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Reported for prosecution

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bomi

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I was stopped today by some ticket men in normal clothes in regards to me not having a ticket for the travel?
they asked me for my ticket which i was not able to provide, then they asked why i do not have a ticket i told them my card did not work at the train station and also that i did not wait to try again as i was in a hurry, and i was going to get off at the next stop to get one before i was stopped and they said why then did i not go and meet the inspectors when i saw them to tell them about what happen that was it becos i was trying to avoid a penalty i told them no, but obviously i was scared when i first saw them and besides it was not long after which i got off the approached me,they asked for my details including my name and address and they asked me to sign the statement which he wrote, am really confused cos he did not even bother to give me a penalty ticket i asked him for one but he said i did not need one that i was going to get a letter in the post and i might need to reply afterwards,could it be that they re trying to fine me, it justhappened and am really confused on what to do.
 
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142094

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Need to know a few details before we can do anything:

1) Which stations were you travelling between?

2) Who stopped you - which train operating company did they work for, and did they show you ID?

3) Did they place you under caution?

4) What did both you and they say exactly?

5) Have you done this before?
 

bomi

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pls i need an advise from people as i am really worried, i know am very wrong here but i just want to know what to do next, i have never had a penalty fine before and this really worries me becos i was not given one and i never argued with the officers,i accepted i was wrong and they just told me to be expecting a letter and i would need to reply.
 

MidnightFlyer

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I'm sure people on here appreciate that, however if you could answer 142094's questions above it would aid any helpers on here greatly.
 

142094

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pls i need an advise from people as i am really worried, i know am very wrong here but i just want to know what to do next, i have never had a penalty fine before and this really worries me becos i was not given one and i never argued with the officers,i accepted i was wrong and they just told me to be expecting a letter and i would need to reply.

Before we can help you, we need the details above. Otherwise there is not much we can do.
 

bomi

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i was stopped at slade green,i dont remember who they said they worked for,they showed me a badge and they where dressed in casual clothes,they were other inspectors dressed in uniforms there as well,he asked me why i did not purchase a ticket and i told him its really not an excuse becos i was rushing and when i tried my ticket on the washine it did not work and i was going to get off at dartford because thats where the next train was going to and also thats where i need to take my further destination train,he asked me if i had cash to pay for my ticketand i said i dont have ticket but i would pay with my card,he asked why i did not go to the inspectors when i saw them at the station,i told him i was scared and paniced because i knew i was obviously in trouble because i did not have a valid ticket for that journey.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
i have not done this before, and he did not place me under any caution, the only thing he said was wen i continue my journey and i get stopped again i should mention that i have been stopped and my details have been taking he told me his name.and that was it
 

142094

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I know I am repeating, but you need to be a bit clearer, otherwise all I can suggest is that you wait for the letter to arrive.

Were you actually travelling from Slade Green? Also where were you travelling to, and which station did you change trains at? When you say the ticket machine didn't accept your card, did it decline it or was the card reader not working?
 

yorkie

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I was stopped today by some ticket men in normal clothes in regards to me not having a ticket for the travel?
Welcome to the forum, however I don't understand, is this a question?
they asked me for my ticket which i was not able to provide, then they asked why i do not have a ticket i told them my card did not work at the train station and also that i did not wait to try again as i was in a hurry, and i was going to get off at the next stop to get one before i was stopped and they said why then did i not go and meet the inspectors when i saw them to tell them about what happen that was it becos i was trying to avoid a penalty i told them no, but obviously i was scared when i first saw them and besides it was not long after which i got off the approached me,they asked for my details including my name and address and they asked me to sign the statement which he wrote
This is very hard to understand.

It's all in one sentence, it should be in separate paragraphs describing what happened at each stage. As so much information is lacking, I cannot possibly provide advice at this stage.
am really confused cos he did not even bother to give me a penalty ticket
A Penalty Fare? A penalty fare is a charge made for passengers who make a mistake in certain circumstances. If anyone acts in a way that causes an inspector to believe the person may have been avoiding payment, a penalty fare is not appropriate, and it may be deemed appropriate for the matter to be investigated, with a view to possible prosecution.

