I found this story entertaining and maddening.

"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes)
02/27/2014 at 22:34 • Filed to: None

Crazy japanese people come to Utah without drivers liscenses decide to drive on interstate and have no idea what to do when highway patrol car pulls them over for doing 36mph in a 75mph zone.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2…

DISCUSSION (12)

Nerd-Vol > Frank Grimes
02/27/2014 at 22:37

Riiiiiight. A DUI squad in Utah.

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
02/27/2014 at 22:38

Okay

First off, if these people can't speak English, how did they manage to rent a car?

Secondly, if they have no drivers license, how did they rent a car?

Third, and I'm assuming this is what is meant by "no drivers license", how common is it for adults in Japan to not have a DL?

Fourth, driving in general is kind of a universal thing, you would have thought they would have figured some of it out.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Frank Grimes
02/27/2014 at 22:44

What? Did they think flashing red and blue lights was some form of American patriotism? And it was an American custom to drive erratically in response to the lights? I call BS. I wouldn't feel sorry for them. If you don't know what you're doing, don't get behind the wheel.

Frank Grimes > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
02/27/2014 at 22:50

agreed.

offroadkarter > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
02/27/2014 at 22:51

They probably read to many polandball comics and thought it was a FREEDOM escort.

willkinton247 > Frank Grimes
02/27/2014 at 23:31

I never spell the word "license" the first time either...

 > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
02/27/2014 at 23:42

In Japan a cop flashing their lights or turning on their siren does not automatically mean pull over. Japanese police use their loudspeakers to order cars to pull over. Even ambulances' sirens and fire trucks' sirens don't mean cars are supposed to do a hard stop on the shoulder. Drivers just clear a path, but generally keep rolling. That's all the law here requires.

Without a direct command over loudspeaker, the lights and sirens here just mean get out of the way. Which is probably why she got confused and alternatively sped up and slowed down and weaved a little bit. She was probably trying to let the cop pass her and couldn't understand why he wouldn't, because it didn't compute to her that she'd been doing anything suspicious.

I agree that it was silly not to eventually pull over eventually anyway, but I'm sure panic had set in. And panic equals stupid decisions by definition. I also do agree that it seems like the information about what sirens and flashing lights mean in the US should have been available to her at some point before she got in a car in the states. But clearly it wasn't.

pianomanzero > Nerd-Vol
02/27/2014 at 23:53

Seriously, man. You even LOOK at a drink here you're considered under the influence!

Frank Grimes > willkinton247
02/27/2014 at 23:54

this makes no scense.

willkinton247 > Frank Grimes
02/28/2014 at 08:34

"...Utah without drivers liscenses decide..."

-Frank Grimes

Frank Grimes > willkinton247
02/28/2014 at 09:39

still don't undersctand.

willkinton247 > Frank Grimes
02/28/2014 at 11:24

ha.

I see what you did there.