I just want to say a very big Thank you to the ticket inspector on a train from Oxford to Paddington yesterday afternoon (departing Cholsey about quarter to 4).. I know this is the London Reading board, but it kind of is relevant..
My 14 year old daughter and her friend took their first trip to Reading from Maidenhead on the train yesterday.. All was going well till they tried to get back home but, being only 14, ended up on a train going to Oxford.. (I think I need to teach them better!
)..
I found out their mistake just before Cholsey and so they got off there and waited till the next train back.. Fortunately the situation didn't stress them out at all.. I did mention to her that if the ticket inspector came then they wouldn't have valid tickets (up till Reading), but to just explain what had happened, if necessary pay him the extra, and if it got nasty or scary, to phone me up and let me explain to him (and offer to pay etc etc)..
A ticket inspector turned up not long after they got on the return train.. However, once they explained what had happened, he said that was OK and let them carry on to Maidenhead..
Thank you to whoever it was!