Free Rail Ticket

marie2000

Hi, Has anyone ever been offered a free ticket for London inc underground for the remainder of the day after the purchaser has used it.
Does anyone know of anyone who has taken the free offer and got into trouble as a result. I realise it is a bit unethical but I don't want to get any serious problems as a result.

Humphrey10

Please don't steal, it's not nice.

AirlieBird

It's not just unethical, it's unlawful.

yorkie2

I was asked by some drug-dealing, smoke-stinking, alcoholic, flea-infested stoat if I'd finished with my Travelcard at King's Cross once. I said "yes" and ripped the ticket up in front of him

If anyone is caught assisting in this illegal touting of tickets, not only are you liable for prosecution, but anyone who does this is assisting organised criminals, for which they should be ashamed of.

However if offered the ticket for free by a friend/family member, while that isn't lawful, that would be considered far less serious, and almost impossible to detect.

It is lawful to loan someone an Oyster card providing it hasn't got a Travelcard Season or discount loaded onto it, even if it's capped at the appropriate daily rate.

Livingthedream

yorkie2 wrote: »

I was asked by some drug-dealing, smoke-stinking, alcoholic, flea-infested stoat if I'd finished with my Travelcard at King's Cross once. I said "yes" and ripped the ticket up in front of him

So it was you, I had to spent 50p to get some sellotape to fix my ticket after you ripped it up. Took ages to piece it together.

Right lets have a look at this from another prospective, if somebody offered you a free ticket away from prying eyes then your silly not to use it, same as when you enter a car park and somebodies leaving they hand you a car parking ticket with perhaps a couple of hours on it, you would use it.

But to the serious part, British Transport Police and Revenue Protection are well versed on this and keep an eye out at the big London termini for this, so don't get caught.

My view, if its free use it, but as others have stated above don't pay for it as you don't know where your hard earned money will end up.

McKneff

I have to admit, Ive often given my parking ticket that has not expired and didnt really think about it in that light.

However, I also print off extra vouchers if Im going somewhere 2 for 1 meals or 25% discount on meals and usually find some pensioner couple to give them to.

I just probably think that some of these places overcharge and its nice for some of us to get a bit back.

Does it really matter that I print 2 x 25% vouchers for slug and lettuce and give one to a couple who look as if they might be grateful for a 25% discount.

Take a recent trip we had to some mountain in Folkstone, bus took us up, a load of tourists, Really cold at the top.
Soup and a roll £3.50 bad enough, but when they wanted to charge 40p extra for the butter to put on the roll it really took the biscuit.

I got them back by order 1 pot of tea for 1 which easily gave us 2 cups of tea, having to sneakily get another cup.
Swings and roundabouts.

I just detest being ripped off, it gives me the message that people think I'm stupid, I soon teach them that I am not.

hermante

Is it unlawful to use a travelcard that you've found on the ground?

IanD

hermante wrote: »

Is it unlawful to use a travelcard that you've found on the ground?

It's unlawful. Travel tickets are non-transferrable and should only be used by the person they were purchsed for. But unless someone in authority saw you pick it up, how would they know? And even then they would probably have to prove that you didn't drop it in the first place and were simply retrieving it.

Stigy

IanD wrote: »

It's unlawful. Travel tickets are non-transferrable and should only be used by the person they were purchsed for. But unless someone in authority saw you pick it up, how would they know? And even then they would probably have to prove that you didn't drop it in the first place and were simply retrieving it.

Lots of ways actually. Simple things like asking the holder how much the ticket cost them and at what time, roughly, they purchased the ticket often sees them stutter and splutter. Also the fact that you can swipe a used ticket through a Ticket Office machine or the machines Revenue Staff use to see where it was used last and when. Admittedly it's a little more difficult with Travelcards though. It usually only gets looked at that closely when the ticket barriers reject it though, admittedly!

Regarding the initial posting; Yes it is illegal and can see the tout and/or the illegal purchaser prosecuted under either the Railway Byelaws or Regulation of Railways Act 1889. Both offences are heard by Magistrates, and the former is recordable on the Police National Computer and carries a potential fine of £1,000 and/or 3-months imprisonment for subsequent offences. The latter, although non-recordable still carries potential fine of £1,000 and is still a Criminal Conviction. Realistically, and without going in to fines and costs that Magistrates often dish out, you'd never be sent down for such an offence, or recieve the maximum possible fine (unless very wealthy and persistant regarding the fine!).

Badger_Lady

I would never dream of selling my used ticket... but I would quite happily give it away if someone was going to find a use for it.

My ex boyfriend once found himself up one train ticket - he'd used it on the way out but not needed the return portion because he was staying over with me. He blu-tac'd the ticket to a pillar in the train station and wrote a note above it advertising "free ticket to X". It was one of my favourite things about him

geordie_taxi

if the prices wont so expensive this wouldnt happen. i do this all the time when i visit london i save a fortune over a year and its normally the bums/beggars i buy the ticket off so i know my moneys helping them get a meal