South West Trains. Liars? Thieves? Generally unhelpful.

prowla

Stigy said: "Reference the barriers at Waterloo, my point was tha if the barriers were open, there'd have been no staff there to stop the OP, hence the fare probably would have gone unpaid.".

steve-L

Livingthedream wrote: »

I think the Revenue protection officer thought the OP was travelling fraudulently and reported him for it.

Or the revenue officer didn't think the OP was travelling deliberately fraudulently but was a nasty person who wanted to make life as unpleasant as possible.

It seems unlikely you buy a season ticket from Guildford to Clapham J and intend to try and somehow pass the barriers at Waterloo every morning for a month and not get caught out!

On occasion I have had a situation where I forgot my travel card on a Monday (after a dress down Friday) or have been unable to buy a ticket from my old Station .... and on one occasion got to pay for a travelcard (forgot) and another got fined... (unable to buy a ticket)....

I've had very mixed reactions and not always the way you expect.
When I was unable to but the ticket a fact easily checkable and I was one of 20+ people the revenue officer refused to check....

Stigy

prowla wrote: »

So, are you saying that the OP probably intended not to pay, but had to when he realised the barriers were active?

Not at all. However, I am saying that after not being able to pay for whatever reason (not being able used loosely!), once he reached Waterloo and found the barriers open, chances are he'd have forgotten to pay as he'd have other, more pressing matter on his mind. Of course, there's the opportunistic fare evader too (one that would have paid initially, but didn't, and once he reached Waterloo, he realises that getting away with it would be too tempting to pass up!)

timbo58

Unfortunately none of us in this thread were there at the time except the OP, hence most of this is supposition, meant well all the same.

Just a few points:

1.The RPI not writing down the fact the OP had made an offer and approached the RPI initially -I don't see where this is 'a lie' at all.
However if the OP (or anyone else who gets interveiwed under caution for that matter) didn't agree with the statement made at that time (being there 1 hour IIRC?) why did they then sign the Inspectors notes? (as they surely must have done as this is standard procedure).
By signing it you/he was agreeing that the statement was a true record -if it's not DON'T SIGN IT.

2. An RPI has a straight choice when dealing with someone without a valid ticket (whatever other ticket they may have) they can penalty fare or they can report for prosecution, nothing else.

Perhaps, just perhaps, when the OPs offer of £2.80 was turned down their attitude prompted the RPI to beleive for some reason that they were not being truthful about their journey?

Livingthedream

timbo58 wrote: »

Unfortunately none of us in this thread were there at the time except the OP, hence most of this is supposition

True and since the OP hasn't posted back since his opening post, we may never find out.

steve-L wrote: »

Or the revenue officer didn't think the OP was travelling deliberately fraudulently but was a nasty person who wanted to make life as unpleasant as possible.

I agree it's always the nasty person who seems to find the passenger without a valid ticket. Why can't we have nice Revenue protection officers who just tell fare evader not to be naughty and don't do it again.

steve-L

Livingthedream wrote: »

True and since the OP hasn't posted back since his opening post, we may never find out.



I agree it's always the nasty person who seems to find the passenger without a valid ticket. Why can't we have nice Revenue protection officers who just tell fare evader not to be naughty and don't do it again.

I've had both....
The nasty one had already made up his mind to give me a fine and went out of his way not to speak to the guard on the train who could have confirmed the ticket machines were not working!

Of the 20 or so got on myself and 2-3 others ended up with the nasty guy... probably most of the other's didn't (as I have been lucky with before).

Kirri

Bit confused why anyone would hand over or they would want the season ticket?

Livingthedream

steve-L wrote: »

I've had both....
The nasty one had already made up his mind to give me a fine and went out of his way not to speak to the guard on the train who could have confirmed the ticket machines were not working!

If the ticket machine wasn't working why didn't you buy a ticket off the guard before the nasty man issued you a Penalty fare?

Kirri wrote: »

Bit confused why anyone would hand over or they would want the season ticket?

Any train ticket is the property of the Railway and has to be produced on demand to any railway official. If the Revenue protection officer suspected foul play he would have confiscated the season ticket as evidence, ie if SWT prosecuted the OP in a magistrates court.

Tiddlywinks

Bottom line? You knew before you got on the train that you were going to travel beyond the scope of your season ticket...

... you could have bought a ticket at Guildford.

... you could have got off the train at Clapham Junction and bought a ticket for the onward journey to Waterloo. Trains leave there for Waterloo every few minutes.

... I travel on that line and there is always a guard on the train - you could have gone to look for him.

Conclusion - you KNEW you would be offending and took no action to get 'legal' so you need to just suck it up!

steve-L

Livingthedream wrote: »

If the ticket machine wasn't working why didn't you buy a ticket off the guard before the nasty man issued you a Penalty fare?

Have you tried getting through the carriages on a train arriving in waterloo at around 08:30?
The guards have... which is why they usually don't try... least on the Shepperton line... since moving to Woking I actually SEE the guard on the train (sometimes) .....I don't think the guards on the Shepperton line actually have machines.... on at least 2 occasions I remember I got off in Richmond/Twickenham and bought the ticket their and told them I came from Hampton but couldn't buy it there.... (again never a problem and I think the Stations on the branch are known for closed ticket offices and broken or otherwise out of order machines) .. Hampton has 2 that I guess share the same phone line??? that is often both are not working.. and the ticket office is often closed.

Having previously done this and approached the revenue officers nicely and honestly, shown them the previous days ticket and explained whatever reason I didn't have a ticket (including I forgot a rather weaker excuse than the machine not working) and simply been sold a ticket, I approached the revenue officer.