Expectation and perception of crime and disorder events in railway stations in Tokyo

Abstract

This article assesses the expectation and perception of crime and disorder events experienced in railway stations in Tokyo, Japan. Two types of questionnaires are used in the analysis: one includes questions about the expected frequency and unpleasantness of events passengers might encounter at the station, and the other comprises questions about how often passengers experienced such events and how unpleasant they were. The methodology was based on the linear mixed regression model. The findings show that the differences between the expected and experienced unpleasantness were significant when it came to rare events. The results also indicate that the experienced frequency of the event was a significant predictor of the unpleasantness of the event. The article concludes with suggestions to improve users’ comfort in railway stations.