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JR East driver reprimanded for urinating from train at station

30 Comments

JR East has reprimanded a train driver who opened the door of his cabin and urinated onto the tracks at Sakura Station on the Sobu Line in Chiba Prefecture.

According to JR officials, the incident occurred at around 5:15 p.m. on Sept 12. Fuji TV reported that a commuter on the platform saw the driver open his side door and urinate onto the tracks while the train was stopped at the station. The witness reported the incident to station officials.

The driver, a man in his 50s, was quoted by JR officials as saying he didn't want to delay the train's departure by going to the toilet. He said he has done the same thing on a number of occasions before, Fuji TV reported.

JR East said the driver has been reassigned to another division and no longer operates trains.

The company said drivers are supposed to inform the control center in advance that they need to go to the toilet.

JR East issued a statement apologizing to passengers over the incident.

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30 Comments
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A plastic bottle in the privacy of his cab would solve the problem.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oh dear, he piddled on the nice shiny track. Send him to the back of the class.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

On a number of occasions on our visits to Japan we (my wife and I) have been confronted by the same thing. We believe this to be very primitive and discustine.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Disillusioned wrote: "What rubbish! He's in his 50's not his 90's!" ...... It seems you're not acquainted with problems caused by an enlarged prostrate. This condition isn't uncommon among men over 50. Bathroom visits increase in frequency though decrease in duration. If this is what led to his misfortune, it's better he be relieved as a driver rather than relieve himself again. ... The PET bottle is a good idea though I wish they made a wide mouth variety as eyesight tends to grow weak after 50.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If it were a yong woman driver would there have been a report?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When you gotta go you gotta go!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What do the women drivers do?

Obviously, they follow procedure and notify the station in advance. Or, possibly, because they are older than 12 they use the toilet before they leave.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The only issue the guy go caught and was reported on by customers. JR doesn't want people to think that it's ok to urinate on tracks ,at the same time, JR doesn't want any delays in transport; so official reprimand and a really short meeting with a wink.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What do the women drivers do?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If the guy has to use the bathroom often, then driving a train isn't right for him, and transferring him to another division (as they did) was the right thing to do.

But other than that, no big deal. 100% of the people on the planet need to urinate. Sometimes you just can't wait. A little understanding would go a long way here.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I wonder if he also pointed at the target location while doing it as a show of safety?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Surely this incident should cause JR East to reflect on its practice on giving breaks. If this one driver was routinely peeing out of his train, dozens of others must be tempted to do the same thing.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Plus, he is in his 50's so perhaps he needs to relieve himself frequently

What rubbish! He's in his 50's not his 90's!

6 ( +9 / -3 )

A Japanese manager once commented on my post-prandial habits (despite being in Europe at a high profile consumer brand), boasting that he did his business when he got up in the morning.

I can imagine the scale of psychological and ageist bullying in JR East.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

He wanted to be a taxi driver.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think we have become far too up ourselves and sensitive to nothing substantial if we are worried about this. Not just in Japan but all round the world, a train driver relieving himself on the tracks would have just been routine. We are so 'refined' these days, we don't realize how stifled we have allowed ourselves to become by regulation and unnecessary squeamishness. Time we got over ourselves and worried about the world's real problems. Sure as hell the world isn't going to end cos some poor bloke slashes on the tracks.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

How many hours had he been working w/o a break when this happened? Why are facilities not provided for drivers on trains?

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Fuji TV reported that a commuter on the platform saw the driver open his side door and urinate onto the tracks while the train was stopped at the station. The witness reported the incident to station officials.

Um... I can imagine it was so humiliating for the driver to have known that he was spotted urinating and ended up being reprimanded.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

JR's got quite the priorities! A guy gets suspended for merely putting his feet up for a second on the train, but a guy who urinates, in public, off the train on several occasions? a verbal warning. Never mind that he is committing a form of sexual assault by flashing people.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Anyways, when you gotta go you gotta go! But he said he had done it in the past as well. However concentrating on taking a quickie instead of the train isn't acceptable since they have replacements if you ask for it. He now owns the title of being fired as a train driver for one of the oddest offenses.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

So he should have gone in the cab? In his pants?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Men peeing in public was always a Japanese tradition. Not too long ago that I saw a guy doing it behind a truck, in Tokyo and in broad daylight. And he didn't appear drunk. So this doesn't surprise me.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Use a PET bottle my friend!

16 ( +17 / -1 )

I have grown immune to spotting these filthy buggers randomly having a slash whenever and wherever they want. It used to make me cringe but like most people just ignore it. I suppose that as the women only carriages are adjacent to the drivers and guards cars it must have been a woman who blew the whistle on this drip.

-10 ( +5 / -15 )

At least nobody put a video online.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Plus, he is in his 50's so perhaps he needs to relieve himself frequently so he didn't want to let the control center know. ("What?! You need to go again?!?")

@DebTok

That or something along those lines seems very likely.

The company said drivers are supposed to inform the control center in advance that they need to go to the toilet.

Sure, JR has a policy in place for public consumption, but I the driver doubtlessly knew that if he were to follow those procedures he would be guilt-tripped and put under heaps of pressure. He would surely be told it was his fault for drinking too much liquid before starting his shift.

I have seen this happen in Japan on very many occasions with respect to illness, where a person is unable to participate in an event after getting sick, and then are later chastised for having allowed themselves to fall ill because ostensibly they hadn't gargled sufficiently or taken other health precautions.

The witness reported the incident to station officials.

I hope this "concerned" citizen feels horrible about causing what effectively amounts to a demotion for this driver, who probably has a family to support and other life pressures.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Driver's room needs toilet/urinal inside. Drivers seem not easily go to restroom as long as trains run very puncturally.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

Whether in retail or manufacturing or transportation, actually whatever Japanese industry, time is of the essence. Japanese take pride in their punctuality, transportation especially, so I can empathize with the driver not wanting to delay precious minutes in making a dash for the restroom to relieve himself. Plus, he is in his 50's so perhaps he needs to relieve himself frequently so he didn't want to let the control center know. ("What?! You need to go again?!?")

20 ( +21 / -1 )

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