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Question regarding use of tickets bought with a senior railcard to exit ticket barriers

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  • JGB1955
    JGB1955 Posts: 3,841 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 June 2023 at 6:56PM
    Why is anyone worried about this?  You buy a ticket with a Railcard.  If a ticket inspector comes down the train and asks to see your Railcard, that's perfectly reasonable.  If asked at the ticket barrier, why does that suddenly become unreasonable?  Stopping fare evasion is in everyone's best interests.
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  • katejo
    katejo Posts: 4,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 June 2023 at 7:20PM
    JGB1955 said:
    Why is anyone worried about this?  You buy a ticket with a Railcard.  If a ticket inspector comes down the train and asks to see your Railcard, that's perfectly reasonable.  If asked at the ticket barrier, why does that suddenly become unreasonable?  Stopping fare evasion is in everyone's best interests.
    I have no objection to a ticket inspector checking ALL tickets on a train or even a revenue officer stopping ALL passengers at the barriers for a spot check. I do object to the assumption every time I travel that I am cheating because I have a railcard. I missed a return train last time because I had to wait to get through the gate. 
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 41,296 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 June 2023 at 10:40PM
    katejo said:
    JGB1955 said:
    Why is anyone worried about this?  You buy a ticket with a Railcard.  If a ticket inspector comes down the train and asks to see your Railcard, that's perfectly reasonable.  If asked at the ticket barrier, why does that suddenly become unreasonable?  Stopping fare evasion is in everyone's best interests.
    I have no objection to a ticket inspector checking ALL tickets on a train or even a revenue officer stopping ALL passengers at the barriers for a spot check. I do object to the assumption every time I travel that I am cheating because I have a railcard. I missed a return train last time because I had to wait to get through the gate. 
    It's really quite simple.

    All the people they have not been stopped at the barrier have a full price ticket and of course they have no railcard.

    The people that are stopped have a discounted ticket and they want to see that the holder of that discounted ticket has proof of eligibility to that discount.
  • JGB1955 said:
    Why is anyone worried about this?  You buy a ticket with a Railcard.  If a ticket inspector comes down the train and asks to see your Railcard, that's perfectly reasonable.  If asked at the ticket barrier, why does that suddenly become unreasonable?  Stopping fare evasion is in everyone's best interests.
    I object when it makes the difference between catching a train just before the doors close and missing a train because I have to find someone and queue.
  • katejo
    katejo Posts: 4,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    JGB1955 said:
    Why is anyone worried about this?  You buy a ticket with a Railcard.  If a ticket inspector comes down the train and asks to see your Railcard, that's perfectly reasonable.  If asked at the ticket barrier, why does that suddenly become unreasonable?  Stopping fare evasion is in everyone's best interests.
    I object when it makes the difference between catching a train just before the doors close and missing a train because I have to find someone and queue.
    Yes exactly! I just missed a train last time because of this.
  • Sapindus
    Sapindus Posts: 663 Forumite
    500 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    But if they let people through without checking, if there was a risk they would miss their train, the fare dodgers would know that all they need to do is arrive at the last minute.  The times you have been challenged but then they "didn't even look at the railcard" they will have been able to tell by your demeanour that you were genuine.
  • MilesT6060842
    MilesT6060842 Posts: 244 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Sapindus said:
    But if they let people through without checking, if there was a risk they would miss their train, the fare dodgers would know that all they need to do is arrive at the last minute.  The times you have been challenged but then they "didn't even look at the railcard" they will have been able to tell by your demeanour that you were genuine.
    The guard on the train (augmented by addition revenue staff from time to time) should be adequate to detect fare dodgers, while providing the expected experience to the travelling public.
  • katejo
    katejo Posts: 4,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Sapindus said:
    But if they let people through without checking, if there was a risk they would miss their train, the fare dodgers would know that all they need to do is arrive at the last minute.  The times you have been challenged but then they "didn't even look at the railcard" they will have been able to tell by your demeanour that you were genuine.
    The guard on the train (augmented by addition revenue staff from time to time) should be adequate to detect fare dodgers, while providing the expected experience to the travelling public.
    That's my view too. Setting the ticket barriers to stop everyone with a railcard of any type is rather like saying we are guilty of fare evasion until proven innocent by showing the railcard. 
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