How to fill your car with petrol in Japan.
Step 0: Rent/borrow/lease/buy/steal a car.
Step 1: Pull up to a self-serve petrol station.
Step 2: Get out of your car and approach a pump. Touch/interact with the built-in touch screen LCD built into the pump. The super-computer inside will, incredibly, know why you are there.
Step 3: Put money into the machine. It doesn't work for free.
Step 4: After you have completely filled your car's petrol tank, look over at the computer screen and watch the short animated video of a soccer player scoring a goal. After the goal, the animated player will begin a short celebration. This is followed by the sound of a loud applause.....perhaps a standing ovation from the crowd. That ovation is actually for you, buddy. It's all for you.
Step 5: A small Japanese man will come out and present you with a new box of tissues. He will bow his head slightly and offer you the tissues with two hands. You should also bow. It is his way of showing you the respect you deserve for all you have done for your fine automobile.
Step 6: The machine will then spit out your receipt. If you are expecting change from the machine because you inserted more money than you spent on petrol, you must take your receipt over to the even BIGGER computer and deal with that machine.
Step 7: As you pull away from the petrol station, one or two employees will wave goodbye to you. Don't get too cocky. They did the same thing for the mother and 3 young kids no less than 30 seconds before you arrived.
I'm at Kansai airport in Osaka, waiting for my flight and bored to tears. What did I miss around here?
Step 0: Rent/borrow/lease/buy/steal a car.
Step 1: Pull up to a self-serve petrol station.
Step 2: Get out of your car and approach a pump. Touch/interact with the built-in touch screen LCD built into the pump. The super-computer inside will, incredibly, know why you are there.
Step 3: Put money into the machine. It doesn't work for free.
Step 4: After you have completely filled your car's petrol tank, look over at the computer screen and watch the short animated video of a soccer player scoring a goal. After the goal, the animated player will begin a short celebration. This is followed by the sound of a loud applause.....perhaps a standing ovation from the crowd. That ovation is actually for you, buddy. It's all for you.
Step 5: A small Japanese man will come out and present you with a new box of tissues. He will bow his head slightly and offer you the tissues with two hands. You should also bow. It is his way of showing you the respect you deserve for all you have done for your fine automobile.
Step 6: The machine will then spit out your receipt. If you are expecting change from the machine because you inserted more money than you spent on petrol, you must take your receipt over to the even BIGGER computer and deal with that machine.
Step 7: As you pull away from the petrol station, one or two employees will wave goodbye to you. Don't get too cocky. They did the same thing for the mother and 3 young kids no less than 30 seconds before you arrived.
I'm at Kansai airport in Osaka, waiting for my flight and bored to tears. What did I miss around here?
