Nature's call can be too hard to resist sometimes, and it's only fair given we are humans. However, for a Japanese bullet train driver, it was a dire emergency because of which he had to leave the cockpit unattended mid-journey.
The incident took place last weekend as the train carried 160 passengers at high speed along the busy Tokaido line, which links Tokyo and Osaka, The Guardian reported.?
It was said that when the driver abandoned his hot seat, the train was travelling at 150km/h.?
The 36-year-old driver, who has not been named, reportedly had a stomach ache and asked a conductor to take his place while he went to the toilet. The conductor, who is also facing disciplinary action, sat in the driver's seat, but did not touch any controls during the incident,?according to the Kyodo News Agency.
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The driver later apologized at a hearing,?saying his prolonged toilet break was the result of abdominal pain.?
He told the operator ¨C better known as JR Central ¨C ?that he hadn't stopped the train at the nearest station because he didn't want to cause a delay.??
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The driver might have got away with his unscheduled toilet break except for the fact that the train was subsequently one minute late, which prompted an investigation in a country where the?public transport system is famous for its efficiency and punctuality.?
Masahiro Hayatsu, a senior official of JR Central, which operates the train, apologised and told reporters the driver¡¯s actions had been ¡°extremely inappropriate¡±.
Japan¡¯s super-efficient shinkansen rail network connects cities along the length and breadth of the country, with trains reaching speeds of up to?320km/h.
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