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Men-only train cars sought in groping fears
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-19 09:45 TOKYO - Many women taking the crowded train in Tokyo opt for women-only carriages during the rush hour to avoid gropers. Now, for fear of being accused of groping, some are asking for carriages reserved for men as well.
Ten shareholders of Seibu Holdings, which runs trains in the Tokyo area, have petitioned for carriages reserved for men. "There have been many cases of groping, as well as false charges of groping, on Seibu Railway," the shareholders said in a notice seeking a vote at the company's annual meeting next Wednesday.
False accusations of groping were highlighted when Japan's Supreme Court overturned in April the conviction of a professor for groping a girl on a Tokyo train.
But the shareholder request for men's carriages may not be implemented, as Seibu's board of directors opposes the idea. "The reality is that we have few requests from Seibu Railway users for setting up male-only carriages," the board said in its reply to the shareholder request. In Tokyo, around 2,000 people were arrested for groping in 2007, data from the police showed. Many crowded train lines, including Seibu lines, designate a carriage just for women during the rush hour. |