crime

Fare-evader arrested for assaulting taxi driver

18 Comments

Police have arrested a 51-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting a female taxi driver after he refused to pay the fare.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 1:50 a.m. on Oct 31. Sankei Shimbun reported that the suspect, Hironori Noguchi, was in the taxi and asleep as the taxi arrived at its destination near the South Exit of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.

When the 52-year-old taxi driver woke him up, Noguchi got mad and flung the driver out of the taxi, breaking her finger. He then walked away without paying the fare of 4,060 yen.

Noguchi left his bag in the taxi and he also dropped his jacket and wallet on the street. Police identified Noguchi from his driver's license in his wallet and visited his residence where he was having trouble with another taxi driver.

According to police, there was more than 20,000 yen in cash in Noguchi's wallet.

Noguchi was quoted by police as saying he was completely drunk and can't remember being in the taxi.

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18 Comments
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So should they pretend they were not drunk?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I am drunk is used to often as an excuse.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Noguchi was quoted by police as saying he was completely drunk and can’t remember being in the taxi.

For a culture in which big responsibilities are often placed on men, these men ought to re-evaluate their drinking habits and how to drink more responsibly.

We've all done stupid things (while intoxicated from alcoholic beverages) and said "I was drunk, I don't remember." That's at 17-18. Then most of us "Grow Up."

Often its the mid-aged salary men who grab these drunken incidents headlines. From ditching a cab fares, groping women to poking a coworkers eye out with an umbrella.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@laguna

Brilliant!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, the taxi driver learned her lesson: next time, keep the meter running and read some magazines until the drunk guy wakes up by himself.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Besides the drunk part, there are people who get violent too if you disturb their sleep whether they are drunk or not. Put this guy in Anger Management pronto!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Strangerland,

Many foreigners take this to mean that there will be a lesser punishment, but according to my lawyer friend, this doesn't impact on the punishment one way or the other.

Interesting. I have heard something different from friends who are bengoshi. Well, at least historically, it was potentially a mitigating factor in non-drunk driving cases, depending on the circumstances. Something for me to revisit. Thanks for sharing what your lawyer friend told you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A widely understood common misconception that we all joke about on here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This part of your comment:

Drunkenness should not be an excuse that can be used to get a lesser punishment. And yet it is used frequently as a defence to plead for a lesser punishment.

They don't get a lesser punishment for being drunk, and it's not an excuse. What happens is that the police ask what happened, the suspect says 'I was drunk', and the police tell the media 'he said he was drunk'. Many foreigners take this to mean that there will be a lesser punishment, but according to my lawyer friend, this doesn't impact on the punishment one way or the other.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Strangerland,

Yeah, you both realize that that's not actually how it works, right?

With respect to my comment, what did you mean by that?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The perfect crime.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Of course - that just didn't come across as one.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@Strangerland

J.O.K.E.

You do realize what that is, right?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Does anyone ever complain how expensive it is to ride a taxi? I imagine he must have been pretty drunk and belligerent to do what he did ... it is not uncommon where alcohol is involved.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Back when political correctness wasn't such a big thing, people who were "really drunk" were in danger of walking into telephone books or falling down the stairs when locked up down the local nick. Reading stories like this makes me reminsce about the good old days.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yeah, you both realize that that's not actually how it works, right?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Oyaji: "I was completely off my head. I can't remember anything at all."

Police: "Ahhh…you were drunk (everyone has a good old chuckle) well that explains everything. Are you sorry?"

Oyaji: "I'm very very sorry…(deep bow) yes, very very sorry."

Police: "…and you won't do it again!?"

Oyaji: "No I won't! (but thinking to himself he probably will)……suckers!

Police: (To each other) "Okaaaaay…job done. Let's go and hassle some cyclists!"

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Noguchi was quoted by police as saying he was completely drunk and can’t remember being in the taxi.

All probably completely true, since it was 1:50 a.m.! However, it shouldn't matter. Drunkenness should not be an excuse that can be used to get a lesser punishment. And yet it is used frequently as a defence to plead for a lesser punishment. And with quite a bit of success, it would seem.

The only way behaviour will change is if judges start throwing the book at these people and society gets the message that drunkenness cannot be used as a defence for inexcusable behaviour.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

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