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FGW kicked vulnerable passenger off train because card machine wasn't working

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Eagle

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It also doesn't say that it was the next stop after St James. It said it was the next stop after the guard spoke to him. Assuming he didn't change trains, that could be anywhere on the Exmouth, Paignton or Barnstaple lines.
 
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CC 72100

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Was the "next stop" an unmanned station, or a manned station with facilities for the chap to buy a ticket?

Either Polsloe Bridge (not much there either, just a platform) or Exeter central, depends which way they were travelling, which is obviously manned with human ticket office etc.
 

bnm

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... the abbreviations and other talk was quite scary...

... it being mostly a bunch of cliquey mums that think they know it all but really don't?

Any different from us here? Full of acronyms and abbreviations that mean nothing to those who aren't part of the cliquey rail enthusiast/rail staff groups that make up the vast majority of RailUK users. Myself included.
 

Harlesden

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Has anyone who followed the OP's link scrolled right down and read everything?
The son is an adult male who has been
mugged in the street
assualted in the street
sexually assauled on a night out.
I am inclined to think that one symptom of his condition is an absence of social skills - perhaps when he feels stressed or excited - meaning that he speaks and/or acts in an inappropriate manner when around others.
There is a young man in my street who does have a carer but when out on the street shouts all kinds of things at people passing by. The son referred to in the OP obviously does not have a carer, and I rather think that the mother although seemingly concerned about him is a little too eager to leave him to his own devices rather than supervising him and his behaviour
 

455driver

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Somebody on Mummiesmoaning has posted that he was going to (Digby and) Sowton which is on the Exmouth line so if that is true then the train would not have gone through any manned stations.
 

ATW Alex 101

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Something has gone horribly wrong somewhere if someone under 18 has been issued with an offline authorisation card - are you sure that it works in train guards' ticket machines?

Horribly wrong? I have used it on trains before and loads of other offline transactions such as restaurants, Pumpkin outlets, Museum shops etc all fine. In fact I made a payment yesterday at Nandos with one. Don't see whats illegal about it either.
 

bnm

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With the limited information from Mumsnet (quite why you need to refer to it as mummiesmoaning is beyond me) we can be fairly certain that the person involved has Aspergers Syndrome.
 

455driver

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He's younger than me, and I still live with my parents (and I don't have any special needs).

Get a flat then!<D

only joking mate, it is so damned expensive these days it wouldnt surprise me if people still lived with their parents into their 30s.
 
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anthony263

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only joking mate, it is so damned expensive these days it wouldnt surprise me if people still lived with their into their 30s.

That will most likely be what I will be doing I think. Unless I get a job in the meantime where I have to relocate
 

starrymarkb

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An Anytime Day from St James's Park to Digby is £2.30 (still cheaper then the bus which is £3+) - I've have thought most people would have the coins for that on them (I usually do or if not usually at least a Fiver in notes)

SJP is local door only on most Exmouth bound trains (a single 143/150/153 fits, anything else is local door, most of the day it's 2x143 or 143+153 or 150+153) but I'd still see a guard hard pushed to do maybe one or two passengers in the time it takes to get to Polsloe Bridge
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Horribly wrong? I have used it on trains before and loads of other offline transactions such as restaurants, Pumpkin outlets, Museum shops etc all fine. In fact I made a payment yesterday at Nandos with one. Don't see whats illegal about it either.

I think you have the wrong type of "online"

Online only cards require that every transaction must be authorised by the bank to ensure there are enough funds available before it takes place. Usually this is done over the shop's network connection, or a dial up modem. Authorisation can be done over the phone as well.

Offline cards only check with the bank every 10* or so transactions, this means it's possible to go overdrawn. As it is illegal for a bank to lend money to a person under 18 the bank must issue an "online only" card to anyone under 18.

The problem is Online Only cards used to be badged as Solo or Electron so it was easy to say the TOC can't accept those cards onboard because they don't have a live link to the bank, but in recent years they are now indistinguishable from offline cards until you go to use one somewhere where there isn't a link to the bank.

*exact number varies by bank, there may be a random element aswell
 
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island

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Possibly, but it has been reported in the past that Lloyds cards frequently do not work offline, even where there is no reason why this should be the case (i.e. the person is of the right age, has an overdraft and so on). Someone on here did explain why the last time this came up, but I cannot find this thread at present.
It is because Lloyds offers an add-on called Control whereby customers are charged £10 a month and basically guaranteed no unplanned overdraft charges. This can be added to normal accounts so they have, as I understand it, taken the decision to issue their green Visa debit cards as online-only in order to facilitate the customer adding the Control option at a later date.
Indeed, in fact it would be illegal to issue a card to an Under 18 where it is possible to become overdrawn

This is not correct. It is perfectly legal, just not clever, as debts incurred by under-18s are often unenforceable and the bank would find it difficult to get its money back.
 

starrymarkb

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Ah I understood (from a former bank employee in the family) that it was illegal to lend to under 18s. I stand corrected..
 

island

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The FCA would probably take a dim view so it might as well be illegal I suppose!
 

34D

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Get a flat then!<D

only joking mate, it is so damned expensive these days it wouldnt surprise me if people still lived with their parents into their 30s.

Living with parents sounds a nightmare! How old is Mr Eagle?
 

