16 year old fined for not having adult ticket.

give_them_FA

The irony is that the young lady is an "adult" as regards the train fare, but a "juvenile" as regards the Court? Where does that one go?

notakid

I paid it today anyway. I don't like to owe money and I don't want any fines to be on her record so before I forget/overlook I've paid it. She has never been fined before, well she has only been an adult for a week.

She did have a ticket just a child one. Actually the lady at the fines office was very helpful, she advised me to apply for a student bus pass as soon as possible for Sept, as they get a lot of fines as students are still waiting for their travel cards to be issued so I'm looking into that at the mo, just getting a travel card ready for college. I don't want her to be caught out again!:p

HappyMJ

notakid wrote: »

I paid it today anyway. I don't like to owe money and I don't want any fines to be on her record so before I forget/overlook I've paid it. She has never been fined before, well she has only been an adult for a week.

She did have a ticket just a child one. Actually the lady at the fines office was very helpful, she advised me to apply for a student bus pass as soon as possible for Sept, as they get a lot of fines as students are still waiting for their travel cards to be issued so I'm looking into that at the mo, just getting a travel card ready for college. I don't want her to be caught out again!:p

Did you not read my response.....it's not a fine. It's an out of court offer of a penalty to stay out of court. If you did not pay it they cancel it and think about taking the matter to court which they rarely do. It's a civil matter and isn't recorded. It isn't and never will be recorded anywhere. If it was a fine from a court the only body who can issue fines then it would be recorded anyway whether you paid it or not.

Coupon-mad

HappyMJ and Livingthedream spelt it out quite clearly IMHO.

I would have ignored it - I have a 16 year old DD as well and of course, I bring my kids up to abide by what is right and what is wrong. The thing is, I think the penalty was inherently a 'wrong' against a child and so personally I wouldn't have paid it.

But anyway it's been paid now and no doubt your DD has learnt a lesson.

boobies

notakid wrote: »

I paid it today anyway. I don't like to owe money and I don't want any fines to be on her record so before I forget/overlook I've paid it. She has never been fined before, well she has only been an adult for a week.

She did have a ticket just a child one. Actually the lady at the fines office was very helpful, she advised me to apply for a student bus pass as soon as possible for Sept, as they get a lot of fines as students are still waiting for their travel cards to be issued so I'm looking into that at the mo, just getting a travel card ready for college. I don't want her to be caught out again!:p

Very refreshing to see someone taking responsibility, a far better example to your daughter than those telling you to ignore it.

Coupon-mad

boobies wrote: »

Very refreshing to see someone taking responsibility, a far better example to your daughter than those telling you to ignore it.

In most matters I would agree with you, but there's got to be a line, a limit to the usual 'sheep mentality' of the compliant UK public.

But as far as fines are concerned, there are fair penalties and there are unfair penalties. This is an unfair penalty IMHO and that is what I would tell my DD. There are times when you don't just blindly follow unfair instructions, such as unquestioningly giving in to 'a fine' levied against a girl who had just turned 16.

A fixed penalty to an adult or from the Police would be a different thing entirely IMHO.

My children already know all about the scam that is private parking tickets in Supermarkets and on any private land. The eldest is now at University and has already told a friend who drives that he can safely ignore a fake PCN that he collected in a car park. I hope that my DS1 is also clued up enough to pause to consider and question any patently unfair notice like the one described here.

And no, we are not anarchists, far from it. Just realistic and a bit cynical!

HappyMJ

Even if it was a fair penalty I would not bail my kid out by paying it. The courts have fines officers to make payment arrangements with the child to pay from their income. If they have no income then they pay nothing. I still have outstanding fines..proper fines..from the court and I pay them £10 a month...forever. That's all I can afford and all I will ever pay.

Livingthedream

Coupon-mad wrote: »

A fixed penalty to an adult or from the Police would be a different thing entirely IMHO.

Agreed, issuing Penalty fares to minors is just a underhand way of issuing the penalty fare to the parents as the system knows that the parents will in the end pay the fine for their children.

As for adults getting penalty fares, chur ching, easy money, the railway has a whole host of Railway Acts and byelaws to force money out of people who travel without the intent of paying or who unfortunately make a mistake with their tickets. IMHO a private company with these powers is wrong.

HappyMJ wrote: »

The courts have fines officers to make payment arrangements with the child to pay from their income.

Youth courts don't have to fine, they can enforce referral orders or youth rehabilitation orders. Another reason why Train Companies don't like prosecuting minors as their not guaranteed to get any financial recompense.

jfarm99

When I was younger Centro used to do a 16 to 18 card which allowed you to get child fares/season ticket for going to school/college (also educational activites such as school sport) in the West Midlands.

http://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/tickets-prices/travelcards/network-1618-photocards

Looking at the link you may need to speak to the school to get a form or call 0121 214 7878

Hope this helps

give_them_FA

It does seem ridiculous that private companies have inherited quasi-authoritarian powers. The girl should just have had a warning and been put right if she didn't realise, teenagers always have their heads in the clouds.