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

kerby_crawler

Cknocker wrote: »

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!

Barriers are usually electrically powered - is your neck of the woods on the national grid yet?

Cknocker

No I appreciate barriers are electrically powered, one station in the County has them. When you go to leave the station there are 3 men by the barriers: -

No 1. He Makes Sure no one is sneaking through, he also very kindly takes your ticket and puts it in the machine for you.

No 2. He sells you a ticket if you haven't got one (provided that your reason is valid - i.e. you got on at an unmanned station)

No 3. If you were too daft to tell no 2 that you got on at an unmanned station issues you with a penalty fare.

Going back to our unmanned stations, if we put barriers on them where you need to purchase a ticket to let you onto the station and lo and behold there is no means of buying a ticket - how the bloody hell do you catch a train?

rdwarr

geordie_taxi wrote: »

wot a great self righteous statement to make. wot happens if theres no way of buying a ticket at you start or end station. other than having a FREE journey what is the OP to do

My post was in the context of checking tickets which is what this thread is about. The OP has already bought them so the "no way of buying them" argument is totally irrellevant.

I know you like to leap in whenever there's a chance of advocating fare dodging but that isn't the case here.

Cknocker

Disagree with that. The OP was venting at the manner in which the train system operates and getting fed up with buying tickets and no one checking them - the chances are if he is buying a ticket and not getting checked, there are others not buying tickets and not getting checked.

Some people here are of the opinion that whoever travels on a train without a ticket is a fare dodger, when that is quite simply not the case, as there are people who want to buy tickets that can't!

The bottom line is this, the more people that travel for nothing, the more expensive train travel is for all - the problem is the Train Operators blame fare dodgers without getting their own house in order.

The staffing issue is a great one, as I mentioned we have a station with barriers that has a whole plethora of staff checking people at that one station getting off the train. We also have the "flying pickets" a gang of 12 that go around various stations blockading the exits to check tickets. If the stations were properly staffed none of this would be necessary and the amount of fare dodging would be slashed straight away!

But lets face it the train operators aren't really that fussed, if they aren't making as much as they would like, they go back to the government to hike the fares!

geordie_taxi

rdwarr wrote: »

I know you like to leap in whenever there's a chance of advocating fare dodging but that isn't the case here.

i dont advocating fare dodging infact as ive told many a user on this and other forums i always have a valid ticket for travel

rdwarr wrote: »

argument is totally irrellevant.

having reread the OP first post u are right he has already purchased his tickets. i cant see what his problem is as if the ticket inspector doesnt check/mark his tickets then those tickets in the eyes of the railway are unused

kerby_crawler

geordie_taxi wrote: »

if the ticket inspector doesnt check/mark his tickets then those tickets in the eyes of the railway are unused

I have to confess - a couple of weeks ago I suddenly remembered something I should have done, and because my day return tickets were unchecked and still in date, I used them for a second time. I felt as if I had won the jackpot!

A famous Irishman once claimed to have fiddled his train fare - he'd bought a return ticket, but he never went back...

buglawton

Let us buy virtual tickets via smartphone apps like Switzerland has for years.

Stigy

geordie_taxi wrote: »

:think:scare tactics and you know it. the OP has already stated the intent he will buy a ticket

You lost me on that one I'm afraid....didn't make sense to me. Not scare tactics at all, why would I bother? I have nothing to gain and frankly couldn't care less if the OP tries it on and gets caught. Unfortunately, I think you need to research how these things work, as people are getting prosecuted left, right and centre for fare evasion. and some of the advice you offer about train travel and tickets could leave people in hot water. This would be a nice easy prosecution for any TOC as long as the RPI writes a decent statement and asks the right questions.

gner_ex

stamina9008 wrote: »

So, my cars gone and im using the train to see folks over the New Year.
It is a long distance trip and its coming out at £66 for an open return.
Now my thing is this..
Last time i paid that price for this journey i was not stopped ONCE, not once!!!!
Now, i have to change twice, why should i not carry money in my pocket and pay when im approached? Even if i fib about where i got on?
IT'S THEIR JOB TO CHECK PEOPLE FOR TICKETS!!
Im not responsible for them not checking the carriages whilst they joke and eat scones!
I feel cheated and robbed when im not checked on a train after paying £60 in fares, so much so, that when im checked i feel relieved and quite content.
Why is ths even an issue??

CHECK ME AND I'LL BUY ONE OFF OF YOU BECAUSE YOURE DOING YOUR JOB

DONT CHECK ME AND (FROM NOW ON) I WILL POTENTIALLY GET A FREE RIDE.

PS - Dont whine to me about fines - - - - not interested.

I'm not sure what your start or end stations are, but you say its £66 for a return and you have to change twice.

Just to illustrate my point, we'll suppose your journey is Stalybridge to Gloucester. The route would be Stalybridge to Manchester Piccadilly, then Manchester to Cheltenham on cross country, then Cheltenham to Gloucester.

The cost of a saver return is £69 (closest I could find).

However, the standard open return (which is the default fare sold on board, unless the ticket office was closed at your starting station (and station where you changed trains, if sufficient time to go to the ticket ofice there) is £106 or a standard open single at £53.

That's best case.

Worst case is that if found without a ticket you can be reported for prosecution in the MAGISTRATES COURT (this is the criminal court, not the small claims court) for breeching railway bylaws and section 5(3) of the Regulation of Railways Act. Worst case outcome £5000 (thats five thousand) fine plus monies owed plus railways' costs plus victim surcharge..... or theoretically imprisonment.for three months.

geordie_taxi

Stigy wrote: »

and some of the advice you offer about train travel and tickets could leave people in hot water.

as i said before i dont advocating fare dodging infact as ive told many a user on this and other forums i always have a valid ticket for travel. wot with the use of split ticketing picking up heavily discounted advance tickets from various online retailers and the compo voucher claims i submit for late trains unused tickets or for complaints against bad attitude staff most of the time means i travel for free without having to resort to fare dodging

Stigy wrote: »

This would be a nice easy prosecution for any TOC as long as the RPI writes a decent statement and asks the right questions.

well most of the time

stigy and his swt buds muck up again