455driver

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Living with parents sounds a nightmare! How old is Mr Eagle?

I dont know but I do know that when I left home I bought a 3 bedroom semi detached house on a bus drivers (and a nurses) wage, now you need to be a managing director (and a brain surgeon) to afford a flat.

Although life is better now than it was then some of the things we took for granted back then are almost impossible for the kids now!
 

soil

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I dont know but I do know that when I left home I bought a 3 bedroom semi detached house on a bus drivers (and a nurses) wage, now you need to be a managing director (and a brain surgeon) to afford a flat.

Although life is better now than it was then some of the things we took for granted back then are almost impossible for the kids now!

Depends where you live.

North of Milton Keynes housing is pretty affordable in the main. Otherwise, you can forget it.

Hartlepool:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38880493.html

Brixton:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40765951.html


Wellingborough:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39996427.html

Guildford:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-27562755.html
 

455driver

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I like that one in Hartlepool, bargain!

I have to admit I havent looked at house prices for years but the difference in those is fu fu fulliping ridiculous.
Cheers Soil.
 

bnm

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I dont know but I do know that when I left home I bought a 3 bedroom semi detached house on a bus drivers (and a nurses) wage

Should that not be 'we'?

Unless of course you were at one time both a bus driver and a nurse! :lol:
 

sarahj

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There is a reason why the ones in Hartlepool are cheap!!!. Anyway, if you move there you have to hang monkeys in your spare time :lol:

We as railway staff might get to know a bit more than what is said here, or in other forums, but to spill the beans' is not an option if we want to keep our jobs. Sometimes its a bit bizzare to watch all the ranting and raving that goes on, and would love to comment, but......

BTW, new rules are coming in that those who are under 25 will not be able to claim benefit for living alone.
 
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455driver

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Should that not be 'we'?

Unless of course you were at one time both a bus driver and a nurse! :lol:

Okay WE bought etc. ;)

as for being both a bus driver and a nurse, for enough money I will be whatever you want! :lol:
 

bnm

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BTW, new rules are coming in that those who are under 25 will not be able to claim benefit for living alone.

Are there? I was under the impression there were already new rules. Since 1st January 2012 if you are 16-34, on a low income, and living alone, you can get Local Housing Allowance (LHA), but only at a shared accommodation rate (set locally) if renting in the private sector. ie, one room in a house with shared bathroom and kitchen. If someone 16-34, and on a low income, privately rents a self-contained flat or larger property, they can still get the LHA, but again, only at the shared accommodation rate. Any shortfall in the rent will have to come from their income.

If you are 16-34, on a low income and/or claiming state benefits and you are renting from a Local Authority or Housing Association, then you can still claim Housing Benefit (HB). HB will not be paid for any bedrooms in excess of need (the so-called Bedroom Tax).

Along with everyone else, 16-34s can claim Council Tax Reduction if they are eligible.

Under 25s can still claim: JSA if they are looking for work; ESA if they are unable to work through illness or disability; Income Support if they are on a low income and/or are a lone parent; DLA/PIP for extra costs associated with long term illness/disability; Tax Credits if they work but are on a low income; Child Benefit if they have children.

Many of these benefits will be replaced by Universal Credit over the coming months and years, but they will still be available to under 25s.

There are no plans to stop benefits for those under 25 and living alone. Rates and rules may be changing, benefit names may be changing, but there is no forthcoming legislation that will deny benefits to under 25s if they live alone.
 

455driver

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Don't tell me that you do multiple working with a lady EMU? Fair play

Eugh, thats not nice.

Well it was okay for the first 100yds, then I got out of step! :lol:

I wont mention the rough shunt! ;)
 
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Not all young people cards are electronic only. I'm well under 20 and I have a card which can be used for online and offline transactions.

it's more about the type of account someone has

if you are working and paying in a decent amount each month you'll probably have a 'high status' debit card

before Switch was swallowed by Maestro branding it was obvious Switch (high status) vs Solo (low status , 'on line' only

same with Visa Debit vs Electron

As the young man in the story ( DS meaning 'dear son' in mumsnet-ese ) he's probably got a fairly basic bank account and perhaps isn;t paying much in a month ( ESA and DLA IF he gets them directly otherwise an allowance from whoever has PoA) he's likely to have a low status debit card -
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
<snip>

BTW, new rules are coming in that those who are under 25 will not be able to claim benefit for living alone.

as usual with anything to do with housing benefit , which is what this primarily refers to the media spin is incorrect

the rate of HB for singles under 25 will be based on shared accomodation in most circumstances - given an awful lot of under 25s not claiming HB live in shared accomodation ( Students, Junior Ranks in the Forces ) why should benefit claimants be offered a greater service than the populous at large ( same as the 'bedroom tax' bull**** - )
 

bnm

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As the young man in the story ( DS meaning 'dear son' in mumsnet-ese ) he's probably got a fairly basic bank account and perhaps isn;t paying much in a month ( ESA and DLA IF he gets them directly otherwise an allowance from whoever has PoA) he's likely to have a low status debit card -

A young man who was travelling to work, remember? So your supposition could be very wide of the mark if he's earning a decent wage. Also, from reading about the guy via his Mother's posts on Mumsnet it's apparent that no-one has PoA as he is deemed capable. Capable doesn't mean though that his Aspergers doesn't affect his social interactions.
 
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