A 21-year-old woman was attacked and robbed in Saitama City by a man with whom she was sharing a taxi early Sunday, police said.
According to police, after the two exited the vehicle at around 1:40 a.m. Sunday, the man choked the woman from behind and snatched her bag containing approximately 15,000 yen in cash. The woman's injuries were not serious, police said.
Fuji TV reported that the incident occurred in Midori Ward near JR Higashi-Urawa Station. The woman told police she and the man had been sharing a taxi from Omiya Station. The suspect approached the woman at the taxi waiting area and asked her where she intended to go. When she told him her destination, he said he was going there as well and suggested they share a taxi.
After 30 minutes, they arrived at their destination and the man paid the full fare.
© Japan Today
26 Comments
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SenseNotSoCommon
At the risk of victim-blaming, this is unbelievably gullible behaviour.
khulifi
Stupid lady ..
Wakarimasen
I wouldn't share a taxi in Saitama.
Kobe White Bar Owner
The Japanese are a very trusting people which they can be commended for, after all trust if build on consistency. But this trust will be abused by a small percentage of rotten apples, even in safe Japan.
Meiyouwenti
The culprit paid the full taxi fare and then robbed the woman of a bag containing 15000 yen. Did the crime pay?
Kansaikicks
Wonder what they talked about during that 30min ride?
Dan Lewis
@Meiyouwenti Looks like it. Still, pretty crappy move.
goldorak
Well said kobe. Douche bags taking advantage of particularly nice ppl is the reason why the latter are on the endangered species list.
Nice gesture, sad story.
Disillusioned
A 30 minute taxi journey is probably worth nearly as much as he stole. Hopefully, he will be nabbed quickly through surveillance cameras. And, women, please remember, stupid is as stupid does! Don't get in a taxi with stranger, especially in saitama.
Danny Bloom
There must MORE to this news story than meets the eye...
Vernie Jefferies
He will be caught easily. They have video surveillance inside all taxis.
smithinjapan
It's a shame, really, for reasons beyond the obvious fact that the woman was fooled, injured, and robbed. I always tell people here that they should carpool more often and that it should be mandatory during taxi shortages instead of everyone taking one cab and the rest having to wait a VERY long time, sometimes in the rain, when everyone is going the same way in many cases. This, however, is one of the reasons why people do not. One bad apple, I guess. I'm guessing the cab was not equipped with camera.
keika1628
Are you saying the people in Saitama are any different to the people to where you live?
badsey3
JT needs a separate heading for "Saitama Crime".
Japan T
"When she told him her destination, he said he was going there as well and suggested they share a taxi. At the risk of victim-blaming, this is unbelievably gullible behaviour."
No, just a product of hearing that Japan is "safe" for the twenty years she has been alive.
smithinjapan
keika1628: "Are you saying the people in Saitama are any different to the people to where you live?"
They seem to be... Saitama has made the news more in the past couple of weeks for crime -- and even the highest temperature! -- than other places, seeking to lead the records again. And no, I'm not "along shortly", I was already here, before your post. Instead of asking why, on each Saitama thread people come on and say "Saitama again!", and again it's been quite a bit of late, wouldn't it be more productive to ask, "Why Saitama?"
I think that's why Saitama people get so defensive... they know the "again" part is true. Good old Saitama. I DO hope this Saitama taxi had cameras in it, but I doubt it since we haven't read about it yet.
DaDude
If I were a woman, sharing a taxi with a man I never met after 1am would be on my not to do list.
smithinjapan
DaDude: "If I were a woman, sharing a taxi with a man I never met after 1am would be on my not to do list."
Like I said before, I am all for carpooling if need be, but man or woman, I wouldn't do it for someone who approached me out of the blue at 1:00 a.m. because it's likely just asking for trouble... and especially if there are other cabs around.
Wc626
Since the guy paid for the ride, he probably tried to hit on her and his advances were rejected. He prob had a few drinks in him too, so that's how he reacted.
Agree. Stupid girl.
Novenachama
Common sense is something we all have. And while some people probably have more than others, all of us occasion have been guilty of not using it. Don't get in the taxi cab with a complete stranger. If I don't know you I'm not getting in the car with you. I don't care what your race, creed or color is.
Wc626
Again. Stupid girl. Look at the circumstances. It's very late. Pretty long taxi ride. He was a stranger. He approached the girl at Omiya station and asked her where she wanted to go. Red flags everywhere.
Common sense is something we all have, but some people & societies are so warped.
Japan T
"Common sense is something we all have, but some people & societies are so warped."
Not when everyone around them are telling them over and over that Japan is Safe, that nothing bad can happen here. I teach at a female only college. Each year I give them a safety talk. It is rare that as many as a single student has ever been told about any dangers by anyone before myself. They are completely clueless about what can happen to them when they go out drinking with male students from their intercollegiate clubs.
They buy in to the myth that Japan is safe and have never given a single thought to their own personal safety. Why would they when are taught that they do not have to. Safety takes effort.
Spanki
He then paid for a taxi back to Omiya!?
Japan T
Asked a group of female Freshman university students this morning. None of the ten knew of this case, only three know of the case of the young woman who fell asleep on the train and was confined for two days by the guy who took her home and only three knew anything of the Kreis Tennis Club mass drugging case from a couple of years ago.
They do not read newspapers nor watch tv news. They are completly clueless and many seem content to leave them that way.
David Blue
I wonder if the arrangement was to split the fare? If the man intended to pay for the entire trip why would he ask her to come with him? Sounds like she was trying to rip him off but his actions are uncalled for. He should have called the Police and not attacked her.
Japan T
@DB
Hmmm, that is a possibility I didn't think of but does fit with what little is reported here.