78-year-old man arrested after trying to choke taxi driver in Hokkaido

was quoted by police a saying he was drunk at the time and doesn’t remember the incident.

Why did I know I would read this in the article? He'll bow, pay, and walk away

At 78 you'd think he would manage his drinking behaviour (through experience) much better than this. Trying to smoke in a Taxi? His wife poor lady said when he drinks his behaviour is bad. Definatly not aging gracefully.

Whilst his actions were wrong on every level. I have had experience of taxi drivers pulling all types of stunts. One example being, I live in the highest apartment block in my area. Yet many claim they don't know it and will take another route that just takes them past the 730 rate. That's not on. I'm well wise to them now. If they don't know my place they have no business driving taxis.

I also think the driver should have got out the cab at the first sign of aggression.

But I guess he won't get his "payday" if he does that?

"Yamaya threatened to kill the driver and started choking him."

"he was drunk at the time and doesn’t remember the incident."

Wow another nirvanic splenetic.

drunk old fart

Yamaya, who was sent to prosecutors on Sunday morning, was quoted by police a saying he was drunk at the time and doesn’t remember the incident.

There we go! I just read the title and KNEW this was in the story. I really am going to start using this excuse.

as mentioned by @maybe. i have had numerous bad experiences as a foreigner with taxis in kansai. some take a long strange route, other stop at green lights once the minimum charge expires, and other say they know the destination even when written in Japanese. this is my experience as a foreigner so i imagine if i was japanese, was old, cold, drunk and just wanted to get home quickly and safely...

Sign this cranky oyaji up for MMA.....just need to work on his striking game a bit, as he appears to have the grappling bit down

Well he is 78 so I would not be surprised if he had no memory of the incident drunk or not

@GoodlucktoyouToday  

" i have had numerous bad experiences as a foreigner with taxis in kansai. some take a long strange route, other stop at green lights once the minimum charge expires, and other say they know the destination even when written in Japanese. "

Back in the day, I had one take a bumpy road I did not know about and I hit my head on the inside top of the car, it hurt for 2 days, and another took a long route to get extra money, even though I told him before getting in to take the chika michi (short cut). And lastly had one who tried to scam 3 of us with the same taxi charge. So now I'm extra careful when choosing a taxi driver.

All taxis had cameras installed for this very reason. That does not mean that the driver should in any way exasperate the situation.

We know that the police will always take the drivers side.

This driver spent too long arguing with the old fella, who was clearly having none of it. For all we know, the driver may have been pulling a fast one on him??

No the old codger will have to fork out some gomenasai money. Would have been cheaper just paying the fare.

I'm not supporting what the old guy done but...that driver milked that situation knowing full well what the outcome would be.

Can remember or not, the entire nation already saw what he did. So the old "I was drunk, can't remember" went safe him.

 I live in the highest apartment block in my area. Yet many claim they don't know it and will take another route that just takes them past the 730 rate. That's not on. I'm well wise to them now.

This is so common I routinely tell the cabbie to drop me off a block short of where I'm going, since they tend to try to milk the fare with some extra rolling. Not cricket.

these annoying taxi drivers manage to drive even a 70 year old crazy.... the cabbie should be punished instead