Mitakadai Station

(Translated by Google) It's usually a quiet, clean, and very nice station. However, there are certain times when it can be dangerous, so please be careful. These are the times when students are going home from school. Normally, it starts after 3pm, but in April and May it can be before noon (when first-year students are there), and during long holidays like summer vacation, the danger levels can vary. First, the girls leave school, talking loudly, forming a giant snake-like procession, and enter the station over the overpass outside. They block the ticket gates for the same width, so you can't exit the platform until the line calms down. They then continue down the stairs in the same line. If it looks like a train is coming, they call out to their friends, "It's coming! Hurry!" and run down the stairs. They're like muddy water flowing into an underground passage. While waiting on the platform, younger elementary school students chase each other like they would in a playground, and it's not uncommon for them to run through an obstacle course through the waiting room, so you can't let your guard down even when you're sitting down. But occasionally, when their parents are with them, they behave very well, like true young ladies, and it's a truly heartwarming sight. However, one would think that a young lady like her would not use the train but would be picked up and dropped off in a car with a driver, so perhaps this is a kind of education that allows her to experience the world of the common people. Personally, I worry that one day, this station, which is mostly used by elderly people outside of morning and evening rush hours, might become a victim and leave a stain on their illustrious lives. Of course, since their parents have power and money, perhaps commoners don't need to worry. And since the station staff would be outnumbered and would be unable to do anything, commoner users have no choice but to protect themselves. Oh, and there's no point in complaining to the school, as they'll just treat you like a complainer. I've lived here for over half a century and know many alumni, so I had a good impression of it, but I never imagined that it would have created such a lawless zone and that the school would just let it go. It's truly disappointing, with tradition and religion to no avail. (Original) いつもは静かで、きれいで、とてもよい駅です。 しかし、危険な時間帯がありますので、注意してください。それは、生徒が下校する時間帯です。 通常は午後３時過ぎからですが、４〜５月は昼前も(新一年生がいる)、夏休みなどの長期休みでは幅があります。 まず、彼女たちは大声で喋りながら、学校から大蛇のような隊列を作って、外の陸橋を経て駅に入り、そのままの幅で改札口を塞ぎますので、収まるまではホーム側から出られません。 更にそのままの幅で階段を下っていきます。電車が来そうものなら友達に「来るよ！　急いで！」と声をかけあって駆け降ります。地下道へ流れ込む泥水のようです。 ホームで待っている間、小学校低学年は、運動場よろしく追いかけっこし、待合室を通り抜けるという障害物競争も珍しくありませんから、座っていても油断できません。 でも、たまに親が一緒だと、とてもお行儀よく、本物のお嬢様っぽいのが実に微笑ましい光景です。ただ、お嬢様なら電車など利用せず、運転手付きの車で送迎なさるものではと思いますが、下々の世界を体験する一種の教育でしょうか。 私としては、朝晩のラッシュアワー以外は高齢者の利用が多いこの駅で、いつか突き飛ばして加害者になってしまい、彼女たちの輝かしい人生の汚点とならないか心配です。もっとも、親御さんに権力とお金があるのでしょうから平民が気を揉む必要はないのかもしれません。そして駅員さんは多勢に無勢で対処できないでしょうから、平民利用者は自分で身を守るしかありません。 そうそう、学校に言ってもクレーマー扱いされるだけですので無駄です。半世紀以上住んできて、卒業生の知人も多く、よいイメージでしたが、まさか、今はこんな無法地帯を作り出し、学校側も放任とは、伝統と宗教の甲斐なく本当に残念です。