Jobless Japanese man refuses to pay cabbie Rs 1 lakh fare

Tokyo: A Japanese man was arrested for allegedly cheating a taxi driver after having promised to pay when embarking on an 850-kilometre journey, police said yesterday.

Takafumi Arima, 26 and jobless, climbed into the cab in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, late Saturday and told the driver to go to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku in south western Japan, a Matsuyama police officer said.

Arima had allegedly said he would pay the fare upon arrival and the driver believed him, the officer added. But after driving for more than nine hours, the fare meter came to 2,70,000 yen (Rs 1,78,531) and Arima confessed that he had no money, the officer said.

"The driver then called police, which led to Arima's arrest," the officer said, adding his motive of the road trip was unknown.