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Advice please? Friend's son intimidated by two First Great Western ticket inspectors
Hi all 
Hope this is in the right place!
My friend's son has had a rather unpleasant experience with a couple of First Great Western ticket inspectors, and I'm just wondering if anyone has any nuggests of advice to share.
Basially, her (adult, living at home post-Uni) son and his friend were travelling back from London on an FGW train after attending a party. Both were tired and a little worse for wear, but just tipsy, not heavily drunk if you know what I mean? Both, however, had valid tickets.
Anyway, they both fell asleep during the journey, until the son's friend (let's call him 'A') was woken up by two ticket inspectors, who told him he didn't have a ticket. A replied that he did, and showed them his ticket. The inspectors then said that the ticket wasn't valid, but A disputed that and they had to back down.
They then asked A if my friend's son (let's call him 'B') had a ticket. A said that yes, he did. The inspectors then asked A if they could search B's bags to find the ticket. A protested that B was asleep, but the inspectors pressured him and he said he supposed they could.
So, they searched B's bag, but couldn't find the ticket. They then (finally) woke B up, and demanded to know where his ticket was, and why he was travelling without one. B protested he had a ticket, but they insisted they knew he didn't have one, and generally behaved in a very menacing and unhelpful manner.
By now B was understandably flustered and fearful, and despite turning his bag out was unable to remember where he had put his ticket. As a result, the two inspectors removed both him and themselves from the train at the next major station (thankfully near B's home!). They tried to make A leave the train with them as well, but he protested that he had a valid ticket and some way to travel to his ultimate destination, and they gave up.
The two inspectors took B to another man, who identified himself as an inspector (I should note, the other two men didn't show any IDs that A or B remember, nor provided their names, so I'm calling them ticket inspectors even though it can't be guaranteed they were). This man informed B he had to pay a penalty fare, or they would call the police.
B was now thoroughly intimidated and upset (he's not the biggest of guys) by these three men and his inability to remember where his ticket was, and called his mum to tell her what was going on and why he was late. She spoke to the inspector and was told the same as B - the choice was a penalty ticket or the police. She told her son to pay up to avoid getting himself further stress, which he did, though with some understandable reluctance.
Needless to say, when he got home and checked his bag in a stress free environment, he immediately found his ticket! They are going to try and appeal the penalty fare, so I wondered if anyone had any advice on points to raise and who to involve, or know where to go for advice?
I should clarify - they know and acknowledge that technically the penalty fare is correct, as B couldn't produce his ticket when asked, even though he had one. However, it is not so much that but the attitude and conduct of the staff involved that they are challenging - had the inspectors simply woken him up and asked for his ticket in a pleasant and patient manner, rather than the course of action described above, things would probably have been very different.
So, do people think it is worth the complaint?
Thanks!
~Jes
Hope this is in the right place!My friend's son has had a rather unpleasant experience with a couple of First Great Western ticket inspectors, and I'm just wondering if anyone has any nuggests of advice to share.
Basially, her (adult, living at home post-Uni) son and his friend were travelling back from London on an FGW train after attending a party. Both were tired and a little worse for wear, but just tipsy, not heavily drunk if you know what I mean? Both, however, had valid tickets.
Anyway, they both fell asleep during the journey, until the son's friend (let's call him 'A') was woken up by two ticket inspectors, who told him he didn't have a ticket. A replied that he did, and showed them his ticket. The inspectors then said that the ticket wasn't valid, but A disputed that and they had to back down.
They then asked A if my friend's son (let's call him 'B') had a ticket. A said that yes, he did. The inspectors then asked A if they could search B's bags to find the ticket. A protested that B was asleep, but the inspectors pressured him and he said he supposed they could.
So, they searched B's bag, but couldn't find the ticket. They then (finally) woke B up, and demanded to know where his ticket was, and why he was travelling without one. B protested he had a ticket, but they insisted they knew he didn't have one, and generally behaved in a very menacing and unhelpful manner.
By now B was understandably flustered and fearful, and despite turning his bag out was unable to remember where he had put his ticket. As a result, the two inspectors removed both him and themselves from the train at the next major station (thankfully near B's home!). They tried to make A leave the train with them as well, but he protested that he had a valid ticket and some way to travel to his ultimate destination, and they gave up.
The two inspectors took B to another man, who identified himself as an inspector (I should note, the other two men didn't show any IDs that A or B remember, nor provided their names, so I'm calling them ticket inspectors even though it can't be guaranteed they were). This man informed B he had to pay a penalty fare, or they would call the police.
B was now thoroughly intimidated and upset (he's not the biggest of guys) by these three men and his inability to remember where his ticket was, and called his mum to tell her what was going on and why he was late. She spoke to the inspector and was told the same as B - the choice was a penalty ticket or the police. She told her son to pay up to avoid getting himself further stress, which he did, though with some understandable reluctance.
