Norwegian assaults taxidriver $4 midnight surcharge in Singapore
BY ANDERS HOLM NIELSEN

SINGAPORE: -- A Norwegian man who grabbed a cabby by the neck, shoved him across a hotel lobby and hurled him into a lift, was jailed for six weeks yesterday.

All because Christian Myhrhagen Sindre, a ship charterer who earns $10,500 a month, had initially refused to pay the cabby a $4 midnight surcharge.

The 27-year-old was also ordered to pay compensation of $1,699 to part-time cabby Lee Chin Chye, 49, for his medical expenses and loss of earnings.

District Judge Eddy Tham, who called Sindre’s action “both shocking and deplorable”, said public transport workers must be protected against passengers who exhibit violence because they are drunk.

“The accused had behaved in a thuggish and violent manner,” he added. “This may be a one-off incident for the accused but that is clearly of little consolation to the victim, who had to work long hours in the wee hours of the morning and suffer indignity and trauma of being assaulted in public.”

On March 7, Sindre boarded Mr Lee’s cab at Marina Bay Sands to go to Grand Park Orchard Hotel, stopping at a fast food outlet along the way. The fare came to $12, which included a $4 midnight surcharge.

But Sindre paid only $8, saying “is it fair”, and left the cab.

Mr Lee, who works as a clothes supplier in the day, asked the hotel staff for help as Sindre had already gone to his room, said Assistant Public Prosecutor Lydia Goh.

Closed-circuit television footage then showed Sindre, who was wearing only boxer shorts and holding $4 in his hands, walking towards Mr Lee in the hotel lobby at 3.51am.

After he handed over the money, he grabbed Mr Lee’s neck with both hands. He shoved the cabby across the lobby, and then pushed him on his chest even as a security supervisor at the hotel tried to step in.

Sindre then hurled the victim towards a lift so hard that Mr Lee’s back hit the lift wall. The security supervisor separated the two men by closing the lift door.

Defence lawyer S. S. Dhillon claimed his client did not know about the midnight surcharge and felt cheated.

“He was firstly under the mistaken belief, albeit honestly believed, that the taxi driver was exploiting him for being drunk and a foreigner. He was exploited earlier,” he said.

But the judge said that while Mr Lee did the right thing in approaching the hotel staff for help to claim his rightful fare, “Sindre came down bare-bodied and attacked the victim without any provocation at all”.

For using criminal force, he could have been jailed for up to three months and/or fined up to $1,500.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for causing hurt.

Source:www.singaporelawwatch.sg

Source: http://scandasia.com/norwegian-assaults-taxidriver-4-midnight-surcharge-in-singapore/

-- ScandAsia 2013-04-30

Idiot. For 4 dollars, end up in jail and will probably be fired from his job.

Lucky chap, didn't get the cane then!!

Lucky he didn't pull that stunt in Thailand, especially Phuket or Pattaya, the cabbies would have all banded together and whipped his butt good and proper, cheap foreigners, drunk and disorderly. Good on the judge for being on the side of the hardworking ordinary dude. Obviously drunk and stupid with it, an action he will fortunately live to regret.

First class tool.

From Norway is he?

If all farangs in Thailand was like him, then the tuktuk mafia had gone back home to their rice fields.

We can all start to give the tuktuk drivers 50 baht and then we just walk away. If he comes after us we just throw him around in the loby of the hotel.

I LIKE IT

he should be jailed for many months and months of his salary too

Articles make me laugh. Up to $1,500 fine, which is why he got a fine of $1,699? And yes, stupid that he decided to fight over this. Considering he earns so much, I'm really surprised that he's that kind of person. Maybe just something about me, but when I'm in a host country (Thailand) I just roll over and argue for another day. I learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them, but I never cause a fuss.

The surcharge is normal in Singapore and differs between routes and time of day. But why do something like that for B 100?

Hi actions were shocking and deplorable; He should have done that to a Thailand taxi driver.

Articles make me laugh. Up to $1,500 fine, which is why he got a fine of $1,699? And yes, stupid that he decided to fight over this. Considering he earns so much, I'm really surprised that he's that kind of person. Maybe just something about me, but when I'm in a host country (Thailand) I just roll over and argue for another day. I learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them, but I never cause a fuss.

Both charges carried a fine

perhaps you need reading glasses

The money was not a fine.