Although your post is lacking in detail, it does suggest that an inspector may have reasonable grounds for believing intent to avoid payment.
i asked him for one
People who make an innocent mistake, though liable for a penalty fare (in certain circumstances), are unlikely to ask for a penalty fare.
but he said i did not need one that i was going to get a letter in the post and i might need to reply afterwards,could it be that they re trying to fine me, it justhappened and am really confused on what to do.
It's not as simple as they are trying to fine you, but the inspector has likely submitted a statement for the prosecutions department to consider whether or not to take the matter forward.

It is likely that you may be asked to provide a statement. Have you been asked for a verbal or written statement at this stage?

You will likely get a letter soon, we may be able to provide some advice if we are given precise details regarding what the letter contains, and precise details about your journey.

I have amended the thread title, to reflect the (unfortunate) reality.
 

bomi

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i was travelling from abbeywood and got off at slade green because the that was the last stop for the train,which was where i was stopped,when i put the card into the reader, it said remove card about three times when i tried, i was really stupid not to be patient enough because i just jumped on the train.
 

Urban Gateline

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What time did you travel? As there seems to be a Ticket Office at Abbey Wood which is staffed for long hours during the day. If you travelled whilst this was open then it won't look good that you didn't make the effort to buy from there rather than using a self-service machine.

Your journey seems to be on Southeastern territory so most likely it was plain clothed Southeastern RPI's that stopped you.

Being in a rush is no excuse, you should leave enough time to buy your ticket before you travel. Although hindsight is wonderful, it's done now so the best is to await the letter from Southeastern and see what action they plan on taking, most likely a Byelaw prosecution as there was no intent to avoid the fare from hearing your side of events.

Post back here when you get that letter and some experts on here will be happy to advise you on further proceedings! :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
i was travelling from abbeywood and got off at slade green because the that was the last stop for the train,which was where i was stopped,when i put the card into the reader, it said remove card about three times when i tried, i was really stupid not to be patient enough because i just jumped on the train.

Abbey Wood has the following ticket office hours:

Monday-Friday 06:10-20:05
Saturday 06:10-20:05
Sunday 07:30-19:30

So why were you not able to purchase your ticket there? Or did you travel after it had shut?
 
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island

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Thanks for the answers. If it was Slade Green, it will be Southeastern ticket inspectors (or Railway Enforcement Officers as they like to call themselves).

They can't fine you, but if they send you a letter in the post it will generally be a request to explain what happened in your own words. We will be glad to help with your reply at that point. Be careful not to incriminate yourself.

One thing though, can you please try to use proper spelling and punctuation (especially full-stops), because your posting style is very hard to read.
 

bomi

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would ibe asked to court for this or would i be charged for a criminal offence
 

ralphchadkirk

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would ibe asked to court for this or would i be charged for a criminal offence

If you're being asked to attend a Court hearing, then you're being charged with an Offence.

As yet, it doesn't appear to have got that far though... yet.
 

Urban Gateline

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would ibe asked to court for this or would i be charged for a criminal offence

As far as I am aware, you cannot be charged without having a hearing for a byelaw offence. You may get the chance to settle out of court if you're lucky.
 

bomi

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am sorry about my spelling,am just really nervous and worried because i have never experienced such situation before,they even asked me how i intented buying my ticket i told them i was going to buy one from dartford hen i get off at dartford.
 

ralphchadkirk

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As far as I am aware, you cannot be charged without having a hearing for a byelaw offence. You may get the chance to settle out of court if you're lucky.

There is a difference between being charged and being convicted. The prosecution will charge you with an offence, it will go to court, and then a verdict will be reached.
 

Urban Gateline

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i told them i was going to buy one from dartford hen i get off at dartford.

Hmm but why did you get off the train at Slade Green then? That looks awfully suspicious as it is an open station so you could just walk out without buying a ticket. A serious question to consider is: What would you have done if the RPI's hadn't approached you? If the answer is you'd have bought a ticket from Slade Green's TVM to Dartford then that may be seen as avoiding the fare due...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There is a difference between being charged and being convicted. The prosecution will charge you with an offence, it will go to court, and then a verdict will be reached.

