crime

Man abducted from taxi in Tokyo

25 Comments

Police in Tokyo said Saturday they are looking for a man who was abducted from a taxi in Setagaya Ward on Friday night.

According to police, the incident took place at around 9:30 p.m. in Ikejiri. The man, who is believed to have been in his 20s, was sitting in the back of a taxi that was being followed by a car and a motorbike, NTV reported. The rider of the motorbike suddenly stopped his bike in front of the taxi, blocking its path. Then a group of five men smashed the taxi's rear window and dragged the passenger from the taxi, the driver was quoted as saying. The passenger forced into the car and driven away.

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25 Comments
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I guess I have to assume that the taxi didn't collect his fare.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

car and motorbike? woo big spenders... they have a big budget!

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Sounds like a pretty good assumption.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

so movie-like...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Another way to avoid paying for taxi fare?

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Wow, what's going on here? That's frightening. Hoping for the best..

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Sounds a lot like the disco murder in Roppongi recently... probably a similar story.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Sounds like the taxi driver was timid and lame. He chose neithier fight nor flight.

He could have been heroic and used his taxi to run over (or at least disable the bike, and smash into the other car, maybe even killing or injuring some of the attackers in the process.

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

Sounds like the taxi driver was timid and lame.

Looks like you have been watching too many movies.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Looks like you have been watching too many movies.

That sounds like a promotion of passive cowardice. His cab was under attack.

The scenario is not clearly described, but it would seem that there would have been nothing to stop the taxi driver from throwing the car in reverse and stepping on the throttle, and then throwing it into low gear and running over the bike, for example.

But sadly, you're probably right, the world is increasingly full of passive drones--maybe they watch too much TV.

And that is probably partly why organized crime groups have been making such bold attacks in public.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

That sounds like a promotion of passive cowardice.

No, it is an attempt at a shot of reality. It is obvious you have never been under the situation the driver found himself in. Running over the bike? And if he got stuck on the bike after that? If the men in the car had weapons? Sorry, reality is nothing like the Hollywood movies you are trying to make it out to be and human beings react as humans do, not like action heros or stuntmen.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

By the way, the police found the abducted man and arrested two of the underaged assailants.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The scenario is not clearly described, but it would seem that there would have been nothing to stop the taxi driver from throwing the car in reverse and stepping on the throttle, and then throwing it into low gear and running over the bike, for example.

Wow, you're serious? The taxi driver is a coward because he didn't suddenly spring into action, performing some crazy Hollywood movie stunt by driving over a motorbike while under attack from a group of armed men? A stunt that probably would've also gotten him fired and/or arrested? And they were certainly armed, unless one of them nutted out that window with his head.

Normal people don't go about their work or daily lives ready to defend themselves from attackers at the drop of a hat. Hindsight may be wonderful, and we'd all love the ability to pull off a stunt-filled high speed pursuit & a bunch of crazy kung-fu moves should a gang of ne'er do wells suddenly rear their inbred little heads, but none of that has any connection with the simple reality that the average person, let alone the average Tokyo taxi driver, is most definitely not Jackie Chan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sounds like the taxi driver was timid and lame. He chose neithier fight nor flight. He could have been heroic and used his taxi to run over (or at least disable the bike, and smash into the other car, maybe even killing or injuring some of the attackers in the process.

If a gang of thugs suddenly burst out of your closet right this second, shouting and swinging weapons, no doubt you would also be to shocked to fight back or flee.

On that note, as for running over and even killing the attackers, please think with your logic and not with your emotions. It's not the same as some places in the world where home owners can legally kill intruders. As satisfying as it might be, you can't go around killing people because they stopped a motorbike in front of a car or smashed a window. Not to mention that Japanese judges and prosecutors are just looking for excuses to lock people up. If that taxi driver had pulled some destruction derby stunt in the street and killed a couple of suspects, he'd probably get the rope. At the very least, he'd never walk the streets again. Like it or not, he did the right thing by doing nothing.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Normal people don't go about their work or daily lives ready to defend themselves from attackers at the drop of a hat.

Like I said, passive drones.