"pay compensation of $1,699 to part-time cabby Lee Chin Chye, 49, for his medical expenses and loss of earnings"

Lucky he didn't pull that stunt in Thailand, especially Phuket or Pattaya, the cabbies would have all banded together and whipped his butt good and proper, cheap foreigners, drunk and disorderly. Good on the judge for being on the side of the hardworking ordinary dude. Obviously drunk and stupid with it, an action he will fortunately live to regret.

He would be dead now for sure.

From Norway is he?

Must be, I've lived i Norge 4 years and when the winter sets in, Great fun.

Wear your helmet!!

No dispute the Norwegian is an idiot, however in his defence, i have not seen mentioned anywhere that cabby informed him and showed him some legal document of a surcharge

Thailand should take a lesson from singapore in this case - AS WAS said above BUT if ThaIand became more like Singapore few would come here. I lived and worked in Singapore for 6 months (got to go HOME to Thailand twice a month) and it was one of the most boring places I have ever been. To me it is like British dressed up in Chinese suits all standing in a proper que making a soft "Baaaa" sound like a sheep. Told what to think and when to think by the Prepetual Action Party - right I really do NOT like the place. No excuse to get in a fight over S$4 however.

Lucky he didn't pull that stunt in Thailand, especially Phuket or Pattaya, the cabbies would have all banded together and whipped his butt good and proper, cheap foreigners, drunk and disorderly. Good on the judge for being on the side of the hardworking ordinary dude. Obviously drunk and stupid with it, an action he will fortunately live to regret.

But if he had his butt whipped good and proper anywhere in Thailand, the Thai haters would be out in full force condemning the attackers and saying once again what a s****y place Thailand is, that the farang is innocent and it's the Thai mafia that's at fault.

One just can't win.

Utter rubbish

I have been to Norway where a tip is required in establishments and which no one gives a toss about, but this thug deserves a longer sentence and the cane of you ask me. Beats a guy up over $4? As already said - what a tool.

No dispute the Norwegian is an idiot, however in his defence, i have not seen mentioned anywhere that cabby informed him and showed him some legal document of a surcharge

From memory, there is a sticker/notice in the cab.

Lucky he didn't pull that stunt in Thailand, especially Phuket or Pattaya, the cabbies would have all banded together and whipped his butt good and proper, cheap foreigners, drunk and disorderly. Good on the judge for being on the side of the hardworking ordinary dude. Obviously drunk and stupid with it, an action he will fortunately live to regret.

But if he had his butt whipped good and proper anywhere in Thailand, the Thai haters would be out in full force condemning the attackers and saying once again what a s****y place Thailand is, that the farang is innocent and it's the Thai mafia that's at fault.

One just can't win.

Utter rubbish

I rest my case.

No dispute the Norwegian is an idiot, however in his defence, i have not seen mentioned anywhere that cabby informed him and showed him some legal document of a surcharge

From memory, there is a sticker/notice in the cab.

Can not debate it, because i do not know. But if true, why would his lawyer use defence that he did not know about the surcharge.? Only makes me think there is no sticker.

NO doubt all Singaporeans know this, but tourist may not.

Not defending the idiot, as i said he was an idiot, just pointing out that he really may not have been aware and really believed it was a scam

I have been to Norway where a tip is required in establishments and which no one gives a toss about, but this thug deserves a longer sentence and the cane of you ask me. Beats a guy up over $4? As already said - what a tool.

There is not a single place in Norway where tip is required. Not one...

WB

What's the Norwegian word for 'muppet'?

Truly a moron, he makes $10,000 a month and is worried about paying an extra $4?!? Like another poster said, he may end up loosing his job.

The stupid **** drunk ********* do.

No dispute the Norwegian is an idiot, however in his defence, i have not seen mentioned anywhere that cabby informed him and showed him some legal document of a surcharge

From memory, there is a sticker/notice in the cab.

Correct. I've seen it and read about it in travel guides before my 1st trip to Singapore many years ago. Ignorance is no excuse as they say.

Hi actions were shocking and deplorable; He should have done that to a Thailand taxi driver.

this would have been totally out of order.The judge would have told the Norwegian that in Thailand it is the custom that the taxI driver beats up the customer and not the other way round.

From Norway is he?

What sort of stupid comment is this? If you don't believe he is Norwegian you should be stating what you believe and WHY

I've dealt with enough absolute <deleted> in that wretched swamp that I might just find such a $4 provocation excuse enough to thrash one of them. Suggesting Singaporeans are like sheep is a insult to all ovines everywhere. Useless tossers