Transport for London - EXCESSIVE FINE

pmduk

Is it a CCJ though? I'd have thought it was a Magistrate's Court fine which means he has even more need to sort out his act. This will already have given him a criminal record, no need to compound it further.

Dave101t

erm, you didnt swipe your card, and it wasnt even your card, thats fraud, isnt it?

gordikin

Dave101t wrote: »

erm, you didnt swipe your card, and it wasnt even your card, thats fraud, isnt it?

Oh yes...but hey that's such a really small detail for those of us who actually pay and don't cry about it like a wimp when caught!

sweetstudent

Its your own fault. I dont live in London - but visit regulary - and i have a PAYG oyster and i always swipe in - even if it means i have to push my way through to swipe.

Call me mean - but i love it when fare dodgers get caught and fined!!!!!

Morglin

Chris_Willsher wrote: »

Im not sure if this will arrive to the right person but it out of desperation I writing on this forum.not once in my life have a ever written into anything to complain about public services or the way a company has dealt with me but I just had to reach out and vent this somehow!

This letter in in reference to how and I'm currently being treated by Transport for London and the people they have sold their debt to, Philips debt recovery management.
I just do not know where to go next, to summarize, last summer at around 6-am after leaving a party in south london I jumped on a bendy bus with an oyster card i had borrowed off a friend, but this time I decided not to swipe it, I was in a stress and in a rush to get home, unluckily a TFL inspector got and and checked my oyster and saw I had'nt swiped the card and not only did he take my address but took away my friends oyster card from me. I was very angry at this as I did'nt feel he had the right to take it. Several weeks later I received correspondence that TFL were taking the matter further and would possibly go to court, then a received a court summons which I was staggered by and outright refused to attend, then last week I get a letter from Philips bailiffs telling me if i did'nt pay 300 odd pounds that they would visit my property and take my possessions, so frightened I contacted them and told them I would write to them and tell them what I could afford and if they would consider some kind of payment plan. They ignored my letter and yesterday showed up at my door, not letting them in a opened the letter they hand delivered and in one week it has risen to £540 and after contacted them again they have decided that they will not accept any payment plan and want the money in full in 7 days else they will be forcing entry to my flat and taking my things.
Im so frightened, im a boy really, in the body of a mid 20s man, and i'm at university, studying music, I'm in my 3rd year, I have a part time job in a music venue in which i only have shifts when there are shows, and this is making me so sad, I have absolutely no money. I only moved to London to go to Uni for the sake of my parents, who both died in 2004 and 2005, my mum being murdered in my living room in front of me, it was my mums wish for me to move to London and try and succeed at a musician, and now the thought of some bailiffs breaking down my door and taking my piano and guitars frightens me to the point of not seeing a life for me without those items.

I wish they would just let me agree to some payment plan, 540 pounds for the sake of a one pound bus journey.
It really makes me sick of TFL and they way they have organized their fines, and do not take into count the in individual. Im now sitting in my room praying they dont break down my door tomorow

Someone has to pay for Boris's grandiose ideas of towers and airports in the sea.:(

The GLA and TFL are in a complete shambles - roll on 2012, when a new mayor can be elected.

Cuts in transport, rocketing fares, and money pouring into the County Hall coffers because of this sort of thing - but hey, ho, Boris wants to buy some bikes.:(

What a waste of space that idiot is.:mad:

Lin

Laz123

There's something not quite right going on here...

peachyprice

Morglin wrote: »

Someone has to pay for Boris's grandiose ideas of towers and airports in the sea.:(

The GLA and TFL are in a complete shambles - roll on 2012, when a new mayor can be elected.

Cuts in transport, rocketing fares, and money pouring into the County Hall coffers because of this sort of thing - but hey, ho, Boris wants to buy some bikes.:(

What a waste of space that idiot is.:mad:

Lin

And that has what to to with fare dodgers?

ThinkingOfLinking

The OP, or at least the last 2 paragraphs, is rather OTT and unbelieveable and makes me wonder if it's a wind-up. Either way, saying you couldn't be bothered to swipe the Oyster card because you were stressed and in a hurry; there are several swipe pads on the bendy buses and it only takes a second, especially as you're already on the bus, you might as well just do it. There's no excuse not to and I agree with the other users who are glad that fare dodgers are being caught and fined; it should happen more often in fact as why should the rest of us pay for people like you?

peachyprice

Chris_Willsher wrote: »

I just do not know where to go next, to summarize, last summer at around 6-am after leaving a party in south london I jumped on a bendy bus with an oyster card i had borrowed off a friend, but this time I decided not to swipe it, I was in a stress and in a rush to get home, unluckily a TFL inspector got and and checked my oyster and saw I had'nt swiped the card. You made a decision to fare dodge.

not only did he take my address but took away my friends oyster card from me.I was very angry at this as I did'nt feel he had the right to take it. How was he supposed to know you hadn't stolen it/found it on the street. You could have been depriving someone else of an oyster card they'd put their hard earned money on.

Several weeks later I received correspondence that TFL were taking the matter further and would possibly go to court, then a received a court summons which I was staggered by and outright refused to attend. Why on earth did you think you had the right to refuse to even acknowledge the summons. All you needed to do was fill in the form with your 'defence'.

then last week I get a letter from Philips bailiffs telling me if i did'nt pay 300 odd pounds that they would visit my property and take my possessions, Because you didn't attend court and were found guilty in your absence. TFL are perfectly entitled to ask the court to appoint bailiffs to recover the fine.

I only moved to London to go to Uni for the sake of my parents, who both died in 2004 and 2005, my mum being murdered in my living room in front of me, If this indeed were the case and you are who you are implying you are it it NOT a get out of jail free card for the rest of your life.

it was my mums wish for me to move to London and try and succeed at a musician, and now the thought of some bailiffs breaking down my door and taking my piano and guitars frightens me to the point of not seeing a life for me without those items. You should have gone to court and tried to sway the judge with your sob story.

I wish they would just let me agree to some payment plan, 540 pounds for the sake of a one pound bus journey. Criminal isn't is, about as criminal as fare doding really.

It really makes me sick of TFL and they way they have organized their fines, and do not take into count the in individual. Im now sitting in my room praying they dont break down my door tomorow. They can't break down your door. It isn't TFL who have imposed the fine, it is the court, you broke the law and got caught

The whole situation is of your own making. The 'stress of travelling home from a party' is no excuse for breaking the law, and is particularly stupid when you have a valid oyster card in your pocket, even if it wasn't yours.

ThinkingOfLinking

PS for the poster who had a problem with the train ticket, I do sympathise, but I'm surprised that the station didn't have (a separate) machine where you buy a warrant for travel which you do when the ticket machine is broken and/or the ticket office is closed. I know they've got them still at Charing Cross and London Bridge stations as well as the smaller ones; I used to work at Millwall FC near South Bermondsey station and dated a guy in Eltham/New Eltham and had to use these machines a few times.