South West Trains. Liars? Thieves? Generally unhelpful.

WickedWolfie

prowla wrote: »

Sure - the word "offence" is what I find offensive, and there will always be jobsworths.

My point, which I'm sure you grasp, is that the "offence" in the first place is contrived, and could be handled in a much more customer friendly way.

The companies do it because they feel like their customer base has no other choice, and so they don't need to try; in fact they can be as arsey as they like and it won't matter a jot.

A dictionary definition of offence is as follows:
"a violation or breach of a law, custom, rule, etc"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/offence

Whether you like it or not the OP has broken the railway bylaws. As such he/she is absolutely guilty of an offence. We can label it as something else if you prefer but that is the absolute reality!

Stigy

prowla wrote: »

Of course the OP could have got off at Clapham or any other station en-route and bought another ticket for the remainder, but what is wrong with expecting to be able to pay the excess at the destination?

I really don't see how the railway has obtained this blanket belief by its users that it's perfectly acceptable to pay after using the service. I wasn't suggesting that the OP was trying their luck, but have heard l manner of stories before in my job, so much so that I reserve the right to remain sceptical.

prowla

Stigy wrote: »

I really don't see how the railway has obtained this blanket belief by its users that it's perfectly acceptable to pay after using the service. I wasn't suggesting that the OP was trying their luck, but have heard l manner of stories before in my job, so much so that I reserve the right to remain sceptical.

Sure, but you've only completed using the service when you've passed through the barriers and left the station (unless your destination is Waterloo platform 4 itself).

timbo58

prowla wrote: »

I guess it's all down to your viewpoint of what the rail service should provide.

I don't think I said anything which gave my opinion: I was merely quoting facts based on very long experience.

For my opinion: I think that it would take a massive shift in the manner in which fare evaders (those who intend to evade the fare, whether that be by action or inaction -I count them as the same) commit their offences in order that train operators could change the way everyone was dealt with when found without a ticket.

prowla

timbo58 wrote: »

I don't think I said anything which gave my opinion: I was merely quoting facts based on very long experience.

For my opinion: I think that it would take a massive shift in the manner in which fare evaders (those who intend to evade the fare, whether that be by action or inaction -I count them as the same) commit their offences in order that train operators could change the way everyone was dealt with when found without a ticket.

(Apologies) I meant your viewpoint as a general figure of speech, as opposed to pointedly your personal viewpoint.

Stigy

prowla wrote: »

Sure, but you've only completed using the service when you've passed through the barriers and left the station (unless your destination is Waterloo platform 4 itself).

You're nit-picking now.

You're completing your journey, otherwise you wouldn't approach staff at the barriers to ask advice about where to get Penalty Fared. You're not getting a ticket prior to travelling, or jumping off mid journey, therefore you're completing your journey on the train before buying your ticket.

timbo58

Prowla maybe technically correct, however we had a situation where someone argued that old chestnut at Reading station on the festival weekend.

Turned up at the barriers sans ticket or money from London (before they put in barriers at Paddington) as the barriers were closed he couldn't get out and tried every moan under the sun such as 'you're holding me prisoner' etc etc.

A friendly BT policeman laughed out loud at that one!

He then said -well I have't finished my journey until I leave the station and was told if you step over the threshold without having a ticket for the journey you've made I'll arrest you for 'making off without payment' by said copper.

As he realised after about 3 hours of 'casing the joint' that he was being constantly watched and had no chance of getting out (barriers are manned 24 hours during the festival) he chose to take drastic action.

In the end he was last seen departing westwards but we had a report later he'd got on the wrong train if he was trying to get to Reading west (nearest to the festival site) as it was an HST -next stop Exeter!

No trains back either by the time he arrived, so that was a classic train dodge as he had to hitch hike back from Exeter so I heard later.

CharlieRabbit01

wealdroam wrote: »

There is a ticket office at Guildford.
They would've happily sold you a ticket from Clapham Junc to Waterloo.

Did you travel via Woking?
There is always a guard on those services.

there is always a guard on South West Trains as they operate the doors. Including on this service as i have used it myself.

CharlieRabbit01

Livingthedream wrote: »

A tip for yourself or others in the future, if you can't get a ticket because the ticket machine is broken or the ticket office shut then take a picture with your mobile of the office/machine if your phone has no date/time stamp, post it on facebook as this will record the time. If then the nasty man gives you a Penalty fare, appeal it with the photo evidence.

Even take a picture of the packed train to show that you couldn't get to the guard.

What I'm trying to explain is one needs to be proactive to avoid a penalty fare. If your not your easy prey as the rules are in SWT favor.

Or if you haven't got your mobile;)

I have been in a similar situation and knowing the train was going to be busy I stood on the platform and waited to see which carriage the guard got out of and they walked along the platform and boarded there.

kerby_crawler

I think the best way to penalise fare-dodgers would be to escort them back to the point at which they should have bought a ticket (and charge them a fair price to cover the costs of doing so).

This would be so annoying that the possibility of travelling without a ticket would soon come to be seen as unlikely a possibility as leaving Tesco's with a free bagful of groceries on a promise to send the money online as soon as it has all been eaten.

For the last couple of years, I have travelled 2-3 return trips a month between two non-barriered stations less than 15 minutes apart, and I have had to produce a ticket on no more than 3 occasions (it's probably only twice, but I can't be certain). If the train company was operated by BetFred or William Hill etc, then I might decide to take a punt on getting away with it!

It's a bit like the old 'finders/keepers' debate.