At about 5 p.m. on 7 October, a train was stopped at Otaru Station, when a passenger spotted the driver reading a book and reported it to the company.

This was a “local” train, meaning a train that stops at all stations along a line, as opposed to an “express” train, which only stops at major stations. Because of this system, sometimes local trains will stop for extended periods of time at lesser-used stations while express trains get the right of way to zoom through. In this case, the train was scheduled to wait at Otaru Station for eight minutes before setting off again, so the driver decided to kill some time with a book.

Not only that, but the book he brought in to read was about railways. The driver admitted that he had done so before in the past too, and that he takes the opportunity to relax for a moment when he has the time. No incidents or delays occurred as a result, but JR Hokkaido apologized for the concern it caused among passengers.

Readers of the news online were largely defending the driver in their comments and condemning the person who tipped off JR Hokkaido about the reading. However, there were a few who felt what the driver did was inappropriate for a workplace.

What an absolute, unnecessary dickhead.