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Used spouse’s seasons ticket and got caught

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Worrier

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Its addressed to his name but the title is mrs! we are sending the season ticket with the reply and i have mentioned that he wasn’t aware, to clarify the situation

This was the first time i used this ticket, i have mentioned that in my reply as well, but is there anything else i can say to make them believe that?
 
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FGW_DID

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Re: giving false details.
When asked for your name etc, did you provide that?

If not, You say you gave your husbands details to “help clarify that the ticket was authentic / valid” or did you just use your husbands details instead of yours when asked to provide details?

I’m presuming, as a poster has above that this is a same sex relationship, but you didn’t actually mention it was your husband but was using his details as your own. Is this correct?
 

some bloke

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Its addressed to his name but the title is mrs! ...i have mentioned that he wasn’t aware...

This was the first time i used this ticket, i have mentioned that in my reply as well, but is there anything else i can say to make them believe that?
It's a bit different from most cases, because they've written under the impression that they're writing to the season ticket holder, rather than the person who used someone else's. As I understand it, you are now telling them for the first time that you travelled without paying and gave the wrong details.

Maybe adding "My husband is now aware of the situation and the contents of this letter" would be worth it, but I wonder if the company might consider what you say as having more weight if your husband approved it. If so, your husband signing the letter or writing his own brief letter might help.

Proving it's the first time would usually be difficult (evidence of your movements each day over a period of months); if you said that you have a full-time job that isn't somewhere on that route it might help a bit, though it doesn't cover weekends or days off. I was thinking more that if you are very clear and helpful generally, there may be less suspicion.
 
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some bloke

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If your husband approves a letter, he can't sensibly imply that he knows you haven't used the ticket before (if it's been lying around the house while he was away).

But he could sign a letter saying that he isn't aware of it and has no reason to suppose that you have.
 

JBuchananGB

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Its addressed to his name but the title is mrs! we are sending the season ticket with the reply and i have mentioned that he wasn’t aware, to clarify the situation
There was a time when it was formally correct to address the wife of Mr John Brown as Mrs John Brown, so you could treat the letter as being addressed to you, if during the conversation with the RPI you identified yourself as the wife of the ticket holder but did not give your own first name.

You are not the first person to mistakenly think that a season ticket not being used by the person to which it was issued could be used by someone else, and you now need to apologise for your mistake, and offer to pay the proper fare plus any administrative costs which the TOC has incurred.
 

najaB

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You are not the first person to mistakenly think that a season ticket not being used by the person to which it was issued could be used by someone else, and you now need to apologise for your mistake, and offer to pay the proper fare plus any administrative costs which the TOC has incurred.
This is a succinct statement of the situation and best course of action.
 

Brissle Girl

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Is that what happened?
I’m not convinced. The photo ID was separated from the ticket “because it wasn’t being used”. But surely there would never be any need to separate a photo ID and ticket, even more so if not being used. The fact that the ticket needs photo ID should be enough for someone to know that it’s not transferable, and the investigator could easily conclude that the separation was deliberate to enable the misuse. If they are then told that the person didn’t know, they might well conclude that they are still not getting the truth.
 

some bloke

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Yes. There can be different levels and types of belief, but the company might be sceptical that a firm belief that it was a legitimate use of the ticket could be consistent with

a) knowing that a photo ID was relevant (or not expressing surprise at being asked for one) and

b) answering a question like "could you tell me your name, please?" with someone else's name.
 

najaB

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But surely there would never be any need to separate a photo ID and ticket, even more so if not being used.
That's not necessarily the case. If the ticket is being put through barriers regularly but the ID is only being shown on request then it's not hard to believe that they might be kept separately.
 

class 9

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Just my tupenth worth, regarding giving your husbands details to the inspector, at first you say you ‘panicked’ that would imply you knew you were doing something wrong. You then later say you gave those details to help clarify who the ticket was issued to.
 

silvercar

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From what you say, the TOC writing to you for your side of the story, suggests that what they expect is a reason why you failed to have the photo ID card with you. You say that you thought the rail employee didn't work out that you were giving a name of the opposite sex, so the only error they are expecting you to have made is travelling without ID and/or having a dodgy looking ticket.
 

JBuchananGB

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I suppose it is conceivable that the railway employee has understood the OP to be giving her own name, not that of the ticket holder. Several English names are non gender-specific, e.g. Pat, Chris, Joe, and often names from a non-English cultural background do not identify the gender to anyone not familiar with names in that culture.

Advice remains the same. Apologise for using a season ticket issued to someone else, offer to pay proper fare and admin costs.
 
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