Needless to say, when he got home and checked his bag in a stress free environment, he immediately found his ticket! They are going to try and appeal the penalty fare, so I wondered if anyone had any advice on points to raise and who to involve, or know where to go for advice?
I should clarify - they know and acknowledge that technically the penalty fare is correct, as B couldn't produce his ticket when asked, even though he had one. However, it is not so much that but the attitude and conduct of the staff involved that they are challenging - had the inspectors simply woken him up and asked for his ticket in a pleasant and patient manner, rather than the course of action described above, things would probably have been very different.
So, do people think it is worth the complaint?
Thanks!
~Jes
Never underestimate the power of the techno-geek... 
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Comments
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Yes it's worth the complaint. You wouldn't want anyone having to go through that - especially your children. She probably won't get anywhere appealling the fine as he couldn't produce the ticket (appeal anyway as he did have one - just couldn't find it was he was being harassed) but certainly if the inspectors were behaving intimidatingly then a complaint should be lodged. I am confused under what grounds they took it upon themselves to search someone's bag without their consent? And would be asking the same from the train company."One day I realised that when you are lying in your grave, it's no good saying, "I was too shy, too frightened."
Because by then you've blown your chances. That's it."0 -
I'm sensing there was more to this ... Why did B's friend not wake him as soon as the inspectors came along? Indeed, why did he not wake up himself?Gone ... or have I?0
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I'm sensing there was more to this ... Why did B's friend not wake him as soon as the inspectors came along? Indeed, why did he not wake up himself?
Why the 3rd degree?
The OP wasn't even there!"One day I realised that when you are lying in your grave, it's no good saying, "I was too shy, too frightened."
Because by then you've blown your chances. That's it."0 -
As others have said, much more to this story than what the op has been told.
Sounds to me that mummies little good boy has been naughty and to worm his way out told his mum a pack of lies.0 -
Train staff have to deal with an inexcusable amount of alcohol related abuse every day, you'd have to have the patience of a saint not to become a bit impatient dealing with pished timewasters. Saying that you'd have a good chance of appealing the fine if you make enough of a nuisance of yourself if you make a hobby out of it. The question has to be, is it worth the effort? Should a grown man not fight his own battles?0
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Absolutely not. Tell your drunk friend's son to stop drinking so much. Perhaps then when they're asked to produce their ticket they'll actually be able to.
I've been a drunk on a train plenty of times and never failed to have a ticket in an easily accessible location that I can provide to an inspector. Why should inspectors have to deal with this cra@p.0 -
Thanks for the input, one and all. It's a shame having a couple of pints and then misplacing your ticket makes you fair game these days, but there you go, I guess... Makes me glad I'm teetotal - although I had a nasty moment recently on a London train when I lost MY ticket for a while. Turned out I'd put it in a different compartment of my bag than normal, gave me a right panic!
I am curious now, though - what would the recommended course of action be if no alcohol were involved?Never underestimate the power of the techno-geek...0 -
Thanks for the input, one and all. It's a shame having a couple of pints and then misplacing your ticket makes you fair game these days, but there you go, I guess... Makes me glad I'm teetotal - although I had a nasty moment recently on a London train when I lost MY ticket for a while. Turned out I'd put it in a different compartment of my bag than normal, gave me a right panic!
I am curious now, though - what would the recommended course of action be if no alcohol were involved?
The recommended course of action would be to get the full story, irrespective of whether alcohol was involved. You don't sleep through something like that!Gone ... or have I?0 -
So, they searched B's bag, but couldn't find the ticket.
If the story is true, that is grounds for complaint.
However....
Why on earth would the friend allow some random people who had not identified themselves to search his friends bag? Why didn't he look in it himself for them?
I'm afraid the story doesn't add up.0 -
I actually spent quite some time getting as much as I could of the story, and if the young man in question were given to getting pan-galactic gargle blaster paralytic and travelling without a ticket, I would never have asked a question here, believe me! However, I know you only have my word for it when I say that he is a consciencious guy who is usually meticulous about his travel tickets (he had several older tickets in his bag that day from previous journeys), so I won't expect to be taken too seriously on that point.The recommended course of action would be to get the full story, irrespective of whether alcohol was involved. You don't sleep through something like that!
Oh, and I assure you I could happily sleep through the whole of a train jouney and have to be woken if I were tired - then again, I've also slept through many a thunderstorm, marching bands, and the entire hurricane of '87, so I may be a special case! :rotfl:
Rob, I wish I knew! I'd never have allowed it, but then again thanks to my day job I'm very experienced with dealing with people more senior than me firmly and politely, plus thanks to hanging around this place I know a fair bit about how far people in authority can actually go. He may have been as intimidated as my friends son, I suppose, but I haven't been able to talk to this friend, so I can't comment with accuracy.
Anyway, thanks again, guys - I need to hit the hay now Never underestimate the power of the techno-geek...0
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