Catching fare cheats or what?

I'm a person who takes the public bus maybe about 10 times or so in a year, so what are the chances of me meeting a bus inspector? Very low, right? And how many would I meet today? Not one, but THREE!

After sending the car in for servicing, got on the bus and lo and behold, there were TWO on that bus. After a bit, they got off and at the next bus stop, lo and behold again, there was yet another bus inspector. He didn't get on but he was standing there peering at the upstairs of the bus in this really disgruntled fashion. What was he looking for?

They must be taking this fare cheat thing very seriously.

Comments

Anonymous said…

ECONOMICS 101

This means that public bus companies now need more bus inspectors than before. This is GOOD NEWS for those over 40 who have been finding it difficult to find jobs. Hurray!

But then....

With more bus inspectors needed to be employed, this means operating cost increases. Will there be another fare hike????

9:42 am

Anonymous said…

I think yes because they will want to cover the $9 million loss. And also, the cost of improved systems to spot, catch or hinder cheats.

11:07 pm

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I realise I didn't give the context of Totto-chan's story, so here it is: Mr Sosaku Kobayashi, the headmaster, started Tomoe Gakuen in 1937. Totto-chan was in school during the WWII years and the school was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids, before she completed elementary school. Here is something from the last chapter, entitled 'Sayonara, Sayonara!' "The school that had been the headmaster's dream was enveloped in flames... In the midst of it all, the headmaster stood in the road and watched Tomoe burn... 'What kind of school shall we build next?' he asked his university-student son Tomoe, who stood beside him. Tomoe listened to him dumbfounded. Mr Kobayashi's love for children and his passion for teaching were stronger than the flames now enveloping the school. The headmaster was cheerful." Indeed, a man ahead of his time. The school was never re-built, and Mr Kobayashi passed away in 1963. In her postscript, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi explained ...

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