#148 Daigomi

Hawk on Sept. 14, 2009

I wish this page was an exaggeration, but it's not. There really is a thing called “daigomi” (literally, “big garbage”) in Japan. It's the day of the week you suddenly find a pile of appliances outside your apartment building. It makes for easy disposal of large items that don't fit in your trash can (dumpsters are uncommon in Japan).

Sometimes they're throwing away completely unusable items, but other times, the items only have minor blemishes and mild malfunctions. Why? My guess is that a constant thirst for the latest gadgets makes even small problems a good excuse to buy a new replacement.

While living in Japan, I was very tempted to use daigomi days as a chance to stock my apartment. This practice was not unheard of, but it's a bit disreputable. I did fine with what I had, though.

Replies to some of the comments from the previous page:

MarieNomad - Yeah, stay tuned for more. We probably haven't seen the last of this fued.
Hoolo - Interestingly enough, I had planned to have him spurting coffee out of his mouth in the third frame, but opted not to since he hadn't put the cup to his mouth yet. But yes, it's definitely a hazard one should avoid.
littletrinks - No, because Rogan can't break Lane's firewall, he's pranking Lane's grandma instead.
alik9 - True, but remember, these guys are criminals!
electronb - Locking the computer is exactly what my friends at work have started doing to avoid pranks. This has definitely caused a decrease in shenanigans.
Xenterex - That prank sounds both harmless and funny, which I think is the best kind of prank.
Mutation - LOL! brilliant! I might actually try that one at some point.
taltamir - You hit the nail on the head.
b_templar428 - Thanks for commenting when you can, though.
Evilgrunt, Renamon, anyannieany, nekodragon, and Doctor Shadow - Thank you!