Not sure if this is the right section, but here goes ...
Yesterday, I was travelling from Maidstone to St Pancras via Strood. Sitting in the rear carriage I overheard the guard talking to someone he apparently knew about a passenger who had boarded the train and refused to buy a ticket. He had told the person to alight at Yalding (I think) but they had just walked up the platform and got on via the next door. The guard said that he could not delay the train but had sent an email reporting the situation and asked for Revenue people to attend, but he didn't hold out much hope. To the guard's surprise, 3 Railway Enforcement Officers dressed in police style clothing were waiting on the platform at Cuxton and were directed to the miscreant.
At Strood the 3 RFOs surrounded the person whilst they got off the train and then on the platform. Walking past it was clear the person had refused to give an address and his demeanour suggested he had absolutely no intention of ever doing so. As I boarded the train to St Pancras, the Mexican standoff was continuing at the top of the station steps.
Obviously, the RFOs could not stand there indefinitely yet the passenger seemed quite content to wait indefinitely - he was perfectly calm and showed no aggressive tendencies.
In reality, what would happen with the continued refusal to give an address ? Would the RFOs give up, call the police or what ? If the police were called, would they actually turn up ?
Any insight welcome. Don't worry, I do not intend to put this strategy into practice - there are far better things to do than stand on a station platform for hours !
Yesterday, I was travelling from Maidstone to St Pancras via Strood. Sitting in the rear carriage I overheard the guard talking to someone he apparently knew about a passenger who had boarded the train and refused to buy a ticket. He had told the person to alight at Yalding (I think) but they had just walked up the platform and got on via the next door. The guard said that he could not delay the train but had sent an email reporting the situation and asked for Revenue people to attend, but he didn't hold out much hope. To the guard's surprise, 3 Railway Enforcement Officers dressed in police style clothing were waiting on the platform at Cuxton and were directed to the miscreant.
At Strood the 3 RFOs surrounded the person whilst they got off the train and then on the platform. Walking past it was clear the person had refused to give an address and his demeanour suggested he had absolutely no intention of ever doing so. As I boarded the train to St Pancras, the Mexican standoff was continuing at the top of the station steps.
Obviously, the RFOs could not stand there indefinitely yet the passenger seemed quite content to wait indefinitely - he was perfectly calm and showed no aggressive tendencies.
In reality, what would happen with the continued refusal to give an address ? Would the RFOs give up, call the police or what ? If the police were called, would they actually turn up ?
Any insight welcome. Don't worry, I do not intend to put this strategy into practice - there are far better things to do than stand on a station platform for hours !