>**Train ticket inspectors should treat deliberate fare dodgers differently to people who make genuine mistakes, the passenger watchdog has said.**
And how the fuck are they supposed to tell the difference?
>Alexandra Petri and her partner Ross Jones bought advance train tickets but ended up on the wrong train. When they tried to pay the difference in fares of £3 they each had to pay a penalty fare of £50.
You booked a seat on a specific train, be on that train, or buy a new ticket. I can’t turn up to the airport and get on a different plane and “pay the difference in ticket price”, prebooked trains are no different.
>Many we spoke to said they had mistakenly believed they could buy tickets on board a train.
Maybe it’s just me, but the signage on the ticket terminals pretty clearly says that you need a ticket to get on a train – the only exception being if the ticket machines at your departing station are out of order.
brazilish on
>Many we spoke to said they had mistakenly believed they could buy tickets on board a train.
I’ve done this numerous times and always thought it was a valid option.
Marcuse0 on
Perhaps if train companies simplified fares it would be easier for people not to make mistakes. If you deliberately create a system which is designed to be confusing hoping people will pay more because they don’t know all the intricacies of your system, it’s not then fair or moral to fine people sixteen times the cost of the correct fare because you have a deliberately arbitrary system which over punishes people to make an example of them.
Every single aspect of this is corner cutting to the benefit of the train operators and the detriment of the passenger.
Remarkable-Ad155 on
The example in the article does seem really unfair but surely opening it up to shades of grey will just lead to abuse?
In their example, it seems unlikely you’d deliberately dodge £3 if you’d already paid for a ticket but you are just now going to get people buying the cheapest shit fare to London and then getting a rush hour train claiming “honest mistake” if they caught.
Bubbly-Thought-2349 on
On the commuter trains I get it’s impossible to get on or off the platform without going through a ticket barrier. I still see plenty of people getting penalised for what appear to be honest mistakes around ticket validity and permitted routes. Always thought that was harsh. I don’t think the rail firm takes you to court if you just pay them money early enough though, based on what the conductor says when charging them a fortune.
Problem is if you show someone lenience for misunderstanding what a negative easement is then you’ll have plenty of people arranging to be on the wrong train to take the piss. But seems hard to get away with repeatedly. I’m sure the train firms can correlate origin stations, payment cards, time of day, CCTV etc to nab people doing it time and again. Those guys should be made an example of.
Trentdison on
Train fares are far too complicated, it takes a lot of work to know if you’re being ripped off. Wtf is peak off peak super off peak.
Just charge by mile and keep it simple.
thepowerofwhodo on
Almost got a fine once because the ticket machine outside the rural trainstation near me (the only one at that) wasn’t working and the lady manning the ticket office advised me to just go ahead and buy my ticket on the train because she had to go to the loo and wouldn’t be back in time before it departs.
This was a few years ago now. They don’t even employ anyone in the ticket office anymore so goodness knows what happens now when the ticket machine isn’t operating.
Impressive_Bed_287 on
Why are privatised companies still being allowed to use criminal legislation to pursue unpaid fares? Why isn’t it a civil matter like most other kinds of fares?
Separate-Ad-5255 on
Do agree with a fairer system, but the issue is identifying those who are actively fare dodging and genuinely made a error it would be difficult to identify those.
I don’t understand how they could implement one which would successfully identify the differences between genuine errors and not.
Lonely_Sherbert69 on
The issue is, the penalties are there to scare us into obeying. If they stop financially punishing us they will have to care more about us, the plebs.
FenderForever62 on
Paid for a single the other day, mistakenly thinking I was getting a return. A return would have cost 20p more
Went up to the help desk to explain and got told I’d be fined for riding a return train without a ticket. Explained several times that wasn’t my intention and I’m happy to pay for the extra single ticket, however begrudgingly. Got the ‘youll be fined for doing this’ lecture a further three times before they let me just buy a single ticket. Like either fine me or don’t bitch! Just end the lecture already and tell me what I need to pay
ChangingMyLife849 on
I have no sympathy to be honest, why should people get away with cheating the system?
Nice-Substance-gogo on
Train companies go for low hanging fruit. Respectable people will pay the fine so they go after them. A hoodie with an attitude they will let go and not even attempt to stop.
