Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
First of all, mods, feel free to move this if this isn't the right forum for a general discussion rather than a dispute. It hasn't affected me personally as I had a valid ticket as I always do, it's just some observations.
There appeared to be a revenue block going on in various parts of Euston this morning, most notably Platform 17/18 where there were about 20 RPIs meeting trains that always arrive into one of the unbarriered platforms.
(Side note: Also there on platform 17 was a BBC presenter filming for, I think, one of the consumer programmes, will be interested to see if I appear on it in the background! He was waving a coffee cup around, so maybe it's Rip Off Britain about the high cost of railway coffee!)
Anyway, back on topic.
One thing I did notice, however, was a lone RPI on platform 11 who pulled up and apparently PFed a passenger who had gone to the Excess Fares window. Now, technically, this is a perfectly valid PF because at that time of day he will certainly have passed an opportunity to pay before boarding.
However, as is common at that sort of time, platforms 8-11 get dangerously congested (particularly if something is slightly late, as it was, and the LO service and another LM on platform 8 arrive at the same time, as happened today), and the crowds effectively prevent access to the LO departure around then.
As a result of this, as is common, the barriers were released and passengers instructed to pass through as quickly as possible, only using the barrier if using Oyster.
So, this passenger was, one suspects[1], effectively penalised for being honest and going to pay rather than just walking through.
Is that the right approach to take morally? I particularly question this as the excess fares window is just signed as "Excess Fares", with nothing suggesting that paying your fare that way is unacceptable.
Personally, I think if PFing people in the queue is the right thing to do, the signage needs modifying to put a prominent warning underneath the sign reminding passengers that if they had an opportunity to pay they can't just leave it to Euston.
I actually think it would have been morally better if the RPI had gone around the crowd checking tickets while people waited - even with the barriers open the crowd takes some time to clear - to catch those who were just going to walk off without paying.
[1] As I didn't hear the conversation it could be that he'd short fared or similar, but the RPI[2] did issue a "ticket" from his pad which would almost certainly have been a PF. I don't think the conversation went on long enough for it to have been a prosecution report.
[2] Wearing a body camera, interestingly - this is a good idea to avoid "he said, she said" type issues.
There appeared to be a revenue block going on in various parts of Euston this morning, most notably Platform 17/18 where there were about 20 RPIs meeting trains that always arrive into one of the unbarriered platforms.
(Side note: Also there on platform 17 was a BBC presenter filming for, I think, one of the consumer programmes, will be interested to see if I appear on it in the background! He was waving a coffee cup around, so maybe it's Rip Off Britain about the high cost of railway coffee!)
Anyway, back on topic.
One thing I did notice, however, was a lone RPI on platform 11 who pulled up and apparently PFed a passenger who had gone to the Excess Fares window. Now, technically, this is a perfectly valid PF because at that time of day he will certainly have passed an opportunity to pay before boarding.
However, as is common at that sort of time, platforms 8-11 get dangerously congested (particularly if something is slightly late, as it was, and the LO service and another LM on platform 8 arrive at the same time, as happened today), and the crowds effectively prevent access to the LO departure around then.
As a result of this, as is common, the barriers were released and passengers instructed to pass through as quickly as possible, only using the barrier if using Oyster.
So, this passenger was, one suspects[1], effectively penalised for being honest and going to pay rather than just walking through.
Is that the right approach to take morally? I particularly question this as the excess fares window is just signed as "Excess Fares", with nothing suggesting that paying your fare that way is unacceptable.
Personally, I think if PFing people in the queue is the right thing to do, the signage needs modifying to put a prominent warning underneath the sign reminding passengers that if they had an opportunity to pay they can't just leave it to Euston.
I actually think it would have been morally better if the RPI had gone around the crowd checking tickets while people waited - even with the barriers open the crowd takes some time to clear - to catch those who were just going to walk off without paying.
[1] As I didn't hear the conversation it could be that he'd short fared or similar, but the RPI[2] did issue a "ticket" from his pad which would almost certainly have been a PF. I don't think the conversation went on long enough for it to have been a prosecution report.
[2] Wearing a body camera, interestingly - this is a good idea to avoid "he said, she said" type issues.
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