[/floatr]Asahi: More found cheating JR trains using children's tickets
Penny-pinching adult passengers are increasingly purchasing children's tickets to save money on fares when using Japan Railway trains, officials say. In Saitama Prefecture alone, 170 people were caught by police last year for passing through automated gates at major JR stations without paying regular fares. The figure for this year reached more than 190 by the end of May. Many adult passengers were apprehended using children's tickets... The Saitama prefectural police plan to monitor activities at stations in cooperation with JR East with increasing frequency. When children's tickets are inserted into JR automated gates, lamps flash and electronic beeps inform station employees. But it is difficult to catch cheats when gates are busy, according to JR East officials. The stagnant economy appears to be one reason behind the increase, according to officials at the railway unit of the Saitama prefectural police...more...
