"Yeah, Just Kidding"... Reckless Teens Pretending to Pay Taxi Fare Then Running Away

Photo by Facebook page 'Jeonju Damalhae' screenshot.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A video showing reckless teenagers teasing a taxi driver while pretending to pay the fare and then running away has been released, sparking public outrage.

Recently, a lengthy post along with a taxi black box video was uploaded on the Facebook page 'Jeonju Damalhae'.

The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "I never thought I would report something like this," and added, "My father is a taxi driver."

According to Mr. A, at around 12:31 AM on the 1st, a male student got into his father's taxi in Hyoja-dong, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, and asked to be taken to the back gate of OO Middle School. About 17 minutes later, the taxi arrived at the destination, and the fare exceeded 10,000 won. However, the student ran away without paying.

Mr. A raised his voice, saying, "If he had honestly said he didn't have money, my father would have surely been considerate. Do you know how devastated my father was, working hard until dawn with a fragile body?"

Mr. A also explained that a friend of the student, who was waiting at the destination, pretended to take out a card and then ran away together. In the video Mr. A shared in the comments, the fleeing individuals can be seen saying, "Yeah, that's a lie (slang for falsehood)."

Regarding this, Mr. A emphasized, "The friend came out as if to pay, and the accomplice pretended to hand over a card, but they ran away together. They clearly look like students, but I will catch them no matter what."

He added, "Fortunately, the student was not wearing a mask and his face was clearly captured on CCTV, so this time we have reported it to the police. They acted like habitual offenders, hiding in the back seat as soon as they got in and trying not to appear on the front black box."

Furthermore, Mr. A said, "In these difficult times, committing fraud for an amount exceeding the minimum wage causes my father indescribable frustration and distress," and added, "Whether to proceed to the police station or come forward to apologize first is up to them."

Netizens who heard the news responded with comments such as, "This was a planned fare evasion from the start. Do not settle and punish according to the law," "Do not show any leniency. They seem to be habitual offenders," "Home education is urgently needed," and "A small thief becomes a big thief."

Meanwhile, under current law, fare evasion is considered a minor offense punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 won. Planned fare evasion is regarded as fraud and can be punished by imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.