Inspector asks where you're going?

[chuckley]

On a Southern train and inspector asks for tickets and I pull out my oyster card but she didn't have a reader...

'You have oyster?'
Yes
'Where are you going?'
Croydon

-she walks off-

What was the point of her question? Clearly I was getting off somewhere along the route so why ask?

Why even bother to 'check' tickets if she kind of can't?

[geordie_taxi]

a well known scam at the moment on a par with the fake east european season tickets that r doing the rounds of london

according to a rumour I heard in the local bookies told to me by a man in the know whos second cousin is married to an inspector theres a shortage of portable oyster card readers and fare dodgers r exploiting this by presenting oyster cards when challenged. as the revenue blokes have no way to verify the validity of the oyster card its free travel time. nice scam but it wont last long

[Andy L]

I suppose you might of panicked if you were a fare dodger & said a station outside oyster coverage or if you'd looked/sounded a bit shifty she'd of given Croyden a warning to look out for you or looked out for you after Croyden

[Quentin]

You of course don't have to speak to these people if you don't want to.

[Marco Panettone]

Originally Posted by Quentin

You of course don't have to speak to these people if you don't want to.

You do have to show them tickets (or Oyster card) though (Oyster Conditions of Use on National Rail Services: 3.2)

[geordie_taxi]

Originally Posted by Quentin

You of course don't have to speak to these people if you don't want to.

and the only speaking u have to do is to answer the following questions 'wot ur name?' and 'wots ur address?'

answering any other questions is how unsuspecting/unlucky passengers end up in trouble and having to settle out out of court. i suppose thats wot the train companies wants as it boosts profits and lines the shareholders pockets.

[rdwarr]

Originally Posted by Quentin

You of course don't have to speak to these people if you don't want to.

Other than being a miserable sociopathic git (or a criminal), why would not you want to speak to somebody, especially if it helps them do their job?

[Quentin]

Originally Posted by rdwarr

Other than being a miserable sociopathic git (or a criminal), why would not you want to speak to somebody, especially if it helps them do their job?

Nothing to do with being a "git".

Just sound advice on the op's rights!

And the paying passenger certainly has no need to "help them do their job"!

[Quentin]

Originally Posted by Marco Panettone

You do have to show them tickets (or Oyster card) though (Oyster Conditions of Use on National Rail Services: 3.2)

The op did show his card.

But didn't have to speak his destination!

[dzug1]

Originally Posted by Quentin

And the paying passenger certainly has no need to "help them do their job"!

Why on earth not? It's in his interests to do so.

[Quentin]

Originally Posted by dzug1

Why on earth not? It's in his interests to do so.

No.

You missed post #6.

Retweeted:

Originally Posted by geordie_taxi

.....answering any other questions is how unsuspecting/unlucky passengers end up in trouble and having to settle out out of court. i suppose thats wot the train companies wants as it boosts profits and lines the shareholders pockets.

(It's not the passenger's concern that the hector hasn't got a card reader on a train where oysters are quite acceptable.)

[duchy]

As the train was presumably serving stations beyond the Oyster area (eg Brighton, Gatwick, Bedford etc) it was a perfectly reasonable question .

Not sure why it got your knickers in such a knot TBH

[Quentin]

It may be "reasonable", but you don't have to answer it!

[barbarawright]

Originally Posted by Quentin

Nothing to do with being a "git".

Just sound advice on the op's rights!

And the paying passenger certainly has no need to "help them do their job"!

Because you've bought a ticket so the ordinary rules of good manners don't apply to you? Bet you're a real charmer in your own job.

[Quentin]

Nothing to do with manners.

(Why the unnecessary personal abuse?)

This thread was started after the op came against an ill mannered hector!

Hector's are not known for their manners anyway, but by answering unnecessarily you give away your rights.

They are supposed to be checking the card has been swiped in, and it's not the passenger's fault if they cannot!

[geordie_taxi]

Originally Posted by barbarawright

ordinary rules of good manners don't apply

lol good manners thats a two way thing wot with the grunts and disdain i have received in the past from train staff i can understand why lots of people dont want to enter a conversation with them

[Rail Staff]

Quite a lot of the time checking tickets is about more than just revenue, not all parts of the train go to all the stations, and at some stations not all the train doors open. Sometimes I am checking tickets and also ensuring people are in the right parts of the train for where they are going. It is your perogative to ignore me if you wish but if such behaviour results in you getting stranded or going somewhere you don't want to go then you have only yourself to blame.

[Marco Panettone]

Originally Posted by Quentin

Nothing to do with manners.

(Why the unnecessary personal abuse?)

Hector's are not known for their manners anyway, but by answering unnecessarily you give away your rights.

They are supposed to be checking the card has been swiped in, and it's not the passenger's fault if they cannot!

What 'rights' are you 'giving away'? Can you point me in the direction of any credible source to back this thought up?

[Quentin]

Originally Posted by Marco Panettone

What 'rights' are you 'giving away'? Can you point me in the direction of any credible source to back this thought up?

I point to post #6 as why you shouldn't give away your right of silence.

And why would you have the right not to speak to a policeman but have to do so to a hector without his oyster card reader?

[Marco Panettone]

#6 doesn't give any details of this situation ever occuring. I doubt anyone that has been travelling legally, and answered honestly has had to 'settle out of court' for anything. I can't even think of any question that could be asked that could lead to court action based on the answer given!

Can you enlighten me?