Street-Smart Chat: Bus Driver Fumble Leaves Him in the Red - Six Euros Costs him his Twelve Million Yen Pension
Bus Operator in Japan Filches Six Euro, Risking Retirement Benefits - Bus chauffeur pilfers six euros, resulting in loss of pension benefits.
Taking a bite out of your life's earnings for a measly six bucks? Sounds outrageous, right? Yet, that's the harsh reality a boisterous Japanese bus driver discovered. The Supreme Court of Japan rubber-stamped the decision - goodbye, a dozen million yen (slightly over seventy-four thousand euros) pension! But was this aggressive response fitting for a small suspected theft?
Let's rewind to 2022 - the bus driver embarked upon a casual, moral-bending journey. Guess how much he haggled to pocket from passengers that day? Six Euros, or roughly a thousand Japanese yen! Ever the reckless rebel, he shoved that dough into his pocket instead of chucking it into the register. But wait, his fingerprints weren't the only things all over this sticky situation!
A team of keen-eyes from the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau spied on bullseye footage from dashcams. You'd think that the driver, given the irrefutable evidence, would've cried "case closed," but no, he insisted he was as innocent as a newborn baby. Awww, poor thing, didn't stand a chance. The bureau was unmoved by his crocodile tears and kicked him to the curb.
Feeling the heat of dismissal, the driver sued the city, hoping justice would prevail and he'd get to keep his pension to fund his all-you-can-eat sushi habit. What happened next you ask? In 2023, the Kyoto district court threw out his lawsuit, gangster-style. Why? Easy-peasy-embezzlement kaboom! The Osaka High Court agreed, but last year, they put the brakes on - calling the punishment too excessive for such a petty crime.
But it ain't over till it's over - the Supreme Court of Japan called for an encore last week. And the verdict? The driver's shady behavior eroded the trust of the public, jeopardizing the whole bus system, and he forfeited his claim to the pension. The transportation bureau rubbed its hands together in satisfaction. "One wrong move, and our zero-tolerance policy leaves you hanging out to dry," they seemed to rejoice.
Sources: Mainichi, CBS News
[1] Mainichi. (2023). Japanese Bus Driver Loses Pension over Euro Theft, Kyoto Transportation Bureau Says https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230518/p2a/00m/0na/040000c
[2] CBS News. (2023). Japanese bus driver loses pension fight over stealing six euros: report https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japanese-bus-driver-loses-pension-fight-over-stealing-six-euros/
- Despite his desperate appeals, the Judges in Kyoto District Court, citing petty crime and an erosion of public trust, swiftly dismissed the bus driver's lawsuit to safeguard his pension.
- The Osaka High Court, after thorough deliberation, decided that the punishment handed down to the bus driver for stealing a mere six euros was disproportionately harsh.
- In the whirlwind of politics and general-news headlines, the bus driver's legal drama unfolds, highlighting the zero-tolerance policy of the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau towards crime and justice.
- Despite the Osaka High Court's intervention, the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Japan leaves no room for leniency, upholding the initial decision that strips the errant bus driver of his twelve million yen pension.