WatchVaderDance on
Lol, £137.50 for £2.50 because they refused to let me buy a ticket on the train.
14 Comments
>**Train ticket inspectors should treat deliberate fare dodgers differently to people who make genuine mistakes, the passenger watchdog has said.**
And how the fuck are they supposed to tell the difference?
>Alexandra Petri and her partner Ross Jones bought advance train tickets but ended up on the wrong train. When they tried to pay the difference in fares of £3 they each had to pay a penalty fare of £50.
You booked a seat on a specific train, be on that train, or buy a new ticket. I can’t turn up to the airport and get on a different plane and “pay the difference in ticket price”, prebooked trains are no different.
>Many we spoke to said they had mistakenly believed they could buy tickets on board a train.
Maybe it’s just me, but the signage on the ticket terminals pretty clearly says that you need a ticket to get on a train – the only exception being if the ticket machines at your departing station are out of order.
>Many we spoke to said they had mistakenly believed they could buy tickets on board a train.
I’ve done this numerous times and always thought it was a valid option.
Perhaps if train companies simplified fares it would be easier for people not to make mistakes. If you deliberately create a system which is designed to be confusing hoping people will pay more because they don’t know all the intricacies of your system, it’s not then fair or moral to fine people sixteen times the cost of the correct fare because you have a deliberately arbitrary system which over punishes people to make an example of them.
Every single aspect of this is corner cutting to the benefit of the train operators and the detriment of the passenger.
The example in the article does seem really unfair but surely opening it up to shades of grey will just lead to abuse?
In their example, it seems unlikely you’d deliberately dodge £3 if you’d already paid for a ticket but you are just now going to get people buying the cheapest shit fare to London and then getting a rush hour train claiming “honest mistake” if they caught.
On the commuter trains I get it’s impossible to get on or off the platform without going through a ticket barrier. I still see plenty of people getting penalised for what appear to be honest mistakes around ticket validity and permitted routes. Always thought that was harsh. I don’t think the rail firm takes you to court if you just pay them money early enough though, based on what the conductor says when charging them a fortune.
Problem is if you show someone lenience for misunderstanding what a negative easement is then you’ll have plenty of people arranging to be on the wrong train to take the piss. But seems hard to get away with repeatedly. I’m sure the train firms can correlate origin stations, payment cards, time of day, CCTV etc to nab people doing it time and again. Those guys should be made an example of.
Train fares are far too complicated, it takes a lot of work to know if you’re being ripped off. Wtf is peak off peak super off peak.
Just charge by mile and keep it simple.
Almost got a fine once because the ticket machine outside the rural trainstation near me (the only one at that) wasn’t working and the lady manning the ticket office advised me to just go ahead and buy my ticket on the train because she had to go to the loo and wouldn’t be back in time before it departs.
This was a few years ago now. They don’t even employ anyone in the ticket office anymore so goodness knows what happens now when the ticket machine isn’t operating.
Why are privatised companies still being allowed to use criminal legislation to pursue unpaid fares? Why isn’t it a civil matter like most other kinds of fares?
Do agree with a fairer system, but the issue is identifying those who are actively fare dodging and genuinely made a error it would be difficult to identify those.
I don’t understand how they could implement one which would successfully identify the differences between genuine errors and not.
The issue is, the penalties are there to scare us into obeying. If they stop financially punishing us they will have to care more about us, the plebs.
Paid for a single the other day, mistakenly thinking I was getting a return. A return would have cost 20p more
Went up to the help desk to explain and got told I’d be fined for riding a return train without a ticket. Explained several times that wasn’t my intention and I’m happy to pay for the extra single ticket, however begrudgingly. Got the ‘youll be fined for doing this’ lecture a further three times before they let me just buy a single ticket. Like either fine me or don’t bitch! Just end the lecture already and tell me what I need to pay
I have no sympathy to be honest, why should people get away with cheating the system?
Train companies go for low hanging fruit. Respectable people will pay the fine so they go after them. A hoodie with an attitude they will let go and not even attempt to stop.
Lol, £137.50 for £2.50 because they refused to let me buy a ticket on the train.