Money Moral Dilemma: I'm a rail worker – should I report my friend for dodging fares?

SStitanic

Youd have to tell him you were reporting him, if you dont then youre not his friend, if h knew you were reporting him then he'd probably not want to be your friend anymore. So it really depends if you want a friendship to continue or if your own moral code is more important, but then youd also need to self reflect and own up, have you never broken the law, no? really what not ever??

DRH355

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I've recently learned one of my friends has been deliberately evading train fares for some time by 'short faring' - buying tickets for only part of the journeys he makes. Should I report him to the train firm concerned, which could lead to him being issued a penalty fare notice or even being taken to court? Or should I turn a blind eye as he's a friend, even though he's effectively damaging the industry I work in?

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I know he is your friend BUT this is no different than shoplifting.  It's theft, maximum sentence 10 years imprisonment.  Speak with him first and tell him you are uncomfortable with what he is doing, he may stop.  If he doesn't he must know the consequences and what may happen.  Would you report an unknown person who was doing this?  If you are uncomfortable reporting him you could get a co-worker to do it on your behalf.  Yes he should be reported.

Spurlo98

At the end of the day this is your decision. Your friends actions are illegal but who hasn't dodged a bus/train any other sort of fare or ticket at some point in their lives? 

If you value your friendship and wouldn't want to do something to their detriment then don't report them - if I were your friend I would consider it a breach of trust as clearly you were told in confidence. I really don't see who you would be benefitting by reporting this also.

The amount of people here saying that this is the reason train fares are so high astounds me... It's the same as the boring old argument that 'benefits scroungers' or 'illegal immigrants' are the reasons people are in hardship or struggling to make ends meet.

Rail companies have chosen not to invest in their services and chosen to raise prices whilst also choosing to pay out huge dividends to shareholders and massive wages to their CEO's 
Check out any rail article on OpenDemocracy for more on this

The great privatisation experiment has failed miserably and this is the reason our railways are useless and expensive, not the actions of a few fare dodgers...

lucycbell

How would this even work? You'd have to be caught without a ticket, and there's no way to prove they've travelled previously without a ticket. It's the train company responsibilities to check tickets, and if they don't, and people get away with it, great for those people. I would never tap on or buy a ticket in London where stations don't have barriers. 

NJSN

I would neither report nor ignore anyone, let alone a friend.  Arm yourself with examples of penalties awarded for this exact offence along with the consequences for those taken to court.  Pass this information on to your friend and graphically show how it would affect their status and career.
Our society right now is not in the best of health, betraying our friends is not going to improve this situation. Snitching is, or was, culturally frowned upon in Britain from schooldays onward.  Mao created a snitching culture and the actions of resulting informers destroyed families, friendships and ultimately it contributed to the corrosion of society.  Friends are valuable, far more valuable than a percentage of a train fare.

BadAnnie

There must be a lot of immoral people out there. Theft is theft whether it is from a supermarket, travel company, your workplace or wherever else you can think of. If you didn't buy it, or somebody give it to you as a gift then it does not belong to you. Things wouldn't be so expensive if everybody paid for what they had. Even using an electric socket to charge your phone or laptop in a cafe is theft if you haven't asked the cafe owners permission to do it.

JoeJoe0154

It’s one of the reasons why fares keep rising REPORT HIM

confusedgranny

Yes I agree with those who have said tell him the penalties and that you are uncomfortable with what he is doing.
Then he will either stop or carry on without telling you. If you reported him do you have any proof that he has done this, he could deny it or say that what he said to you was a joke.

bramcote1963

Wow the replies on here really show me why the country has boiled down into a mess of finger pointing, blaming and battling against each other whilst the 'big man in charge' wins. I would suggest most of you put down the Daily Mail and recognise that a hard working bloke not paying a part of his fare is NOT costing you any money. Even by paying part fare, he is profitable to the train companies given their inflated fares, which go directly to offshore trust structures in tax havens, not the UK state.

Back in the 70s and 80s we were all raised with values of respect, decency, pride and a sense of belonging. We would do anything to help our neighbours and the common working man. Now look at the state of this country in 2023? People taking the side of a foreign owned tax dodging rail company over our own citizens. I bet you also believe 'immigrants are ruining the NHS' - it's sickening and plain wrong. People genuinely saying paying part train fare is the same as shoplifting!!!!

Some of you need to look at the pride and values your ancestors had, and what made our great country a beacon of success. They helped each other out and rose up the social ladders together, they did not take the side of thieves and bandits like the rail companies. If the poll tax was introduced today, you'd have a load of Daily Mail readers putting stickers on their doors saying 'proud to pay poll tax.' What a joke of a nation we now are.

thegentleway

I'd never snitch on a friend; you can't have a real friendship without loyalty.

That said I would question their behaviour and encourage them to behave more ethically.