Asahi: Train-safety inspectors reeking of booze cause a buzz
Transport ministry inspectors reeked of alcohol while conducting safety-control checks of an East Japan Railway (JR East) train earlier this month, ministry officials said. A JR worker smelled booze on the inspectors during the safety checks on the JR Shinetsu Line, which runs though Niigata Prefecture. The odor was apparently an after-effect from a late-night drinking session the night before. JR East has demanded that the ministry ensure that its inspectors are fully alert, not hungover or drunk, on the job. The ministry is looking into the matter. "We are investigating the case. There is no rule saying that inspectors cannot drink the night before an inspection, but it is common sense to take reasonable action before important jobs, such as confirming the safety of trains," said an official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Railway Bureau...more...