You’re right.
School trip.
Teacher didn’t meet kids at departure station (Dunblane), hadn’t told them exact destination station in Edinburgh, hadn’t given them her mobile.
The ten pupils all arrived, jumped in train as it was cold and due to depart. As usual at Dunblane the ticket office wasn’t open, and machine had a small queue waiting already.
Pupils thought ‘no problem, we will buy on train’.
Guard gets on, starts selling tickets. Then arrives at first four pupils, tells them to get off and buy tickets at machine despite them all wallet in hand.
Lads dutifully get off, queue at machine. Train departs as first boy gets ticket.
Cue a half hour wait for next train, teacher then meeting the four lads at Edinburgh station, having joined train at Stirling, and departed before she realised they were four short.
I’m on good terms with school and understand well the schools/teachers mistakes here. I teach teachers to do field trips and outdoors.
I’m as / more concerned that it was deemed ok to boot juvenile’s off, knowing train would leave, while serving adults tickets….