Idon'tKnow
Member
Back Story: On May the 16th I boarded the 16:55 LondonNorthwestern service to Euston. Like usual the train was formed of only 4 carriages so I was crammed into a vestibule with about 10 other people. Someone came running along the platform at 16:52 and asked the senior conductor if they could purchase a ticket on board, and the conductor said yes and this person boarded the train. At 16:55 the train departed Stafford on time albeit very well loaded. Once the train started moving, the passenger mentioned earlier was sold a ticket from Stafford to Lichfield TV. After this a full revenue inspection commenced. I, along with the rest of the passengers in the vestibule, showed my ticket with no issues. However there was a passenger standing in the aisle that had "accidentally" purchased a ticket from Stafford to Rugely instead. The senior conductor just scribbled on the ticket (which I assume was him "endorsing it") and told the passenger to explain to the staff at rugby because the barriers won't open. The train then arrived at Rugely Trent Valley where it got a bit quieter however new passengers did board. After leaving, the senior conductor then did another revenue check. Two passengers that boarded at Rugely (travelling together) did not have tickets, upon the senior conductor reaching them asked him to purchase tickets to Tamworth. One of the passengers then produced a piece of plastic (a credit/debit card). At this time the train was going very fast and shaking a bit and my phone was struggling to pick up signal. The senior conductor then tried the card once and said it wasn't working. The two passengers then politely said "It worked when we bought something a before we got on" and "can you try it again". The senior conductor then said "You have no means to pay so will have to get off at the next station". At this point the passengers were unhappy and mentioned something about not being able to wait one hour [for the next southbound trent valley service] and asked the senior conductor to try the card again. At this point the senior conductor then repeated that they would have to get off at the next station [Lichfield Trent Valley]. One of the passengers then said "can you not write my name and address down or sumfin'". The conductor then said they had no means to pay so would have to get off at the next station. The passengers, again disputed this. The conductor then said, "The train won't move [from Lichfield] unless you leave the train, I will get the police." One of the people said "Get the police then" and the other person said "You can't do that". The conductor then walked along the carriage, then halfway along the passenger saloon made a comment (with a very raised voice) about "how everyone else has paid so it wouldn't be fair to hold the train". The conductor then literally caused a shouting match across the carriage, with the two passengers asking for him to try their card again. The conductor then made more snide remarks by saying in a very mocking & condescending tone "Just stay on then ok, everyone else has paid." The train then arrived at Lichfield, and was not held as it left on time.
I have some questions now.
Should the senior conductor have tried the card in the machine again as the mobile signal in the area was very weak?
Was the conductor justified in trying to incite hatred towards these two passengers form the other passengers (which did fail though, every other passenger was silent)?
Was it ok for the conductor to have one rule for someone who didn't hold a valid ticket (the Stafford-Rugby passenger) and another rule for the Rugely-Tamworth passengers?
Is it ever appropriate for a senior conductor to start shouting across a carriage which ultimately caused a disturbance to the other passengers (it was a calm discussion before that)
Would it have been more appropriate to offer a UPFN or fill out a TIR report instead of disturbing the other passengers?
(Hypothetically) if the train was held at Lich TV and the police came, would they have to authority to "detrain" the two passengers or is it a civil matter not a criminal one.
Does anyone know if LNR have a policy of treating all Rugely passengers with suspicion as this is the second time I have seen Rugely passengers treated differently to other passengers?
I have some questions now.
Should the senior conductor have tried the card in the machine again as the mobile signal in the area was very weak?
Was the conductor justified in trying to incite hatred towards these two passengers form the other passengers (which did fail though, every other passenger was silent)?
Was it ok for the conductor to have one rule for someone who didn't hold a valid ticket (the Stafford-Rugby passenger) and another rule for the Rugely-Tamworth passengers?
Is it ever appropriate for a senior conductor to start shouting across a carriage which ultimately caused a disturbance to the other passengers (it was a calm discussion before that)
Would it have been more appropriate to offer a UPFN or fill out a TIR report instead of disturbing the other passengers?
(Hypothetically) if the train was held at Lich TV and the police came, would they have to authority to "detrain" the two passengers or is it a civil matter not a criminal one.
Does anyone know if LNR have a policy of treating all Rugely passengers with suspicion as this is the second time I have seen Rugely passengers treated differently to other passengers?