It wasn't the way it was meant to read however I admit I could have worded the post better. Putting words into your mouth was not my intention, apologies if it comes across otherwise.
However the point still stands, regardless of what train ticket you hold, you are entitled to seek assistance from any member of railway staff. If you choose to overcomplicate things by searching for particular uniforms when you need info then that it is your choice and you are perfectly entitled to continue to do so.
Similarly any member of railway staff is entitled to ask to inspect your ticket while on railway premises should they have reason/authority to do so.
Thank you for your apology, it is a curse of fora (and written communication in general) that you have to be so careful to write in a way that it actually says what you want it to say with no room for interpretation.
Given the power that the TOCs, and indeed the individual staff have in the railway situation is immense, I prefer to err on the side of paranoid caution.
Given that the TOCs are responsible for enforcing the law and deciding who is to be prosecuted,then implements the prosecution and directly benefits from said prosecution, it means they lack the checks & balances that for example the Police have where the CPS makes the decision over what files go to prosecution.
The only similar thing I can think about is POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) where the Police benefit directly from the prosecution. This law was intended to be used against drug kingpins and other very serious offenders, but it is beginning to be subverted. There was a high profile example near me where a brothel operating was the subject of a violent armed robbery. The robbers, though known to the owner of the brothel were never apprehended, and because she called the Police she was then prosecuted under POCA, despite the fact that she had operated without complaint (and the Police had even visited before) for many years. Even the judge said how unfair it was but was powerless to intervene.
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