SW Trains - treated like a terrorist!

rob69uk

So let me get this right,you board a train with no ticket and refuse to buy one when asked,then delay thousands of other passengers on other trains as well as people on your train.
Good job there aint to many people like you around the country would grind to halt every day.

asbokid

There seems to be a spate of nasty experiences with South West Trains. To understand why, perhaps it's a case of following the money..

South West Trains is in a financial mess.. What was once a highly lucrative rail franchise is haemorrhaging money following a large drop in passenger numbers due to the recession.

Stagecoach, the parent company of SWT, is now demanding that the government (i.e. the taxpayer) must pay it to run the franchise between the south coast and london waterloo!

One in the eye for the sticky-fingered free market economists who claimed that rail privatisation would save the taxpayer cash.

Other rail operators are in trouble too. There is talk of the government nationalising the East Coast Mainline franchise, currently owned by National Express.

And why not? I've always hated National Express, so have no grievance with that!

And while they are at it, embarking on an FDR-inspired New Deal programme, let's nationalise the whole rail network, let's reverse the Beeching closures, and let's see British Rail trains calling at Adlestrop once again!

surreysaver

sunshinetours wrote: »

common sense (on all sides) would indicate that you pay a penalty fare and complain and then get it back later.

But then that assumes you are guilty. Bit like paying a parking fine then appealing. And if you loose, you've lost you money. If you are in the right, be better to let them take you to court and then have a field day in media.

robt_2

surreysaver wrote: »

But then that assumes you are guilty. Bit like paying a parking fine then appealing. And if you loose, you've lost you money. If you are in the right, be better to let them take you to court and then have a field day in media.

They were guilty though, it is a black and white case.

surreysaver

robt wrote: »

They were guilty though, it is a black and white case.

I know that case was. I meant automatically issuing a penalty fare for avery passenger without a ticket.

is_there_no_justice

I have been told I have to pay a penalty fare of £20 (and my appeal has been rejected) because while dragging heavy luggage out of the house and onto a train my travelcard got knocked out of my pocket. As soon as I realised I had lost it I got off the train and immediately sought the first official looking person I could find and asked to pay the fare again. I was treated despicably as if I was a criminal and an outright liar but eventually told that if I found my ticket and could prove I'd paid I could then appeal against the penalty. They gave me the penalty fare notice and also sold me a new ticket for my onward journey. My original ticket was found within an hour and I also have a receipt for it where I bought it. But apparently the appeals people won't accept it - my offence is not seeking to avoid payment, nor travelling knowingly without a ticket (I obviously didn't know I'd lost it when I got onto the train) - my offence is letting it drop out of my pocket while struggling to get on the train with heavy suitcases - very very careless of me according to SouthWest trains!!! The fact I've already paid for two identical tickets is irrelevant. In effect I've been penalised more than the real fare dodger because they'd only be paying the penalty. I have to pay the £20 penalty and I've paid for two legitimate tickets (which I still have at home to prove it). It's not even as if I couldn't wait to buy a ticket (apparently that's allowed in some cases). I DID BUY A TICKET and I did everything according to the book, but I'm now treated like a criminal because in my struggle to carry heavy luggage I didn't notice the cases had caught on my pocket and my ticket fallen out. I can understand that they need to charge a penalty in cases where there is no proof of a ticket being bought, but surely when one can prove one paid for the journey and had no intent to avoid payment the penalty shouldn't be imposed. I'm outraged and if this is how honest passengers are treated then everyone needs to complain to their MP and get something done about it.

KeithP

is_there_no_justice wrote: »

<snip>
...everyone needs to complain to their MP and get something done about it.

And I can imagine your MP saying "Calm down, calm down, just put it on expenses".
:beer:

Btw, welcome to the forum.

dacouch

I'm surprised SWT did not fine you for littering as well

nexuss

At the end of the day it is illegal to board a train without a valid ticket.I suspect you were also very abusive and threatening to the guard hence the call for the police.Could you have not gone to the ticket office to explain the situation ?Usually the guard would ask you for I.D. on the train then they would send you a bill for the fare.

jkdd77

is_there_no_justice wrote: »

I have been told I have to pay a penalty fare of £20 (and my appeal has been rejected) because while dragging heavy luggage out of the house and onto a train my travelcard got knocked out of my pocket. As soon as I realised I had lost it I got off the train and immediately sought the first official looking person I could find and asked to pay the fare again. I was treated despicably as if I was a criminal and an outright liar but eventually told that if I found my ticket and could prove I'd paid I could then appeal against the penalty. They gave me the penalty fare notice and also sold me a new ticket for my onward journey. My original ticket was found within an hour and I also have a receipt for it where I bought it. But apparently the appeals people won't accept it - my offence is not seeking to avoid payment, nor travelling knowingly without a ticket (I obviously didn't know I'd lost it when I got onto the train) - my offence is letting it drop out of my pocket while struggling to get on the train with heavy suitcases - very very careless of me according to SouthWest trains!!! The fact I've already paid for two identical tickets is irrelevant. In effect I've been penalised more than the real fare dodger because they'd only be paying the penalty. I have to pay the £20 penalty and I've paid for two legitimate tickets (which I still have at home to prove it). It's not even as if I couldn't wait to buy a ticket (apparently that's allowed in some cases). I DID BUY A TICKET and I did everything according to the book, but I'm now treated like a criminal because in my struggle to carry heavy luggage I didn't notice the cases had caught on my pocket and my ticket fallen out. I can understand that they need to charge a penalty in cases where there is no proof of a ticket being bought, but surely when one can prove one paid for the journey and had no intent to avoid payment the penalty shouldn't be imposed. I'm outraged and if this is how honest passengers are treated then everyone needs to complain to their MP and get something done about it.

Unfortunately, you've been the victim of legalised extortion. I deeply sympathise with you.

The Penalty Fare Rules 2002 and the railway byelaws are available on the DfT website, which you might want to read to see if they did anything wrong in any way.

Depending on your attitude to risk, you might consider not paying the penalty fare and, when the day comes, throwing yourself on the mercy of the judge (some defendants have been given absolute discharges in similar cases). However, I wouldn't recommend this, as the risk of a criminal record and huge fine is quite substantial, given that you are "technically" guilty.