"Heartbroken" Fare Dodger

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Jilted Japanese man arrested after 500 km taxi ride
A Japanese man depressed after his girlfriend dumped him was arrested for failing to pay for a 500-kilometre taxi ride back to his home town, police said Friday. Jobless Kazuhisa Mashiko, 23, was arrested after he refused to cough up the 367,000-yen fare for the eight-hour ride across Japan. "I wanted to go back to my home town, because my heart was broken by my girlfriend," he told officers in his home town in Ibaraki prefecture, according to a police official. But police were skeptical. "He said he took the free ride because he was dumped by his girlfriend but it just seems like an excuse to defend himself," the official said. He boarded the taxi Sunday evening in the western city of Himeji in Hyogo prefecture and went all the way to Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo. He eventually agreed to make amends after the taxi driver went to police, who took Mashiko into custody. "I will pay the taxi fare through borrowing money from friends," he said tearfully, according to police.

The taxi driver should have known what kind of job he was taking on so he really ought to have checked to see if the guy had the money to pay before he set off.

[kusai Jijii]

The cab driver should be charded with theft. Any cunt who agrees to drive someone 500 kms in a taxi for close on 4000 bucks is clearly taking advantage of the mentally ill.

[IkemenTommy]

You can usually bargain with the taxi driver for a flat fee before the meter starts.

[Mulboyne]

ZakZak reports (Japanese) a similar case involving a 1000km Tokyo to Fukuoka journey. The bill was 359,230 yen which appears to be cheaper than the 500km trip in the first story. The passenger only had 200 yen on him but denies he was refusing to pay.

[james]

these people should look into booking flights. i think even in japan it'd be cheaper.

[Mulboyne]