Made to pay for a ticket after my travel warrant got lost 26 January 2020 at 9:15PM in Public transport & cycling 7 replies 1.3K views

Kiko4564

Hello, I was once travelling to a probation appointment, but my travel warrant got lost in the post. I jumped on the train at Wymondham without buying one, as the station was a Paytrain (aka a "Pay On Train") station, and I did get the OK for this from the GA (Greater Anglia) contact centre. I jumped on the train, and when the conductor came round to check (and sell) tickets, I told the conductor this, his response was "unfortunately you'll have to buy a ticket mate". I think that that was bang out of order, especially given that he wouldn't let me finish my sentence before adruptly cutting me off. Was the conductor right, or should he have done something else instead? He could have allowed me to travel without a ticket, issued me with an Unpaid Fare Notice, or called control, or whoever to verify what to do but he instead made me pay up, despite me having a valid excuse. This is why I feel that he was bang out of order.

KeithP

I don't think he did anything wrong.

Perhaps if you have refused to pay he might've issued a UFN, but as you paid, that's the end of it.

Did your Probation Officer refund the fare?

Kiko4564

Perhaps, she didn't as she cannot do that, but GA eventually did.

55013

I think you might be the unluckiest person in the world! All these seemingly chance occurrences that put you at odds with ticket inspectors.

Anyway, it’s hard to see why the conductor should have acted any differently. A warrant constitutes a means of paying for a ticket rather than being a ticket in itself so the situation is no different to losing a ten pound note out of your pocket. As you apparently had other means to pay for the ticket there was no need to complicate things further. You could consider approaching the original issuer of the warrant to recover what you paid. As it wasn’t used they will not have been invoiced for it.

As for the conductor being abrupt. Is it possible that they have come across you before or otherwise be familiar with you. Purely hypothetically, IF you were known for being difficult you might find yourself unstuck in a situation like this that relies on goodwill from railway staff.

Hasbeen

Kiko4564 wrote: »

Hello, I was once travelling to a probation appointment, but my travel warrant got lost in the post. I jumped on the train at Wymondham without buying one, as the station was a Paytrain (aka a "Pay On Train") station, and I did get the OK for this from the GA (Greater Anglia) contact centre. I jumped on the train, and when the conductor came round to check (and sell) tickets, I told the conductor this, his response was "unfortunately you'll have to buy a ticket mate". I think that that was bang out of order, especially given that he wouldn't let me finish my sentence before adruptly cutting me off. Was the conductor right, or should he have done something else instead? He could have allowed me to travel without a ticket, issued me with an Unpaid Fare Notice, or called control, or whoever to verify what to do but he instead made me pay up, despite me having a valid excuse. This is why I feel that he was bang out of order.

You were definitely "bang out of order" trying to travel on a train without a valid ticket.

But of course you knew that and seem to go out of your way to be confrontational with anyone wearing a uniform.

Was the appointment to see the probation officer about you endless problems with any authority figures again? Where you videoing at the time? Potters police videos?

Enterprise_1701C

Put yourself in the conductor's shoes. This person says they should have a warrant but it has been lost in the post. As you say, it was an excuse, that is all. Would you have believed yourself?

Anyone can say they have lost their warrant/pass. There is a good reason why passes are replaced when they are lost.

JamoLew

I bet if you stop trying to be clever and dodge fairs then you will have less confrontations with train conductors -- might be worth considering

photome

JamoLew wrote: »

I bet if you stop trying to be clever and dodge fairs then you will have less confrontations with train conductors -- might be worth considering

This ^^^^^

not only that, he then comes on here knowing exactly what he has done while still trying to prove he is right