Chinese Pig; Canadian Goat?

A Canadian teacher has been arrested for not paying his taxi fare.

Moreover, the driver claimed the expatriate insulted and threatened him:

The man, 32, jumped into Lam Chung-chiu's cab at the taxi stand outside the University KCRC station about 7am and asked to go to Sun Chui Estate in Sha Tin.

"Shortly after, he asked me whether I could reach [the destination] in 15 minutes. I told him that I would try," Mr Lam, 42, said.

He said the secondary school teacher then asked the cab to turn back.

"My English is poor. So I asked him to make sure whether I should drive him back to the station. And I was told to go back to the KCRC station," Mr Lam said.

"Before we reached the taxi stand, he [called] me a Chinese pig and stupid for not understanding what he had said."

When the cab stopped, Mr Lam said he asked for the $15 fare.

"He refused and he leaned over to the front passenger seat holding his fist tightly and threatened to assault me."

Something smells fishy.

I know the University station well, I go through it twice daily, and I've taken taxis from there numerous times. Most drivers are decent people who want nothing more than to make a living, but I've met the occasional surly cabbie.

And as a Canuck, I know Canadians are among the most polite people on the planet. To be fair, we have our share of jerks; yet it's hard to believe a teacher would use a term that sounds as though it came from a cheesy kung-fu flick.

Cue the chase scene:

Mr Lam said the man ignored his demand, then entered the railway station. Mr Lam followed him, called the police and sought help from two KCRC staff.

The teacher boarded a Sha Tin-bound train, and Mr Lam and the two KCRC workers followed him.

"When the train arrived at the Fo Tan station, the expatriate man was pushed out by other passengers when I told the commuters that he did not pay the fare and I had called the police," Mr Lam said.

The workers asked the teacher not to leave, but he ignored them and boarded another train. The trio again followed the teacher, who got off at Sha Tin station.

Police then arrived and arrested the teacher, who was released unconditionally last night.

In a follow-up article, the expat claimed the driver instigated the fracas:

"It is a farce. I am being raked over the coals and my credibility with my school and students is in tatters ... all because of one disturbed taxi driver. The term 'Chinese pig' has absolutely no meaning to me. It is not a term I would use. I swear on all that is holy that I said nothing derogatory to the man."

[ ... ]

The argument started when he decided to get out of the cab after travelling less than 100 metres, he said.

"I was in a rush. I decided the train was going to be faster. So I told the taxi driver I wanted to get out. He started calling me a crazy man. I threw the money onto the front seat because he was yelling at me and got out."

The driver hounded him into the railway station yelling at other passengers that he was a fare evader, he said.

"The crowd started pushing and shoving me, some KCRC staff grabbed me, they surrounded me like I was a thug. It was a nightmare. My work [colleagues] are being very supportive but the children have all read the reports in the Chinese press and it is a very difficult situation. I hope it all just goes away."

I don't believe the cabbie because his version of the story is less plausible. Had the teacher insulted him yet paid the fare, I might have accepted that.

As for threatening physical violence and petty theft, where's the motive?

I can't see the teacher risking his job for $15.

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