Jap Bikes?

XTINCT said:
I would like to think that the use of the term "Jap Bikes" by members of this forum is not intended as a racial slur. From my interaction with forum members I can't imagine that anyone would be using this description in that manner.
It should be made clear though that many find the term to be offensive and racist.
It originated during the 2nd World War as a derogatory term.
"Japanese bike" would be much more universally accepted.
Click to expand...

Why do you mention this? has somebody used the term here?

Agree with others that this thread should be moved to the "Pub"


cliffa
 
I once displayed my Commando at a local fete and this old bloke asked me about Japs , why dont you seen any? He found speaking difficult - if you sound like Miles Davis and you are a native of Derbyshire its not good. And then inspiration realised he meant J.A.P as in J arthur prestwick the the 1930s engine builders ..
 
We referred to the Japanese as 'Japs' during WW2 when we hatred them. Then we dropped two A-bombs on them killing tens of thousands. They are now our friends, so we don't call them 'Japs'. My father-in law was one of the 18 year-olds who fought the Japanese at Milne Bay and Kokoda, even he does not call them 'Japs' these days. He does however call the Indians 'jungle bunnies' and 'boonjies' when they are helping him in hospital.
 
I have encountered Japanese tourists when I've been on holiday at the great barrier reef. They like to talk so they can practice their English. I always accommodate them. I have a Japanese friend who was here as an exchange student and lived in our house. I would not want the life she has in Japan, but she seems to like it.
 
I was on my ZX-14 at a hot spring in Yellowstone when a group of Japanese tourists pulled up. At the sight of The Blue Whale (my pet name for it), they went all atwitter, ooohing and ahhing and fawning over it. Then one of the men intimated (no English) he wanted to sit on it and have one of the others take a picture. I indicated no problem, so they went ahead. then, the oldest little old lady in the group wanted to sit on it and have her picture taken, which also proceeded. They thanked me and gathered their stuff, piled back in the rented Suburban and took off without even looking at the hot spring. I would never call them "Japs" but if someone referred to the Whale as a Jap bike, it doesn't bother me. Unknown whether any of them would be offended since they only knew a few words of English and I only know a few Japanese words. I hear some Brits don't appreciate being called "Poms". I'm German by heritage and if someone calls me a 'dumb f#(*ing Dutchman, I don't take offense. Kraut doesn't bother me either, although some German-Americans detest it because that's one of the words Americans used to denote Nazis in WWII. Sometimes I think people should just grow a skin.
 
A "Jap Bike" is derogatory because it caused the demise of the "Brit Bike". This coming from a person of Mick/Limey heritage who
is married to a splendid woman of Spic/Dago heritage. End of topic.
 
We don't even notice Italians or Germans in Australia, even though some of the Italians are our best criminals. Poms are an unfortunate lot. The 'bodyline' cricket thing in the 30s upset a lot of people. The word 'pommie' apparently came from P.O.M.E. - prisoner of mother England - used to identify new convict arrivals in the 1800s. The problem with Poms is they are usually better educated than most Australians, so we feel inferior when we hear their accent. And when they came here after paying ten pounds in the fifties, a lot of them nearly had a fit when the encountered our employers, so became union leaders - thus a target for the conservatives.
I have a couple of friends who are Brits - at least you can hold a sensible conversation with them. I am probably slightly better educated than most Australians - I never go into the public bar in any of our pubs. If you Poms are thinking of migrating - come here now, but bring money - the Chinese are buying all the property in our capital cities.
 
I was recently talking with a young Chinese tourist. It surprised me that his English was as good as that of an Australian-born Chinese - no accent whatsoever, yet he was from Communist China. My Chinese friend down the street is from Hong Kong - has been here for at least ten years and still has broken English - the food in his shop makes up for it.
 
One thing I have noticed with my grandkids - they never notice when somebody is different from themselves. Our schools must have changed. Or perhaps there are now so many different races here that everybody seems normal.
 
When you use a racial name for someone, a lot depends on INTENT. If said with the intention of hurting someone, that is very bad. We call Americans Yanks, but I was born immediately prior to WW2 and I know why they were here and what they did. Our arses were hanging out for the kicking until the Yanks arrived. They would need to do a lot wrong before I would ever be derogatory about them.
 
We've really sunk to a new low here...
(and please don't call me an Aussie... I might be offended)
What crap!!
 
"Rice Burner" "Rice Rocket" "Crotch Rocket" belong in the same bin as "Jap Bike" They all look innocuous on the interweb, but the spoken word adds a lot of connotation. Maybe not offensive, but definitely crass.

BTW, they were always "Limeybikes" to me rather than "Britbikes" but I tend to use the latter term anymore lest someone be offended. It's just what I always heard them referred to as, even by their advocates.
 

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