Train fine issued despite valid ticket

geordieracer

fivetide wrote: »

Blimey you are a rude so and so aren't you? What a way to counter a stereotype!

All I'm saying is there should be space for commonsense.

Stigy has made a better fist of a response, especially re: the first offender bit but from what he says the issue is that the staff do not do their job properly in the first place so determining first time offenders is not possible.

Why should the OP be punished for the fact that those who are being paid to do a job are not doing it? Surely you can check back the records and find amount spent v journeys on the network etc and make an informed decsion if and only if those who are really evading fares are properly reported in the first place?

5t.

Sorry to shatter both your dreams here but this did make me chuckle.

It is the person who is travelling responsibility to ensure they have a valid ticket before boarding the train. First offender or not. Hopefully this PF will lead to the OP making sure that his oyster has been validated properly in the future and then they wont get another PF.

Stigy

fivetide wrote: »

Blimey you are a rude so and so aren't you? What a way to counter a stereotype!

All I'm saying is there should be space for commonsense.

Stigy has made a better fist of a response, especially re: the first offender bit but from what he says the issue is that the staff do not do their job properly in the first place so determining first time offenders is not possible.

Why should the OP be punished for the fact that those who are being paid to do a job are not doing it? Surely you can check back the records and find amount spent v journeys on the network etc and make an informed decsion if and only if those who are really evading fares are properly reported in the first place?

5t.

It also might be worth noting that even if it is a first offence, staff are under no obligation to issue a Penalty Fare, and can go straight down the prosecutions road instead if they desire. Also, although slightly irrelevant, although maybe not just in case the OP thought "sod it, I'll just ignore them from here on in" (not a dig at Billicks, but it does happen!), the issuing body (Southern in this case probably) will cancel the once civil Penalty Fare, and prosecute under Railway Byelaw 18.1 which becomes criminal and goes to Magistrates' Court. (PF=Civil....Although an ignored PF isn't dealt with in the way most other debts are as the PF becomes void).