Thank you for explaining, I learn something new every day :)
 

island

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Hmm but why did you get off the train at Slade Green then? That looks awfully suspicious as it is an open station so you could just walk out without buying a ticket.

He said his train terminated there. Which would then raise the question why he went there in the first place, because semifast trains to Dartford stop at Abbey Wood but not Slade Green.
 

yorkie

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would ibe asked to court for this or would i be charged for a criminal offence
We don't have anywhere near enough information yet. There are 2 possible offences that you could be charged with. It's also possible they may ask for a written statement before deciding whether to go for the more serious, recordable charge (that requires intent - e.g. if you tried to avoid the inspectors) or the less serious charge that will not be recordable.

Sorry but you'll just have to wait until they write to you (unless you have more information you can tell us).
am sorry about my spelling,am just really nervous and worried because i have never experienced such situation before,they even asked me how i intented buying my ticket i told them i was going to buy one from dartford hen i get off at dartford.
Please take your time. Proof-read your posts before you press the submit button. We do have quite high standards for post legibility on this forum, and I do apologise it can be seen as strict and a pain at times, but that is part of our success, and if you make an effort to abide by that, I will be happy to make an effort to help you.

But you must be totally open and honest with us, and provide us with full information in a concise, complete, and easy to understand way.
 

Urban Gateline

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He said his train terminated there. Which would then raise the question why he went there in the first place, because semifast trains to Dartford stop at Abbey Wood but not Slade Green.

Agreed, it is odd. Let's wait to see the contents of the aforementioned letter!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
is it my reply on my own personal statement about what happened that would determine the next stage if i would be taken to court or not.

Yes, they will likely compare it with the report of the RPI and then decide likely action. You must tell the truth in your statement of events otherwise there is a large risk of a more serious prosecution/unwillingness to accept out of court settlement.
 
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NathanPrior

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i was travelling from abbeywood and got off at slade green because the that was the last stop for the train,which was where i was stopped,when i put the card into the reader, it said remove card about three times when i tried, i was really stupid not to be patient enough because i just jumped on the train.

This could of been due to the fact you have no money in your bank?
 

tsr

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This could of been due to the fact you have no money in your bank?

A common problem with certain TVMs is the fact that the card can easily be inserted the wrong way up or in the wrong direction. This can result in the "REMOVE CARD" message. Due to the small and confusing symbols used on some TVMs to indicate the direction in which a card should face when inserted, I would argue that it is reasonable for somebody in a hurry not to be able to use the card reader correctly. Needless to say, though, being in a hurry is no excuse for intentionally or knowingly evading a fare when such a fare could in theory be paid.
 

bomi

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Thank you all for all your response. I really do appreciate it.

I would just wait on the letter but could you please tell me how long it would take before I get the letter.

Also regarding the funds in my account, I had enough money in my account to buy me a ticket to travel for that journey, because I checked my on-line banking immediately after I boarded the train to find out if the problem was from my account. That's when I realised it was due to me being impatient that got me in trouble.
 
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swt_passenger

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A common problem with certain TVMs is the fact that the card can easily be inserted the wrong way up or in the wrong direction. This can result in the "REMOVE CARD" message.

In my experience some machines don't allow you to insert the card too early even if it is the right way round. Pre-empting the normal speed of operation will generate a 'remove card'...
 

Daz28

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He said his train terminated there. Which would then raise the question why he went there in the first place, because semifast trains to Dartford stop at Abbey Wood but not Slade Green.

During the peaks there are services fast from Abbey Wood to Dartford.

Off-peak, there are some services that terminate at Slade Green, but in all cases, the services from Slade Green to Dartford all call at Abbey Wood.

Therefore there is never any point in changing at Slade Green.

Of course it is easy to say this at a computer, with access to NRE. Bit different if you arrived at the station, had difficulty with the machine, and then see a train pull into the platform.
 
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