Man bites train conductor when asked to show ticket on Taiwan train

搭火車被驗票 男子咬傷列車長

Unruly passenger bites conductor after being asked to show ticket on TRA train in Pingtung, Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A man was arrested in southern Taiwan on Saturday (July 27) for biting a conductor and running away after being asked for his ticket.

As a TRA train bound for Chaozhou Station stopped at Liukuaicuo Station in Pingtung County on Saturday, a conductor found a man trying to avoid paying for a ticket. After chasing him down, the man bit the conductor, before police arrested him and recognized him as a repeat offender.

On Saturday morning, a conductor surnamed Ho (何) on the No. 3147 train bound for Chaozhou noticed a 51-year-old man surnamed Chuang (莊) had boarded the train at Liukuaicuo Station, which does not sell tickets, reported UDN. When Ho asked Chuang for his ticket, he scurried away and hid in a bathroom.

Ho notified railway police and continuously knocked on the door to no avail as Chuang had barricaded himself inside. When the train arrived at Chaozhou Station at 10:50 a.m., Ho finally managed to open the bathroom door, but Chuang bit Ho's arm and fled the scene, according to the report.

Ho then ran across the platform and jumped into southbound train No. 3513, where he hid inside. However, police were able to track down Ho and apprehend him.

According to local media reports, station staff have dealt with Ho many times in the past for evading paying fares. The Railway Police Bureau described him as a notorious "frequent passenger."

TRA Kaohsiung Transportation Branch Chief Chen Wen-chuan (陳文川) said that Ho had violated Article 71 of the Railway Act (鐵路法) and could face fines of between NT$1,500 (US$48) and NT$7,500. In addition, Ho has been transferred to the Pingtung District Prosecutor's Office on charges of assault (傷害罪).


Bite suffered by conductor. (TRA photo)