South West Trains - Penalty Fare inspectors

Altarf

http://money.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2114847,00.html makes interesting reading.

womble100

trying to dodge your rail fare is theft.why should you say to hell with the queue im getting my train because you dont manage your time.people in the queue are there for a reason 'to buy a ticket '.do you queue at the supermarket?,the bank? the airport?,i wonder how many times you and others have smirked leaving a station without paying because you were not challenged to pay?.you were rightly so fined.the same people who dont buy tickets are the same people who whine when a train is 5 mins late.if you dont like the system then dont use it and leave the seats for the law abiding who buy tickets before boarding the train.

Lazy_Runner

Not wishing to hijack the thread, but at the time of writing:

womble100
has a post count of 1
yet
has been thanked 2 times in 2 posts.
Also the one posting does not have any thanks.

Not sure how you did that, but well done! (No sarcasm intended, genuine exclamation!)

tubechallenger

Altarf wrote: »

That may have been the case previously, but it may not be now - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1975236.ece

That article is one entire load of trash.

Entirely biased and full of utter rubbish.

What I have stated in this topic still stands - and always will. If it doesn't SWT will be thrown out of the penalty fares scheme.

If the writer of that article chose to board a train without a valid ticket (which they did!) then they risk the consequences, no?

LCFC_Foxile

This is specifically in reply to womble100...

Not entirely certain why you have decided to take a slightly aggressive tone with your posting, & am also unsure if you are directing your message to anyone specifically.

Apologies in advance if I have misinterpreted your post - but please allow me to clarify a few details....

You will find that even with "managing your time" as you say, it can be impossible to buy a ticket. Having checked in advance what time my train was departing the station, I was there around 7 to 8 minutes before this time.

There were queues for both the manned-window & the ticket machine. I joined the machine queue first - 3 people ahead of me, was someone who appeared to be totally flummoxed by the machine, so the person behind them began to help him.

I then joined the manned-window queue, & the person 2 ahead of me was still being served when my train pulled-in. Upon deciding that I needed to catch my train for the reasons mentioned in my first posting, I noticed that the person who was ahead of me for the ticket machine, was still making her purchase.

So, in this instance, I would never have been able to purchase a ticket, regardless of which method I had chosen.

Speaking for myself, I have never "smirked" leaving a station without having paid, because before the occasion I mentioned, I have never boarded a train without a valid ticket.

You are correct on one thing though - I have "whined" when a train I want to catch has been 5 minutes late. As a paying passenger, that is well within my rights.

As tubechallenger helpfully suggested, should I find myself in a similar situation in the future, I will try & find the guard.

Altarf

Quote:
Originally Posted by Altarf

That may have been the case previously, but it may not be now - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle1975236.ece

tubechallenger wrote: »

That article is one entire load of trash.

Entirely biased and full of utter rubbish.

Trash? Strange that SWT confirm issuing the memo.

Dylanwing

Article is 100% accurate. I suspect Tubechallenger is an SWT plant! Worst Great western have done exactly the same, and made sure that staff and machines are as few as possible to make life awkward. And the one on my local station cannot be read if the sun is on the screen, so even I took about 5 minutes to get a ticket, and I know the screen order. As I recall, BR had a pretty robust ticket checking method, but the Private Cowboys scrapped it, as they thought that the Guard could do everything, thus saving money. Then they introduced the 'sardine cans on rails' instead of proper trains, the Guard could not get round, so they re-invented the wheel, but making it far less efficient.
As for proper regulation - Fat chance! Both Political parties are green if it involves making money, but not if it comes to investing in a proper Public Transport system.

tubechallenger

Nope - not an SWT plant I'm afraid. Just done work with them in the past so have heard the gossip.

The article may be correct - but it was caused by a writer of that article being 'chinged' himself. Sure SWT confirmed issuing the memo - and I saw it with my own eyes but you'll find Worst Great Western, GNER and various other operators have issued memos VERY similar. I'm quite happy to talk against the company as it has its many faults - as do many.

The penalty fares scheme SWT do run in the ways they are meant to - but like all companies most in the role are over-zealous and just tar everyone with the same brush.

If I was a SWT plant, my first few posts on this forum wouldn't be on how to avoid paying full fare on journies while remaining valid.

Tom

Altarf

tubechallenger wrote: »

That article is one entire load of trash.

Entirely biased and full of utter rubbish.

tubechallenger wrote: »

The article may be correct

So which is it 'trash' or 'correct', make up your mind.

C_Ronaldo

To the OP could you not have bought the return ticket when you bought the outgoing ticket or better still bought them a few days in advance