Why the HELL is it wrong to pay ON the Train???

kerby_crawler

Cknocker wrote: »

How do you differentiate between a "fare dodger" and someone who genuinely has been given no opportunity to purchase a ticket?

Normally, you buy a ticket at the ticket office, and if necessary you stand in a queue. The ticket office wallers don't normally come out and wander around the concourse offering tickets to anyone willing to pay.

On the one occasion recently when I could not buy a ticket prior to boarding the train, I waited until the guard appeared, and ran towards him before boarding in order to confirm that he would sell me a no-penalty ticket. If I were a train-guard, my first assumption would be that somebody who has occupied a seat without searching me out in order to buy a ticket is almost certainly very happy to travel without paying a fare if he/she thinks that he/she can get away with it!

Cknocker

Some points here: -

1. The Station Has to have a ticket office.
2. Assuming the station has one, it has to be open.
3. Assuming that the two points above are met then there has to be adequate staff (as an example my local station when it is open has one member of staff who as well as selling tickets also dispatches the trains, so you can be in the queue for a ticket and then the guy has to kick you all out of the office, shut up the office and see a train in and out).
4. Accepted practice down this neck of the woods is you grab a seat and buy your ticket when the guard gets to you.

kerby_crawler

Cknocker wrote: »

my local station when it is open has one member of staff who as well as selling tickets also dispatches the trains, so you can be in the queue for a ticket and then the guy has to kick you all out of the office, shut up the office and see a train in and out

Does he also water the plants and get all dewy-eyed when the Railway Children rock up to meet their Dad?

Does he have a whistle?

michael243

I have seen loads of people get away with not paying with no fine or anything but what really annoyed me was that I always brought a ticket when I could and never skipped paying on purpose and for the inspector guy to not even bother checking out if I was right made me really !!!!ed off it isn't surprising that so many inspectors get assaulted or spat on when they always think they are in the right :mad:

michael243

Emma_N wrote: »

On Virgin trains I nearly always have my ticket checked either on the train (going from Brum New Street to Euston) or before I board the train (Euston).

On London Midland land of the penalty fare scheme I very rarely have my ticket checked, probably 1 journey in 10. There are nearly always fare dodgers on these trains and it annoys me that they seemingly get away with it.

Why should we have to subsidise free travel for the fare dodgers? I don't understand why there aren't ticket barriers such as they have at Marylebone/on the London Underground at more stations.

I use London Midland and never even see a ticket inspector on the way back from Euston, I have only been asked for a ticket once at Birmingham New Street on the way back BUT on every journey to London Euston I have been asked for my ticket. I hate fair dodgers especially how they get away with it without a fine or anything :mad:

Cknocker

kerby_crawler wrote: »

Does he also water the plants and get all dewy-eyed when the Railway Children rock up to meet their Dad?

Does he have a whistle?

Actually yes he does have a whistle! And this is a busy station on the Great Western Mainline!

kerby_crawler

michael243 wrote: »

I have seen loads of people get away with not paying

How do you know?

How many people travelled without paying on your last journey between London and Birmingham?

kerby_crawler

Cknocker wrote: »

Actually yes he does have a whistle! And this is a busy station on the Great Western Mainline!

And flags? Green for go, red for no?

lemontart

do you not have to pass your ticket through a barrier to get on to platform or out ? I have to when I use the train to work

Cknocker

kerby_crawler wrote: »

And flags? Green for go, red for no?

No they've advanced a bit, he has a lollypop that is white on one side black on the other!

Personally I don't see what was wrong with the flags!!!

As for barriers - thats the point, to have barriers you have to have a means of buying a ticket! And they also require staff to stop anyone who hasn't got a ticket from jumping over!