Inspector asks where you're going?

chuckley
chuckley Posts: 4,405 Forumite
First Anniversary
in Public transport & cycling
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?
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Comments

  • geordie_taxi
    geordie_taxi Posts: 434 Forumite
    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
    Fares Advisor & Oyster Specialist - Newdeal/ukRail Fares Workshop Accredited
  • Andy_L
    Andy_L Posts: 12,786 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    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
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
    You of course don't have to speak to these people if you don't want to.
  • Marco_Panettone
    Marco_Panettone Posts: 641 Forumite
    Quentin wrote: »
    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)
    It's only numbers.
  • geordie_taxi
    geordie_taxi Posts: 434 Forumite
    Quentin wrote: »
    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.
    Fares Advisor & Oyster Specialist - Newdeal/ukRail Fares Workshop Accredited
  • rdwarr
    rdwarr Posts: 6,159 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker Photogenic
    Quentin wrote: »
    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?
    Can I help?
  • Quentin
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
    edited 24 February 2013 at 9:45AM
    rdwarr wrote: »
    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
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
    Marco_Panettone wrote: »
    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
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Quentin wrote: »
    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
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
    dzug1 wrote: »
    Why on earth not? It's in his interests to do so.

    No.

    You missed post #6.

    Retweeted:
    geordie_taxi wrote: »
    .....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.)
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