On that note, as for running over and even killing the attackers, please think with your logic and not with your emotions.

In this case, I think the term instinct would be more accurate than "emotion".

As satisfying as it might be, you can't go around killing people because they stopped a motorbike in front of a car or smashed a window.

Satisfying? Don't be ridiculous. It's called self defense.

Not to mention that Japanese judges and prosecutors are just looking for excuses to lock people up. If that taxi driver had pulled some destruction derby stunt in the street and killed a couple of suspects, he'd probably get the rope. At the very least, he'd never walk the streets again. Like it or not, he did the right thing by doing nothing.

The attack was premeditated and involved vehicles and potentially lethal force and 6 attackers. I would have run over as many of them as necessary to secure my safety. There is no criminal culpability in any of that, even in Japan.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

The attack was premeditated and involved vehicles and potentially lethal force and 6 attackers. I would have run over as many of them as necessary to secure my safety. There is no criminal culpability in any of that, even in Japan.

Yeah, no.

There is no legal right to self-defense in Japan, and the taxi driver himself wasn't even attacked. Running over any one of those guys (if even possible) would result in a very lengthy prison sentence, termination of employment and a lifetime of debt. Maybe even worse things.

And let's face it, had you been in the same situation as the taxi driver, you would have done the same exact thing, regardless of what the law says.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There is no legal right to self-defense in Japan

On the basis of what law have you made that assertion?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

On the basis of what law have you made that assertion?

Japanese law. Read up or you'll find yourself locked up. Don't assume laws from your own country apply in Japan. They don't.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@slumdog

That's not an answer, but a smoke screen evasion, and the question wasn't even directed to you.

You seem to intend to impart the impression that you are knowledgeable about Japanese law, but you don't cite a law.

Try looking up the English translation of the criminal code.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Read article 36 of the Japanese penal code. You have to show that you had no choice in your actions. What law are you basing your theory on? You started the claims, remember. Don't you think you are the one that should back them up?

Japanese are not required to follow an English translation of the law. They are required to follow the Japanese version. Read or have someone translate it for you. Unless you can show this man had the right to run over the assailants, you should back off.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

ubiquit:

" Sounds like the taxi driver was timid and lame, He could have been heroic and used his taxi to run over (or at least disable the bike, and smash into the other car, maybe even killing or injuring some of the attackers in the process "

Sounds like you live in a Hollywood world.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Unless you can show this man had the right to run over the assailants, you should back off.

You've been trapped by two vehicles and 6 people are attacking you with baseball bats. I don't think that there is a judge in a court anywhere on the planet that wouldn't be in accord with a defendant who perceived life and limb threatened by those actions and taking the only countermeasures at hand in putting the pedal to the metal to extricate oneself from the situation.

Sorry, but I find your positions untenable. Though I can't say I would have been alert enough to react in the manner I would deem appropriate, any other intentional reaction would be unconscionable the way I see it. That's not Hollywood, that's the real world, and could be difference between life and death.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

By the way, the police found the abducted man and arrested two of the underaged assailants.

You have a link for that?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I don't think that there is a judge in a court anywhere on the planet that wouldn't be in accord with a defendant who perceived life and limb threatened by those actions and taking the only countermeasures at hand in putting the pedal to the metal to extricate oneself from the situation.

You have to prove you had no other choice, especially if you kill the assailants. Japanese law, and more specifically Japanese judges have no time at all for vigilantes. You keep bringing your own culture into this and it just does not wash. Life is not a movie.

Though I can't say I would have been alert enough to react in the manner I would deem appropriate, any other intentional reaction would be unconscionable the way I see it. That's not Hollywood, that's the real world, and could be difference between life and death.

Well, you do not know how you would react until you are in that situation. Perhaps you should give the taxi driver and the rest of society that does not resemble your Hollywood version of the world some slack.

You have a link for that?

Yes, although I question why you would still need it three days later.

http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ann/news/web/html/221130059.html

2 ( +2 / -0 )

the driver was quoted as saying. The passenger forced into the car and driven away.

And you stood there and watched...?

As worthless as a JCop...

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

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