Fare Evasion

[whole diary]

[John R]

I did no 2 this morning. Got on train at Swindon using my season to get through barriers as I was in rush, and as the train was pulling out sought out the TM^‡(resolve) to buy a ticket. He asked whether the barriers were open (but interestingly not why I hadn't bought a ticket), and when I explained what I had done he willingly sold me an off peak ticket to London. Common sense all round.

 

[Mookiemoo]

I did no 2 this morning. Got on train at Swindon using my season to get through barriers as I was in rush, and as the train was pulling out sought out the TM^‡(resolve) to buy a ticket. He asked whether the barriers were open (but interestingly not why I hadn't bought a ticket), and when I explained what I had done he willingly sold me an off peak ticket to London. Common sense all round.

 

Ah but some would say we're evading

I got done this morning

I got on at WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) with the intention of getting off at Reading to change to slough to go to work

Details removed but I had a toilet incident as we went through tilehurst and I was still attached as the train pulled out.................when I was free to move (I think we were at langley) - I could not find the TM or the ticket guy so I ended up at pad - went to the excess fares counter and got penaltied - fare cop - but really - 900+ a month for a season - proof Im working in slough.  Ironically I could have loitered and waited until the over bridge barriers shut off - but I  didnt - not me.

Oh hum.  Next time I'll just loiter until a slough train goes from a barrier platform - with wireless I can work from the platform

[Tim]

Barriers cut evasion full stop.

I am not sure that they do, if they lead to a reduiction in the number on on train checks which I reckon is what has happened on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network over the last few years

[TerminalJunkie]

I did no 2 this morning.

Thank you for that. I mis-read it, and now I have to clean the coffee off my keyboard

[Btline]

Thank you for that. I mis-read it, and now I have to clean the coffee off my keyboard

I got done this morning

Bad luck? What was the penalty fare? Did you try and explain?

[devon_metro]

I did no 2 this morning. Got on train at Swindon using my season to get through barriers as I was in rush, and as the train was pulling out sought out the TM^‡(resolve) to buy a ticket. He asked whether the barriers were open (but interestingly not why I hadn't bought a ticket), and when I explained what I had done he willingly sold me an off peak ticket to London. Common sense all round.

 

Ah but some would say we're evading

I got done this morning

I got on at WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) with the intention of getting off at Reading to change to slough to go to work

Details removed but I had a toilet incident as we went through tilehurst and I was still attached as the train pulled out.................when I was free to move (I think we were at langley) - I could not find the TM or the ticket guy so I ended up at pad - went to the excess fares counter and got penaltied - fare cop - but really - 900+ a month for a season - proof Im working in slough.  Ironically I could have loitered and waited until the over bridge barriers shut off - but I  didnt - not me.

Oh hum.  Next time I'll just loiter until a slough train goes from a barrier platform - with wireless I can work from the platform

Write to fgw and make a fuss. Compensation culture these days means they are potentally likely to do something as a goodwill gesture.

Threaten to drive!

[Oxman]

But first, follow the appeal procedure on the penalty fare. If that doesn't work, complain to FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

[cereal_basher]

I don't see you getting far complaining about that, You were legitimately Penalty Fared. No way of winning that one, you didn't have a valid ticket in a Penalty Fare zone. Rules are rules, and you broke them.
Barriers don't really cut on board ticket checks, they compliment them. Barriers can't tell valid tickets, and on board checks do still happen, the exception is HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s, but, I hate to say, it is often down to lazy staff.

[Mookiemoo]

I don't see you getting far complaining about that, You were legitimately Penalty Fared. No way of winning that one, you didn't have a valid ticket in a Penalty Fare zone. Rules are rules, and you broke them.
Barriers don't really cut on board ticket checks, they compliment them. Barriers can't tell valid tickets, and on board checks do still happen, the exception is HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s, but, I hate to say, it is often down to lazy staff.

Now, you see - that is the attitude that precisely sums up why jobsworths are loathed.

I did not want to go to london - in fact, the only reason I had to go through the barrier is that the next train BACK TO SLOUGH left from the other section of barrier platforms.  In fact - I'd have been quite happy to be escorted back through the other barriers!

I paid my fine - I have no intention of appealing - but:

why would someone who works in slough, pays ^900+ a month on a season, and is desperately trying to get back to slough be trying to fare dodge.

Its a bit like the checkout girl who ID'd me for alcohol when I was paying with a platinum amex.  I had no ID on me but she could not work out the login.  Either I'm over 25 (the age limit for said card but even without that, you cant get a credit card until you are 18) and this is a genuine credit card, or, I'm under 18 in which case call the police because I'm using a fake card or have stolen it. 

[Mookiemoo]

I don't see you getting far complaining about that, You were legitimately Penalty Fared. No way of winning that one, you didn't have a valid ticket in a Penalty Fare zone. Rules are rules, and you broke them.
Barriers don't really cut on board ticket checks, they compliment them. Barriers can't tell valid tickets, and on board checks do still happen, the exception is HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s, but, I hate to say, it is often down to lazy staff.

Now, you see - that is the attitude that precisely sums up why jobsworths are loathed.

I did not want to go to london - in fact, the only reason I had to go through the barrier is that the next train BACK TO SLOUGH left from the other section of barrier platforms.  In fact - I'd have been quite happy to be escorted back through the other barriers!

I paid my fine - I have no intention of appealing - but:

why would someone who works in slough, pays ^900+ a month on a season, and is desperately trying to get back to slough be trying to fare dodge.

Its a bit like the checkout girl who ID'd me for alcohol when I was paying with a platinum amex.  I had no ID on me but she could not work out the login.  Either I'm over 25 (the age limit for said card but even without that, you cant get a credit card until you are 18) and this is a genuine credit card, or, I'm under 18 in which case call the police because I'm using a fake card or have stolen it. 

P.S. What was I supposed to do - leave the kasi and produce a nasty mess for the cleaners to clean up - ok it would have proved my point!

If one really wanted to - I wonder what the papers would make of it.................passenger penaltied for unfortunately timed attack of the alex fergusons.  Penalty for being ill.

[inspector_blakey]

I suspect that being taken ill (putting things delicately...) and being accidentally overcarried actually might be good grounds for an appeal, although I don't know if it is possible to make an appeal if you have already paid the penalty fare in full. I don't know what the situation is these days, but in the past provision was always made, in the case of a passenger being accidentally carried beyond their destination (I guess through falling asleep or other cause), for the guard or ticket examiner to endorse their ticket, enabling them to alight at the next station and catch the first train back to their intended destination at no additional charge (this was certainly in the Ticket Examiners' Handbook around 1993).

[cereal_basher]

It indeed looks like you had a valid reason, fair enough, but s/he is not being a jobsworth penalty fareing you, they are doing their job.

[thetrout]

I made the mistake of when I boarded a train last week, was at an Unstaffed Station and got on the train (already had a ticket) and went straight into the toilet... Possible explainations for this:

1) Classic Fare Dodger Behaviour

2) Train station toilets weren't open and nearest public ones were over a mile away

I was covered on explaination 2... However the TM^‡(resolve) didn't quite believe me until I pulled out my valid ticket and railcard

[Mookiemoo]

It indeed looks like you had a valid reason, fair enough, but s/he is not being a jobsworth penalty fareing you, they are doing their job.

Which goes back to the heart of my issue with the current system - revenue is everything, no human intervention above tat of a drone, and screw the customer for everything because we're all fare dodging scroates

I'm not criticising the majority of the staff, more the system.

[vacman]

On the other hand how many different excuses do you think the gateline listen to every day?