Didn't pay train fare!!!!

toffee'n'tom · 11 September 2012 at 10:09PM

I travelled on the train to work today for the first time ever (only because there is no train station where I live - nothing against train travel). I took my car for an MOT to a garage next to an unmanned train station with no ticket machine and I was travelling about 3 miles to the end of the line. I've only ever travelled a few times on a train from a main station when I have either purchased the ticket on line or at the station.

Anyway my son said that a conductor would collect my fare on the train. I got on - money in hand - but no conductor. We stopped at one station. Still no conductor and then we reached the end of the line. I disembarked and no conductor and no-one to pay and no turnstile to get out.

I know it was only 90p but I felt dreadful. I absolutely instill into my two children not to be dishonest in any way whatsoever and I even gave a lecture about avoiding train fares only that week (not that they would!) as both were catching a train themselves. And there I was - fare dodging!

Now I may have to take my car in again. What should I have done?

TrickyWicky · 11 September 2012 at 10:12PM

Next time go and find the conductor instead. They're always on the train so you've no excuse not to pay your fare. You are on public transport afterall so its not like your legs don't work is it?

Here is Trickys handy guide to buying a train ticket:
Next time you get on the train, watch for where the guard is hanging out the door watching the passengers alight. Make a mental note if he/she is to your left or right. Get on the train and go in that direction until you find them. Buy a ticket.

If its any consolation, years ago me and a mate used to jump on the train to get from one side of town to the other. The journey was so short half the time the guard used to tell us not to worry as it was only something like 70p in the evening at the weekend so technically I've fare dodged (with permission) on several occassions!

andyd55 · 11 September 2012 at 10:12PM

Drop the money in a charity box and write a nice little letter to the train company.

toffee'n'tom · 11 September 2012 at 10:19PM

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Next time go and find the conductor instead. They're always on the train so you've no excuse not to pay your fare. You are on public transport afterall so its not like your legs don't work is it?

Here is Trickys handy guide to buying a train ticket:
Next time you get on the train, watch for where the guard is hanging out the door watching the passengers alight. Make a mental note if he/she is to your left or right. Get on the train and go in that direction until you find them. Buy a ticket.

If its any consolation, years ago me and a mate used to jump on the train to get from one side of town to the other. The journey was so short half the time the guard used to tell us not to worry as it was only something like 70p in the evening at the weekend so technically I've fare dodged (with permission) on several occassions!

Thankfully I don't have a disability or I may have been offended by that remark!!! Easy to say if you travel by train every day. At least 30+ got on at the station and I didn't witness them in large numbers wandering around the train in search of a guard!

TrickyWicky · 11 September 2012 at 10:37PM

Maybe they have season tickets. Just because you didn't see them going to find the guard doesn't mean they didn't have valid tickets OR that those in another carriage didn't.

As for the remark about using your legs, if you were in a wheelchair you would have found the guard to get assistance so what I said wasn't meant to be offensive but simply logical. There is no need to try and turn this into a discrimination issue to divert the attention from your wrong doing. I've simply told you what is logical. Whether you choose to accept that or try and turn it around on me to make yourself feel better is down to you but you're the one who'll have to live with your fare dodging ways not me.

toffee'n'tom · 11 September 2012 at 10:42PM

I'm surprised anyone posts on here asking for advice if they're met with such comments. I won't be doing it again.:(

thelawnet · 11 September 2012 at 10:50PM

90p. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

whitewing · 11 September 2012 at 10:55PM

I have to say that I wouldn't have known conductors are always on the train. After all, you don't tend to see bus conductors any more (in our area) and they stem from the same era.

wealdroam · 11 September 2012 at 11:02PM

thelawnet wrote: »

90p.

I didn't even realise there were still any fares as low as 90p.

Toffee'n'tom, care to tell us where?

TrickyWicky · 11 September 2012 at 11:33PM

toffeentom wrote: »

I'm surprised anyone posts on here asking for advice if they're met with such comments. I won't be doing it again.:(

Sheesh, I wasn't trying to offend you, I was simply saying it how it is. You're the one who decided to have a snipe at me about the disabled stuff yet I was the one who had replied to you previously with a rather jovial reply and told you about my own antics to try and make you feel better.

If you're going to snipe at someone then you can expect it back. Don't then grumble about it and threaten never to come back, thats just silly.

Like I said, I was simply speaking it as it is. No offence was intended.

TrickyWicky · 11 September 2012 at 11:34PM

wealdroam wrote: »

I didn't even realise there were still any fares as low as 90p.

Toffee'n'tom, care to tell us where?

Usually in larger towns that have 2 or 3 stations - evenings at the weekend are usually rock bottom price (or used to be).

Better still, get a permit to travel for as little as 5p and hope you don't see the guard (done that once under BR and got home for 5p on a journey that would cost £8 but that was in the days when the guards didn't exist in the evenings!)

Didn't pay train fare!!!!

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