crime

Man arrested for assaulting taxi driver after refusing to pay fare

12 Comments

Police in Osaka have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of assault and robbery after he refused to pay a taxi fare and injured the taxi driver.

The incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Sept 3 in Chuo Ward, Kyodo News reported. Police said Shota Amamoto refused to pay the 680 yen fare and got out of the taxi. When the 32-year-old driver got out after him, Amamoto grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to the ground. The driver suffered a minor injury to his neck, police said.

A police patrol detained Amamoto as he was walking along a street in Joto Ward at around 10 a.m. that morning, after having been given a description by the injured taxi driver.

Police said that Amamoto was involved in a similar incident with another taxi driver about an hour before the assault case. They quoted Amamoto as saying he was drunk and has no recollection of either incident.

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12 Comments
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I wonder why they always use the drunk excuse. Is never gonna work nor will it ever hold in the court. They will still slapped you with a very heavy fine for refusing to pay and causing injuries.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

¥680? I can't see how it was worth the trouble for both parties.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

That was smart. 680 yen. That’s probably less than 2km. Idiot could have just walked if he had no money. And a 32yo taxi driver? Don’t think I’ve ever gotten in a taxi here where the driver is younger than 70.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

I will just tell him daijobu with a “tatemae” smile, let him out without paying, and then call the police.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

All this faff for the equivalent of £4? What a waste of everyone's time.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Being drunk may explain your actions. It does not however, excuse them.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I find it backwards when a passenger doesn't pay the fare it's the driver that gets beat up. It should be the other way around.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Claiming you are drunk and don't remember means that you don't have to show remorse or true regret for your actions, so it absolves the perp from having to go through a long-winded explanation of what they did, why they did it and shortens the "I'm sorry" duration.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

With the tax increase on alcohol, how about giving drunk people a ¥1000 Go Home To voucher for taxis?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Too bad they haven’t invented a service where you pay fares by phone app and it takes your money automatically.

oh wait, they have. But Japan nixed it…….

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Sadly that being "drunk" line, is quite tiresome. What's with it here in Japan ? Manga's using it ... why does everyone in Japan seem to use that to explain their troubles ?

A more sensible approach would have been, having had already flagged down, and gotten into a taxi, to pretend to look for his wallet, and tell the Taxi driver that, he's lost it - then they could go together to a Police box where he'll promise to pay the Driver once he's got the money.... that would have been more plausible, and sensible... though of course, he could have walked home too and that'd would have helped him "sober up" a bit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They quoted Amamoto as saying he was drunk and has no recollection of either incident.

There it is!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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