and no one is in front of them. also the only time i've been hit as a pedestrian was by an asian as i was crossing a street (side street with stop sign) and i was already half way past her car so she hit me dead center. how she didn't see me i'll never know.
lol, IMO this thread is great. Being part of this race and from the midwest, I have no comment.
I know that different areas have different stereotypes, right now I'm in Asia and lots of people here are like "watch out for the white drivers" lol. Its just b/c driving here is insane and foreigners don't know the rules. Or maybe they don't know that there are no rules, hehe, but seriously its just a different way of driving -I don't drive b/c I'm used to the slow paced good ole midwestern driving.
Also I've noticed that driving here is more or less about the driver doing whatever they want and pedestrians/motorbikes avoiding/adapting to them, maybe why some asian drivers do odd things.
I know that different areas have different stereotypes, right now I'm in Asia and lots of people here are like "watch out for the white drivers" lol. Its just b/c driving here is insane and foreigners don't know the rules. Or maybe they don't know that there are no rules, hehe, but seriously its just a different way of driving -I don't drive b/c I'm used to the slow paced good ole midwestern driving.
Also I've noticed that driving here is more or less about the driver doing whatever they want and pedestrians/motorbikes avoiding/adapting to them, maybe why some asian drivers do odd things.
maybe destiny is trying to tell you something there.
"hey, nice to see you. do this again next year?"
Well in a way it did...
next year she was my high school PE teacher, I never had to run laps I would just look at her and tell her my hip hurts for some reason and I cant run today...
When she hit me both times she dislocated my right hip. hurts, hurts even more when they put it back in. but I am super flexible on that size and behind head kicks are easy.
back to asian drivers. - why are they allowed to take their drivers tests in madarin or cantonese? when I had to learn english...
No. Stereotypes are necessarily untrue. You can't reasonably generalize about a group of people - especially a group as broad as 'asians'.
asxtb said:
Not saying you are, but this really sounds like the kind of drivel you hear from disaffected gaijin who really don't understand anything going on around them (like your stock nova teacher). With the exception of taxi drivers (where are taxi drivers good drivers anyway), your description does not fit my experience of Japan in any way.
Living in Seattle there were lots of Asians. Whenever I saw one hunched over the wheel, male or female, I would give them a wide berth. It always seemed to be those who were just off the boat, ie not yet accustomed to American ways.
When a Japanese co-worker had a fender bender (not her fault) we all found every possible reference to bad asian drivers and laid them on her desk. She thought it was pretty funny.
When a Japanese co-worker had a fender bender (not her fault) we all found every possible reference to bad asian drivers and laid them on her desk. She thought it was pretty funny.
I guess we're thinking about it differently, and I would agree: stereotypes aren't true for the entire group of people, but inevitably, that stereotype will be true for a portion of that group.
Yes, so when I heard "stereotypes are NEVER true," I interpreted that as "stereotypes are never true, even for certain individuals."
Which is why I said "Asian people who are actually from an Asian country."
Go to Hong Kong and drive there. Or try going to Bangkok. None of these places actually believe that a 3 lane road is only wide enough for 3 cars.
If they move to the US, they appear to be erratic drivers, although I'm sure that "close calls" aren't all that close for them, and they still feel safe because they didn't get into an accident. Now, if an American moves to HK, I think the adjustment is even tougher because they live such a comfy "on the road" lifestyle.
Go to Hong Kong and drive there. Or try going to Bangkok. None of these places actually believe that a 3 lane road is only wide enough for 3 cars.
If they move to the US, they appear to be erratic drivers, although I'm sure that "close calls" aren't all that close for them, and they still feel safe because they didn't get into an accident. Now, if an American moves to HK, I think the adjustment is even tougher because they live such a comfy "on the road" lifestyle.
Haha, that was good.
no asians around here but old people are WAY more dangerous than anything. they drive the speed limit minus 15 mph. They also make horrible decisions in merging with traffic. But the "asians are bad drivers" stereotype is a classic. Can't believe some have never heard of it.
nonsense. stereotypes tend to be based on misperceptions of one imagined collectivity of another collectivity. let's see, in japan - since this is my best frame of reference - Westerners (typically perceived along racial lines as Whites) are, stereotypically quarrelsome, aggressive, and direct (not to mention big nosed, hairy, and smelly). How true is that? The answer that people who harbor such ideas but want to appear moderate is that 'the perception arises as a comparison to Japanese.' But really, that is not true at all either, but the justification keeps intact the self-perception that 'we Japanese are not aggressive etc.' - denial, in other words. By the same token, the perception that 'asians' (just what you mean by asian is another topic) are bad drivers certainly helps with the upkeep that 'we', by comparison, are not bad drivers.
The comparison that some have drawn between driving in an asian country and then those same drivers driving the same way in the US is pretty mechanical, don't you think? I mean, people can adapt. It's pretty clear when you drive in another country what the rules of the game are.
Oh my goodness, that's so true!!
If what you said about stereotypes is true, then usually, stereotypes are negative things about another race used to "prop up" their own race in order to sound superior in a certain area. Example: "Asians are bad drivers" implies "Us white people are better drivers. We're not the ones who are dangerous on the road."
But what about the stereotype that black men have a huge penis? Does this imply that white society have the self-perception that "Oh no, us white folk all have small penises, of course." Why would anyone want to start such a stereotype?
It's just generalizing...most people from Asian countries (India included) seem to not be able to drive well in the US system. I lived in an apartment that was 90% Indian immigrants for 8 months, and my car got hit-and-run TWICE in that time period.
I think it's just familiarity, though...people come from places where they NEVER drive to places where they have to drive all the time. If you grew up here, odds are that you are an average, American driver.
I think they earned it.
I'm sure there are good Asian drivers, but in my experience most of the time I see someone doing something stupid on the road they are either Asian (women mostly), or are talking on the cellphone, or both.
These days though... I think the cellphone drivers are winning the bad driver award.
This is a "when did you stop beating your wife?" type question.Aside from anecdotal (hearsay) stories how about some studies to back up the assertion. I've lived in many places around the world and there's always these type of stereotypes,to me it's straight out racism. The differences in ability in all groups outweighs the differences between groups. Asians,Americans,Australians,people from Streatham are bad drivers,Please.