crime

Woman arrested after not paying taxi fare from Yokohama to Tottori

35 Comments

Police in Tottori City have arrested a woman in her 40s on suspicion of fraud after she took a taxi from Yokohama to Tottori and then could not pay the fare.

According to police, the woman, whose name and address have not been released, got into the taxi outside JR Totsuka Station in Yokohama at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Sankei Shimbun reported. She told the driver to take her to Tottori because she wanted to see the famous sand dunes. 

When the taxi arrived in Tottori City at 11:40 a.m., the driver asked for the fare which was 236,690 yen, but the woman said she couldn’t pay because she had no money.

The driver then drove to the nearest police station where the woman was taken into custody. Police said she had no personal belongings on her and only had a few hundred yen. When asked what her full name was, she replied she didn’t know, according to police.

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35 Comments
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Sounds like she was running from something or just escaped

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Oh boy this has made me laugh this morning Ive just looked up how far it is and its about 660 kilometres and about 8.5 hour drive. I do feel sorry for the taxi driver as hes had to spend his time and money getting this woman to where she wanted to go, and then not being paid? thats so wrong.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Why didn't the taxi driver confirmed in advance that she has the money?

It is a 9 hours ride and of course that will be a huge fare.

The taxi driver should confirmed and discussed that with her in advance.

35 ( +36 / -1 )

And for a 9 hours ride you agree to a fix price and pay in advance.

How stupid can you be to use the taxi-meter-machine.

22 ( +23 / -1 )

Why don't taxi drivers change their fare rules to require partial payment upfront for long distance jobs?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

When asked what her full name was, she replied she didn’t know, according to police.

the woman, whose name and address have not been released.

How can you release her name, if even she don't know her name. LOL.

20 ( +20 / -0 )

Tottori, I have a feeling we're not in Kanagawa anymore..

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Its taxi driver's fault. Silly man.

24 ( +27 / -3 )

The taxi driver accepted a 8 - 9 hour ride, doesn’t confirm whether or not the passenger has the funds or means of paying, ignoring the fact that there are faster and cheaper ways of getting to Tottori instead of a taxi?

Both of these individuals are frauds and they deserve each other.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

I live down that way so now have an idea of what it would cost to take a taxi to Tokyo.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I have zero sympathy for the taxi driving clown.

Taking a taxi to Tottori makes no sense. Being a taxi driver he would know that.

These stories are a regular occurrence. Being a taxi driver he would know that too.

21 ( +21 / -0 )

Just when you think the "Ore! Ore!" scams can't be surpassed for incredulity, along comes this one.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Flying back and forth a few times would have been cheaper.

Maybe the taxi jiji should have requested a credit card?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

When the taxi arrived in Tottori City at 11:40 a.m., the driver asked for the fare which was 236,690 yen, but the woman said she couldn’t pay because she had no money.

Was she wasted? Use other means of transportation. That would be much faster and less costly. About 7,000 yen, 12 hour drive by bus over night.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Like most of other noted - probably the taxi drivers in such cases are not discussing because they try to charge full price per km. There should be different fares (much cheaper) for long rides or negotiable prices for irregural routs. And of course certain type of insurance that the client can pay (only valid credit card, etc.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Totsuka to Tottori at a cost of 236,690 yen, that is a lot of money for a ride. I hope the taxi driver cleared that trip with his company before leaving Totsuka & I hope he does not have to pay out of his pocket....

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

You can even negotiate flat fare in Tokyo - done it many times.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

You’re not in Kanagawa any more, Dorathy.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

2:30 am Sunday? Nice warm taxi. She must have fallen asleep almost immediately.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Woman arrested after not paying taxi fare from Yokohama to Tottori

Chances were that she would not to pay from the beginning.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If this were a company taxi, yes, the driver should have to clear with the home office first. But if it were a private taxi, he's working on his own for himself; he decided to make the trip all on his own.

Just the time would cause me to hesitate. It's not just a nine-hour trip. It's an 18-hour trip (if he wants to come home, that is.)

4 ( +4 / -0 )

its really sad to read many of the comments without having full facts and adequate information. From just reading the post best guess at this, something really unfortunate must have happened to her that possibly it took her back to a best memory of her life and was not properly in a state of mind though it may have appeared as such.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Well, the taxi driver should have known better. It doesn't make sense to drive there all the way. Who would pay for it? Wazato dayo! But it happened to my business friend before. He was so drunk in Osaka when he got in the taxi he lost it and said Yokohama. When he woke up, he was back to his mansion in Yokohama! He was shocked but had to pay over jyu-hachi-man, if I'm not wrong. That was over 10 years ago. Then he took the train back to Osaka to pick up his bags from the hotel!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Ordering a super long distance taxi at 2.30am? This strikes me as time to roll out the "I was drunk" excuse. We hear it a lot in Japan, but this one is absolutely perfect, far more plausible than not being drunk.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It still baffles me how drivers are even allowed to go that far out. This isn't Uber. There should be a set limit to the operating area.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

can’t imagine what the drive would have been like. did they talk about the weather, Trump or the latest Johnnys boy band... Did they stop in at service areas along the way for a pee and nikuman, etc....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

no one in their sane mind takes a cab here to travel such a huge distance. I wonder if the cab driver didn't notice the woman behaving oddly during the 8 hours of travel...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Customer : Driver, I'd like to go to Tottori to see the sand dunes!

Me as a taxi driver : Sure! No problem! Pay half now and the other half upon arrival, but I must first see that you have the full fare before I start this engine!

Customer : *closes door and walks off!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Stupid taxi driver must have known that the woman was mentally incapacitated...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

How did she get back to Tokyo? or didnt she?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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