Train ticket machine gives back too much change in Nagoya

Tuesday 08th April, 05:20 PM JST

NAGOYA —

The Transport Bureau of Nagoya City on Tuesday said that several commuters at Hisayaodori Station got back 10,000-yen and 5,000-yen bills as change instead of 1,000-yen bills after a station employee mistakenly put the wrong notes in a subway ticket vending machine last Friday.

Authorities said the station lost about 250,000 yen over three hours and that only one passenger had returned the money, which was when station staff first found out about the mistake.

According to subway officials, an assistant stationmaster, 57, placed 10,000 and 5,000 yen notes in the space for 1,000 notes by mistake. The vending machine cannot detect differences in notes, the officials said.

Latest 15 of 21 Total Comments Show All

outofmydepth at 07:03 PM JST - 8th April

what do you mean the machine can`t detect different notes. they are all different sizes. just look. the 5,000 note is a little bigger than the 1,000 note and the 10,000 note is a little bigger than the 5. also, when i put in 10,000 or 5,000 i always get the correct change. sounds fishy to me.
conqueror_of_Uranus at 07:25 PM JST - 8th April

I think it means that the machine doesn't have the necessary sensors in the dispenser chute.
Sarge at 08:08 PM JST - 8th April

This reminds me of this drink machine in my office which dispensed two or sometimes three can drinks for the price of one! I reported it to the management which resulted in the continuation of this wonderful situation for several weeks!
pathat at 09:00 PM JST - 8th April

I wouldnt have returned the money. Id consider it my lucky day.
Wottock_Hunt at 09:27 PM JST - 8th April

I'd take it, spend it and buy another dozen tickets. If the railways have so much dosh, how come they can't afford a bar of soap for the gents'?
Bogi at 10:14 PM JST - 8th April

I'm surprised someone didn't milk the machine for all it's worth.

Oh, and once again, thanks Japanese news service for including that vital age information. 57 eh? Now the story makes sense.
J_rock at 06:59 AM JST - 9th April

I'm sure that most of the people who got the wrong change back didn't even notice. Most people in Japan don't check their change, they just assume it's correct and put it in their bags, pockets or wallets. I almost never counted it when I lived there, and I can't think of a single time that I ever got ripped off.
fireant at 07:26 AM JST - 9th April

soap for the gents'?

How about toilet paper first? I too am surprised no one bought a bucket load of tickets to get more 'incorrect' change. I assume it's because everyone is in such a hurry that the extra 10,000 or 5,000 or 100,000 isn't worth being a nanosecond late for work.
nisegaijin at 10:00 AM JST - 9th April

I would have immediately returned the money. Someone's job is at stake.

as long as it's not mine, I would keep it
google_yahoo at 02:47 PM JST - 9th April

Why one need to put 10000 Yen at all for giving change to customers ? If customer put 10000 Yen note the change will be always less then 10000 Yen.
Hughgarse at 02:50 PM JST - 9th April

awesome.. you`d just keep buying 160yen tickets with a 200 yen coin all day
regev at 03:36 PM JST - 9th April

It’s a shame the name (and age) of the poor guy who made the mistake is published instead of the name of the righteous man who returned the money.
notimpressed at 04:00 PM JST - 9th April

this happened to me at an atm at home once, it only put out twenty dollar notes. so ten bucks became twenty everytime. I was a student at the time, so you can bet I milked it for all I could.
Lolli at 11:44 PM JST - 9th April

Only the stationmaster's age was published.
WordsnCollision at 10:06 AM JST - 10th April

No no, it clearly states "an assistant stationmaster, 57". An odd name to be sure (and an odd number as well), but who are we to judge?