Reply #145: I think it's more likely that as a parent, one tends to be sympathetic to the behavior of a two year

[breakaleg]

old.

I've ridden those same trains you mentioned and it seemed to me the children were shy and withdrawn and kept to themselves for those reasons. I have never seen any adult discipline a child that was not theirs. But for one woman who slapped my child for making eye contact with her and trying to get her to smile at him. I have seen many many Japanese children misbehave and throw tantrums in public. They are not immune to the terrible twos.