Jul 17, 2022 (Japan Today) - According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, between March and November of last year, a 48-year-old man from Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture, made a total of 9,313 reservations on Romancecars, but with no intention of paying for them or riding.
Of those fraudulent reservations, about 90 percent of them were said to have be for observation deck seats which have more beautiful views and are generally more desired.
When police arrested the suspect, he admitted to the charges, saying that he was frustrated with his job and didn’t like the attitude of the conductors and crew of a Romancecar. His hobby was riding trains, but one time he became angry when other passengers were drinking and acting rowdy on the observation deck, but no staff came to tell them to stop.
As for how he managed to make so many unpaid reservations, Odakyu Electric Railway allows passengers to reserve a seat without paying for it up front. In the event no payment is made, the reservation is still held until 15 minutes before the train departs. Considering that Romancecars are more about the journey than the destination and only have reserved seating, the chances of someone appearing suddenly to claim a last-minute open reservation are very slim. ...continue reading
Source: ANNnewsCH
