When and How to Buy a Ticket

[whole diary]

[EBrown]

This is quite a simple and open ended set of questions which are mainly designed at present to stimulate some discussion on the idea of 'Buy Before you Board'.

I do know the correct answers to all of these questions for reference and will, after I see the response, be asking some comments that may, perhaps scare you slightly. Just as a hint, this will, eventually turn into a thread on legal issues.

1) When do I buy a ticket?

• When a ticket office is available
• When a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) or PERTIS^▸ (Permit to travel) is available (but a ticket office isn't)
• When only a TVM (card only) is available
• When all facilities (TVM, PERTIS and Ticket Office are out of (or not in) use)

2) What is an acceptable time to purchase a ticket at an intermediate station?

• There are very few trains to your final destination (say Melksham with 2tpd)
• There are frequent (half-hourly) trains to your final destination
• When only a TVM (card only) is available
• When all facilities (TVM, PERTIS and Ticket Office are out of (or not in) use)

3) Can you board the train when the queueing time is over an acceptable limit at a TVM?

4) What should happen to a child or someone considered vulnerable (elderly) who is caught evading their fare?

Off you go...

BNM (feel free to add anything you feel relevant at this point - we'll get onto the 'meat' later)

[grahame]

3) Can you board the train when the queueing time is over an acceptable limit at a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)?

Let me start the ball rolling:

Yes - if you explain the situation to the conductor / train manager before you join and get their agreement (e.g. "There's a long queue at the machine and I don't want to miss this train. Will you sell me a ticket once we get going?")