'No ticket' Ken escapes train fine

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

A train company has defended its decision not to impose a penalty fare on former London Mayor Ken Livingstone after he travelled without a ticket. Mr Livingstone could have faced a ^20 fine for not buying a ticket for his journey from London's Paddington station to Slough in Berkshire. But the First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) train company said it has accepted Mr Livingstone's apology and they were happy for him to pay the fare when he got to Slough.

An FGW spokeswoman added: "Mr Livingstone, like any other passengers, was given the opportunity to pay at the end of his journey - in this case, at Slough. When he got to Slough, Mr Livingstone approached a member of our staff, apologised and offered to pay before being asked. Our approach is to give passengers the benefit of the doubt before issuing a penalty fare. He said he was in a massive hurry and not obtained a ticket. We took the same approach with 10 other passengers who were on this train. There was no question of Mr Livingstone being given preferential treatment."

Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, told the Daily Mail: "It is utter hypocrisy. He has been let off just because he is famous. Other people using the same excuse have been prosecuted."

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) told the Mail: "This sends out the wrong message. It's a poor example to set."

See http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15185276

[willc]

Good job for Ken he wasn't on the Cotswold Line this morning - the RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) were out mob-handed at Moreton-in-Marsh. Three on the southbound platform checking everyone turning up for the 9.50 to London and then another one riding on the train itself, working with the guard, though we don't have penalty fares out here.

[Ollie]

It's a shame they fail to mention how the other 10 or so people who got off the train without a ticket weren't penalty fared either.

[inspector_blakey]

We took the same approach with 10 other passengers who were on this train. There was no question of Mr Livingstone being given preferential treatment."

?

They do mention that...

On a tenuously related topic, the Taxpayers' Alliance wind me up. I'm not quite sure why the apparently self-appointed Mark Wallace thinks he has the mandate to sound off on behalf of everyone paying taxes in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). Every single statement I have ever heard them make follows the tedious right-wing Daily Mail/Middle England/Richard Littlejohn to-hell-in-a-handcart bluster. Presumably he was speaking to the Daily Mail because they're the only paper prepared to print this sort of garbage. The frightening thing (as I think G.Uard has alluded to elsewhere) is that so many millions of people in Middle England read this tripe and take it as the gospel truth!

[Ollie]

We took the same approach with 10 other passengers who were on this train. There was no question of Mr Livingstone being given preferential treatment."

?

They do mention that...

I didn't read the link that Chris provided, made the assumption it would be the same as others I had seen. That's what I get for assuming..

[Zoe]

How did he get through the barriers at Paddington without a ticket?

[Ollie]

Not all platforms at Paddington have barriers.

Platform 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9 have no barrier, plus sometimes the overbridge is not staffed so possible to access 2,3, 4 and 5 also

[paul7575]

How did he get through the barriers at Paddington without a ticket?

With his all zones Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) travelcard apparently, IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) from posts elsewhere... So he needed a BZ6- Slough extension, that he wouldn't have been able to get from a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) anyway, but definitley should have organised before he travelled.

Off the main point I know, but I believe the 'big issue' for mainline TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) regarding Oyster & PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go) is the temptation to 'overtravel', as it is so easy to do. Pax with a zonal travelcard on Oyster will easily be able to travel beyond its validity to an ungated station (as they can now).  But with PAYG pax will also get a bargain fare if they enter a mainline terminus with a PAYG card (incurring the max fare deduction - ^5 for National Rail routes) then travel further than a ^5 single would take them, to an unbarriered station. Only an on train check outside zone 6 would prevent this, a grip in the zones wouldn't count.

Paul

[Btline]

Are they able to barrier stations like Paddington so that trains travelling first stop Slough or Reading depart from platforms whose barriers don't have active Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) Readers?

i.e. Have half the platforms with inactive oyster readers and half with active. (obviously, staff would have to be able to "activate" the unactive readers in case of a platform alteration)

This would act as a deterrent to people coming towards London, and would prevent those travelling away.

PS: Surely after Crossrail, all trains from the main platforms will be for destinations outside Zone 6, so the readers can be removed?

[Ollie]

Are they able to barrier stations like Paddington so that trains travelling first stop Slough or Reading depart from platforms whose barriers don't have active Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) Readers?

i.e. Have half the platforms with inactive oyster readers and half with active. (obviously, staff would have to be able to "activate" the unactive readers in case of a platform alteration)

This would act as a deterrent to people coming towards London, and would prevent those travelling away.

PS: Surely after Crossrail, all trains from the main platforms will be for destinations outside Zone 6, so the readers can be removed?

If a train left from Platform 2-5 then it would be okay, as the barriers on concourse there do not have readers.

[IndustryInsider]

As a slight aside I don't think you'll ever see barriers on Platforms 1 or 8 as they are public rights of way. Can anyone who works there confirm?

[plymothian]

As a slight aside I don't think you'll ever see barriers on Platforms 1 or 8 as they are public rights of way. Can anyone who works there confirm?

If you look at the station layout, all the facilities are located on Plat 1 plus a way out. Though it may be possible to put a glass wall barrier down half the platform.  Mind you it hasn't stopped NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia) barriering off the toilets at Norwich.  Likewise Plat 8/9 used to be the taxi ramp, and is now the interchange route between H&C, C,D&B Underground stations, but again it is wide enough for a wall to be built.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Don't pay your rail fare fines, says Ken Livingstone (who once led a crusade against the ticketless traveller)

Ken Livingstone is now urging train passengers not to pay 'rip-off' fines after himself being let off a ^20 penalty for travelling without a valid ticket.

He says passengers are being unfairly victimised to boost train firm coffers and has even offered his services to work with lawyers to help 'to defend any other innocent traveller who is a victim of these rapacious rail companies'.

The left-winger, who as Mayor of London vigorously targeted ticket cheats, was spared his own 'zero tolerance' approach by First Great Western staff. But instead of being grateful, Mr Livingstone has instead attacked the fining policies of First Great Western.

In a letter to the Daily Mail he denied trying to dodge paying his fare and insisted he was the victim of the train company's 'disgraceful record' of making its ticketing system deliberately difficult for passengers to use, simply to earn more income from its ^20 penalty fines.

See http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1164052/Dont-pay-rail-fare-fines-says-Ken-Livingstone-led-crusade-ticketless-traveller.html

[Super Guard]

Anyone now wish he'd been fined? 

[Btline]

My opinion of Ken (which was until a minute ago - high) has plummeted.

How on earth can he claim that it was "too complicated" to buy a fare?

Ken - here's how to do it: (1) Go up to the ticket office. (2) Ask for a single to Slough (3) Bob's your uncle.

he should be ashamed of himself, and should be prosecuted.