mollyundersea
Member
- Joined
- 28 Feb 2012
- Messages
- 7
I received this letter addressing: you were questioned by a member of rail staff (at Ilford Station) about the payment of a rail fare on xx date. Before I proceed further with the investigation of this matter, I would like to give you the opportunity of responding with your explanation concerning this incident. Please complete the bottom section of this letter and if you wish to make any comments about the incident, please do so on the reverse of this letter.
I am new to this forum but I have noticed that it has helped many people out, so I hope to be advised on how to respond to this letter. I am concerned about two parts: I think I am innocent but to what extent I should address that; the name I provided them in the first place is a casual name that Ive been using for years and is not the one on my passport, should I update them with this information?
This is the full story: I was going to buy a ticket and was heading towards the ticket machine. Then a guy stopped me, saying that he has a day ticket that was no use to him anymore and asking whether Id like to have it by paying him a couple of pounds. I have never come across this situation before and so I was very curious whether the ticket was genuine. Therefore, with the guys permission, I went to the gate, with a couple of ticket inspectors watching, put the ticket in, and then the gate was opened, and out of instinct I walked inside the gate as well. Then immediately I was stopped by a revenue inspector. She said to me that you are breaking the law and then asked me to put down personal details and refused to say anything further until I gave her my contact details or otherwise shed call up the police. At that point the guy who tried to sell me his ticket was running away in front of the inspector but she didnt even try to stop him. So I gave her my contact details, and then she started asking me questions and read out cautions to me. In the end, she said her boss will write me a letter asking further questions, and then they would decide whether to give me a fine or take me to court. So a month later, I received such letter.
When she asked me questions, I stressed that I have been aware that boarding a train without valid ticket is breaking the law, but it wasnt until the point she stopped me and told me I was breaking the law that I knew valid tickets have to be purchased from railway companies. This isnt said anywhere on the train or station is it? Besides, I didnt buy the ticket and I didnt board the train with the ticket. All I did was being curious and trying to find out if the ticket was genuine. This can be proven by the CCTV record. One question Ive asked myself, is whether I would buy the ticket after I proved it is valid. I truly dont know the answer. I might buy it as I said I didnt know that would be breaking the law. But if the inspector had just given me a warning that by doing that you are breaking the law then Id definitely not buy it. Could somebody advise, whether I have indeed broken the law, and whether I should put these two arguments in my response to this letter from the inspectors?
When I was asked to put down personal details, because like I said the inspector didnt allow me to say anything and I saw her let the guy who tried to sell me the ticket go, I was very frustrated and I just wanted to complete the form so that I could start speaking to her. Hence when I put down the name, out of instinct I put down the name that Ive been called at work- as I just finished a busy day at work. Ive been using this casual name for two years and its been on the employee systems of all my previous and current employers. But it is not the name on my passport- I am Chinese and my Chinese name is difficult to pronounce and hence the adoption of a casual name. I also have two dates for birthday, one as in Chinese lunar calendar which is an outdated tradition but it is the one on my passport, the other one is in Gregorian calendar and Ive been using that one since Im a kid. So when I put down personal details, out of habit I put down the one in Gregorian calendar. Now this letter from the Prosecution Unit is asking me for personal details again including National Insurance number. Should I provide them with my name and birthday as on my passport/national insurance card and explain why they are different from what I provided them at the station?
I look forward to some feedback and I hope to respond to this letter asap as I dont know if they are going to charge me another offense for not responding to them sooner (though the letter doesnt give a deadline for replying). So thank you all for reading and responding!
I am new to this forum but I have noticed that it has helped many people out, so I hope to be advised on how to respond to this letter. I am concerned about two parts: I think I am innocent but to what extent I should address that; the name I provided them in the first place is a casual name that Ive been using for years and is not the one on my passport, should I update them with this information?
This is the full story: I was going to buy a ticket and was heading towards the ticket machine. Then a guy stopped me, saying that he has a day ticket that was no use to him anymore and asking whether Id like to have it by paying him a couple of pounds. I have never come across this situation before and so I was very curious whether the ticket was genuine. Therefore, with the guys permission, I went to the gate, with a couple of ticket inspectors watching, put the ticket in, and then the gate was opened, and out of instinct I walked inside the gate as well. Then immediately I was stopped by a revenue inspector. She said to me that you are breaking the law and then asked me to put down personal details and refused to say anything further until I gave her my contact details or otherwise shed call up the police. At that point the guy who tried to sell me his ticket was running away in front of the inspector but she didnt even try to stop him. So I gave her my contact details, and then she started asking me questions and read out cautions to me. In the end, she said her boss will write me a letter asking further questions, and then they would decide whether to give me a fine or take me to court. So a month later, I received such letter.
When she asked me questions, I stressed that I have been aware that boarding a train without valid ticket is breaking the law, but it wasnt until the point she stopped me and told me I was breaking the law that I knew valid tickets have to be purchased from railway companies. This isnt said anywhere on the train or station is it? Besides, I didnt buy the ticket and I didnt board the train with the ticket. All I did was being curious and trying to find out if the ticket was genuine. This can be proven by the CCTV record. One question Ive asked myself, is whether I would buy the ticket after I proved it is valid. I truly dont know the answer. I might buy it as I said I didnt know that would be breaking the law. But if the inspector had just given me a warning that by doing that you are breaking the law then Id definitely not buy it. Could somebody advise, whether I have indeed broken the law, and whether I should put these two arguments in my response to this letter from the inspectors?
When I was asked to put down personal details, because like I said the inspector didnt allow me to say anything and I saw her let the guy who tried to sell me the ticket go, I was very frustrated and I just wanted to complete the form so that I could start speaking to her. Hence when I put down the name, out of instinct I put down the name that Ive been called at work- as I just finished a busy day at work. Ive been using this casual name for two years and its been on the employee systems of all my previous and current employers. But it is not the name on my passport- I am Chinese and my Chinese name is difficult to pronounce and hence the adoption of a casual name. I also have two dates for birthday, one as in Chinese lunar calendar which is an outdated tradition but it is the one on my passport, the other one is in Gregorian calendar and Ive been using that one since Im a kid. So when I put down personal details, out of habit I put down the one in Gregorian calendar. Now this letter from the Prosecution Unit is asking me for personal details again including National Insurance number. Should I provide them with my name and birthday as on my passport/national insurance card and explain why they are different from what I provided them at the station?
I look forward to some feedback and I hope to respond to this letter asap as I dont know if they are going to charge me another offense for not responding to them sooner (though the letter doesnt give a deadline for replying). So thank you all for reading and responding!