Ticket controller beaten up in Budapest – Aggressive passenger faces up to 7 years in prison
A violent passenger attacked a ticket controller in Budapest. The offender was travelling without a ticket, and instead of paying the surcharge, he started harassing the controller.
It was just like any other day, people getting on and off the trains to get to work or go home. However, when a 28-year-old man got on a train at Nyugati Railway Station without a ticket, things took an ugly and unexpected turn.
Read alsoHungarians do not buy train tickets – MÁV constantly gets billions from them
The man allegedly wanted to buy his ticket on the train from the ticket controller, which is still possible on many routes all over the country, but for that particular train, you could only buy tickets in advance. The ticket controller informed the passenger that if he has no ticket, he has to either pay the surcharge or get off the train. The passenger immediately got mad and started shouting and attacking the ticket controller, hvg.hu reports. The man started screaming and pushing at first. Then, both he and the controller got off the train at Zugló Railway Station, District XIV.
As the offender was uncooperative, the ticket controller called the police. Then, the defendant shouted at him and started punching him in the face and kicking him on the thighs and ankles several times. He even managed to break the man’s bone.
The incident happened on 15 April 2018 in District XIV, Budapest.
The XIV. and XVI. District Prosecutor’s Office has charged the offender with violence and grievous bodily harm against a man on public duty. Without a trial, the court sentenced the offender to two years in prison, suspended for four years. The district prosecutor’s office requested a hearing against this order because, in its view, the offences and their circumstances warrant a longer sentence to be served. The offences are punishable by one to seven and a half years in prison under the law.
Source: www.hvg.hu
2 years suspended ???? I thought this only happened in England….
The passenger never should have gotten violent, but it seems strange that you can buy tickets on some trains and not others.
Conditions of Travel – are quite clearly exhibited on Public Transport in Hungary.
It surprises me, this disgusting behaviour by the passenger, of Hungarian birth ?, if this was the case, he should have know or been aware of the Conditions of Travel.
Liability quite clearly comes back to you, the traveler, that if you do not abide by the conditions of travel outlined, or the circumstances that this vile situation refers, the surcharge rightly has to be paid.
” Do the Crime – Pay the Time ” – but this unacceptable event in a public place, on a public mode of transport, the question should be asked – was the rulings and findings through a magistrates hearing one that Justice was witnessed to be seen through the process of Law ?
This is reminiscent of Failings in my years in the Legal Profession in Australia, the go softly approach by Magistrates, that ruled passively, and Failed to recognize, the high statistical numbers that would re-appear before them in time, and that by there passive decisions in fact, literally they where doing quite an injustice to the Law and Society.
Stay Well – ALL.
Not at all condoning the mans actions but I think ALL public means of conveyance should be MANDATED to allow passengers to pay cash on the train or bus if they don’t have a prepaid ticket or code on their smartphone. Some folks like myself DO NOT have smartphones (I have vision difficulties due to cataracts) and the trend towards a cashless society are hurting and leaving behind the elderly and handicapped. I don’t use the rail or bus because trying to book in advance without a smartphone is just about impossible when your at a rail station. The rush to technology is leaving behind passengers and hurting ridership.