Got that in China too, despite there being loads of us.
I think it's the folk who have travelled from their village to the big city for the first time in their lives. We don't tend to stray too far from the tourist routes, so they probably haven't seen one before.
(The Porcupine From Purgatory Ningles, mateyplops! How are the kids? *smoosh*, Thu 7 May 2026, 10:42, archived)

In a small place in Japan school buses would stop so the kids could wave and take pictures. Walked past a primary school at home time. Many chats

( mongychops, Thu 7 May 2026, 10:52, archived)