railway stuff can be a PITA, I got an offpeak ticket last month, a few trains were running late so I got the first train to come through after 9:30 (offpeak) but because the train was timetabled to run at peak time I had to pay the extra. The guy didn’t try fining me and it was only a few quid extra but I was pissed off about it.

Now there is a special name for this, but I cant remember it: where the fine multiplied by the probability of begin caught, is less that you would pay for tickets.

I read about a group of commuters who pay into an “insurance” scheme instead of buying tickets. When someone is caught and fined, the fine is paid out of the scheme. The scheme normally runs a large surplus which pays dividends back to the members. Apparently saves members a lot of money compared with buying tickets.

Morally dubious? Discuss!

WTF?

I live in Worcester, use that same train line quite often, have never had to purchase a ticket before getting on the train! In fact, at most “stations” (read platforms) on that line, there isn’t facility to buy a ticket on the line anyway so you have to buy one on the train!

Which station did you get on at nunuboogie?

mboy – he got on at worcester. cant use the “no ticket facilities” excuse with that one.

fair point stoner, should’ve said you got on at Pershore instead then!

😉

From Foregate Street, really don’t want a court summons, hoping they will just send a fine (that isn’t too large)!

Good luck with that nunuboogie!

On another matter, where do you normally ride? You live in Worcester I take it?

Wyre forest, forest of dean and the Malvern Hills are regular riding spots, how about yourself? Not much riding direct from the door unfortunately unless it’s to Malvern.

But what legal authority did a mere ticket inspector (as opposed to a policeman) have to issue a criminal conviction? (are you sure this was an actual caution, issued under the criminal legislation?)

And conduct an interview for that matter – if it’s a criminal conviction you now have, was this an interview conducted under PACE? Did he read you your rights, formerly arrest you, all that? A ticket inspector?

I’m not sure if it is a criminal caution, yes my rights where read to me but I was interviewed on the platform with a normal lined paper notepad with no-one else present.

jhw – railway legislation is full of anomolies (sp?) going back 150 years – to before the police even existed.

If it’s a criminal offense to give a false name and address when asked then that’s the law whether someone is ‘a mere ticket inspector’ or just ‘a ticket inspector’.

Not much riding from the door indeed, but I tend to ride the same spots you do ironically!

Your email in your profile, that a proper email addy for you? I’m always on the lookout for local riders, was trying to get a regular ride going a few months ago, but had way too few people interested sadly…

Yes no falsifying information here 😉

I used to never buy a ticket commuting and just pay the fine when caught – worked out way cheaper than buying a ticket for every journey.

A cautionary tale….

Pfft. I would’ve just given the name and addy of someone I don’t like, and then bin on my merry way.

Yes, I have done just that. So? You’ve had disgusting thoughts about your Mother In Law, you sick pervert. Who are you to judge me?

Ive had all manner of stupid ticket problems and jumped up morons doing tickets at stations/on trains. Part of the reason I hate public transport. On more than 50% of occasions I’d buy a ticket on the train, usually cos the train I caught came at the same time as the station guys morning constitutional, but sometimes they’d refuse. They’d tell me they were going to fine me and I’d tell them that if they were not going to take my cash for a ticket as had happened several hundred times before I’d simply walk off without paying and they’d have to call the police. This bluff never failed, luckily.

But what legal authority did a mere ticket inspector (as opposed to a policeman) have to issue a criminal conviction? (are you sure this was an actual caution, issued under the criminal legislation?)

I think it was MidlandTrailquestsGraham and his famous scam!

I didn’t know you lived in worcester!, small world

Well I’d just like to thank all you people who dodge fares for keeping my season ticket prices nice and high.

Theft is theft, however you choose to dress it up and it’s still theft even if the train company is run by fat cat arses

You too then rOcKeTdOg?
Had a lovely ride in this morning, Screw you trains!

THe worst that happens on the trains round here if you don’t buy a ticket before departing is you have to pay the full fare from the ticket inspector, not a discounted fare you’d get from buying the ticket on the platform or in advance.

That’s a great idea BoardinBob, a service that looks after it’s customers, wonder if it’ll ever catch on?

What happens if you aren’t on the electoral register?

Just give your next door neighbour’s name and address. Actually, just give my next door neighbour’s address so the selfish, deaf bastards get loads of court summons.

Well I’d just like to thank all you people who dodge fares for keeping my season ticket prices nice and high.

Theft is theft, however you choose to dress it up and it’s still theft even if the train company is run by fat cat arses

Where did anyone suggest dodging the fare? 🙄

The reason your season ticket is priced so high is because the trains are run by morons who have to make a profit. On my old line I would get on, pay my £7 fare (more than it cost to drive and park for the day), and watch 50% of the passengers walk on, not get challenged for a ticket, and then walk off having had free travel. As they’d cut the number of manned stations to about 30% most of the time they couldn’t tell where anyone got on and so when they got off at the other end they just asked for a ticket from the closest station.

THAT is why ticket prices are high. Not those here who’ve got on, looked to buy a ticket but not been able to.

My daughter was running late the other day and one of the ticket machines was out of order and a queue for the other machine. If she had waited she would have missed her train and would have been 50 minutes late for work. She thought she could just buy a ticket on the train as she had done before – but no, she got fined. So I wrote a letter which was not replied to and now have recieved a reminder which the fine increased! There’s no phone number to talk to anyone just to leave a message for someone to call you – and do they? Nope. This is jsut a revenue generating company (IRCAS) which are no better than wheel-clampers! There’s nothing I can do except pay.

Ignore it, due to a complete lack of justification for the “fine”?

Where did anyone suggest dodging the fare?

Well there’s two quite blatent ones on this page for a start