Professor slapped with £155 railway fine for getting off his train one stop EARLY

tuggy12

boliston wrote: »

It annoys me that a privately owned company has the ability to "fine" someone at all!

According to the article it's not a private co.

"The state-run East Coast train company "

Gloomendoom

gordikin wrote: »

I guess you don't understand rail ticketing pricing and how it works?

Does anybody?

moonrakerz

Triskaidekaphobia wrote: »

I could understand the fine if he was getting off the train late but fining him for getting off early seems pretty stupid - like fining people for getting off the bus before the destination they've paid for!

The thing is: he hadn't paid to go to the stop he got off at, he paid to go to another (the fact that the other stop was further on is totally irrelevant).
Getting off at the wrong stop made his ticket invalid - so technically he was travelling without a ticket. The Rail company made him buy a ticket for the journey he actually made - they did not FINE him as has been said elsewhere.

Perhaps this "Professor" couldn't read!! THIS is what he agreed to abide by when he bought the CHEAP ticket.

"VALIDITY
You must travel on the date, time and trains specified. You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

IF he did what he did deliberately - to be blunt, he was defrauding the Rail Company.
Less false outrage please.......... a bit more intelligence.

A._Badger

It's really entertaining, the lengths to which defenders of the indefensible will go, trying to justify this sort of racketeering.

Railway pricing and ticketing in this country are an absolute mess and if the benighted Coalition does just one thing, it should be to get to grips with these subsidy-troughing spivs.

spiro

The APEX fares are the worst when they specify the train time, carriage and seat on the ticket. If the inspector finds you in a seat other than the one specified on the ticket they can demand payment for the full price single fare for the journey you are undertaking. Cheap tickets come at a price and this is it.

WickedWolfie

moonrakerz wrote: »

The thing is: he hadn't paid to go to the stop he got off at, he paid to go to another (the fact that the other stop was further on is totally irrelevant).
Getting off at the wrong stop made his ticket invalid - so technically he was travelling without a ticket. The Rail company made him buy a ticket for the journey he actually made - they did not FINE him as has been said elsewhere.

Perhaps this "Professor" couldn't read!! THIS is what he agreed to abide by when he bought the CHEAP ticket.

"VALIDITY
You must travel on the date, time and trains specified. You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

IF he did what he did deliberately - to be blunt, he was defrauding the Rail Company.
Less false outrage please.......... a bit more intelligence.

A little bit hard for him to read that when according to today's Metro he didn't book the seats (his employer did)!

Also far less black and white than you state - you may be intersted to see what rail industry insiders say:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36910

Given that this site and CAG were instrumental in the overtrning of many unfair bank T&Cs I find it fascinating that someone on here is arguing in favour of rail indutry T&Cs which are even more ridiculous!

datostar

A Mr M. O'Leary, also involved in the provision of public transport, has shown considerable interest in the possibility of charging passengers for leaving before their booked destination. He has vetoed the idea, though, on the principle that they would only do it once and he may have to deal with awkward areas like wills and probate.

Dr.Rock

amcluesent wrote: »

A university professor who got off his train one stop before his final destination was stunned when he was asked to pay £155 to leave the station.

Martyn Evans was told he would have to pay up after leaving the train at Darlington, near his home, rather than wait until Durham where he works at the university’s philosophy department.

Prof Evans said: 'Like most people, it did not enter my mind that I was in default of the terms and conditions by getting off the train early.

FACT- One to be careful of split-ticketing fans!

Split-ticketing is a bit different to breaking a journey and technically not outwith the validity of the ticket.

gordikin wrote: »

I guess you don't understand rail ticketing pricing and how it works?

The problem is that no one does, beyond the fact that the TOCs are there to make money and not as a service to people.

mountainofdebt

I think what the railway thought the Prof was doing was going from A to C, got off at B with the intention of catching another train from B to continue his journey to C later on.

Though anyone with an ounce of sense would have listened to his explanation and then let him carry on.

moonrakerz

This man was either incredibly stupid to be travelling on a ticket he didn't understand or he was trying a "fiddle".

As he is apparently a highly educated "professor" - draw your own conclusions.