An envelope with five NT$1,000 banknotes inside and a letter claiming the money was for “fare reimbursement” was received at the Cingshuei train station in Greater Taichung at the beginning of the month. The station chief, Hsiao Chien-chung, suggests that judging from the handwriting, it was probably written by a repentant female passenger who had taken the train without paying, and eventually felt pangs of conscience. Hsiao kept singing the praises of whoever sent the reimbursement because someone who becomes aware of their past misdeeds and eventually repents is worthy of praise.
The letter was delivered to the train station on the morning of June 4, but neither an address nor a name was written on the envelope. After opening it, NT$5,000 in cash was found wrapped in a piece of white paper upon which five Chinese characters were written: “Reimbursement of fare. Thank you.”
From the elegant and delicate style of the handwriting, the station chief surmises that it was written by a woman who took the train, but was unable to pay her fare, and even though it is all in the past now, she has decided to pay it in order to avoid censures of conscience.
Photo: Ou Su-mei, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報記者歐素美
Hsiao said he would like to let the passenger know that he thankfully received the money and that the gods will surely bless the person who sent it. Since serving as station chief here for four years, it is the second time a passenger reimbursed their fare by sending money to the station. The first time he received NT$400, and this time it was NT$5,000. The station will report the case to superiors according to regulations, and give the money to the Taiwan Railways Administration.
The station chief said that in the past, when more passengers were taking the train, it was easier for passengers to do so without paying. But with surveillance cameras everywhere monitoring the station now, inspections are more thorough, and “it’s gotten harder to take the train without paying.”
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
台中市清水火車站月初收到一封聲明「補車資」的信件,內附五張千元大鈔,站長蕭建中依筆跡研判,應是女乘客曾經逃票,現在良心不安寄回車資,知錯(過去不端行為)能改的作為,讓他稱許不已。
這封信六月四日上午寄到清水火車站,信封未註明地址、姓名,打開後有張白紙夾著五千元現鈔,白紙上僅寫著「補車資,謝謝」五個字。
從該信秀氣的字跡,站長推測可能出自女性手筆,應該是女乘客早期不得已逃票,事過境遷,返還車資以免良心譴責。
站長說,想向該乘客表示「收到了,謝謝」,「老天一定會保祐你的!」這也是他擔任清水火車站長四年多來,第二次接到乘客寄回車資,上回是四百元,這次是五千元,站方將依規定向上呈報,再交還台鐵處理。
站長說,早期搭火車的人較多,容易逃票,但現在到處都有錄影機監視車站,稽查比較嚴密,「很難免費坐火車」。
(自由時報記者歐素美)
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