Ticket Evader Issue

[Samwise101]

Hello,
I have been caught skipping for paying more in my fare by cutting my trip to my destination using trainline app.

The British Police Transport got my details and recited the spiel “...anything you say will be use againts you.. you have the right to remain silent etc”
He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos. I refuse cos he said I can refuse but he said he can request it to trainline app. Thing is he only got my fulname, check my ID and got my address. Which I have a completely given freely and I was being cooperative. Admitted I was wrong and I was so scared and dont want to commit crime and cried. Anyway he didnt got my phone number or email address, how will they contact me through mail? And with the app I signed up through my facebook and I have a completely different name. How are they gonna search it? They dont know my email.
Im so scared and I was crying the whole morning. Im so traumatized!

 

[Mogz]

Please explain more. Have you travelled beyond the station that you paid to go to, or did you use an advance ticket from A to C and cut your journey short at B?

 

[Monty]

Hello,
I have been caught skipping for paying more in my fare by cutting my trip to my destination using trainline app.

The British Police Transport got my details and recited the spiel “...anything you say will be use againts you.. you have the right to remain silent etc”
He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos. I refuse cos he said I can refuse but he said he can request it to trainline app. Thing is he only got my fulname, check my ID and got my address. Which I have a completely given freely and I was being cooperative. Admitted I was wrong and I was so scared and dont want to commit crime and cried. Anyway he didnt got my phone number or email address, how will they contact me through mail? And with the app I signed up through my facebook and I have a completely different name. How are they gonna search it? They dont know my email.
Im so scared and I was crying the whole morning. Im so traumatized!

You'll need to make a thread in the Disputes & Prosecutions and section of the forum found here:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/forums/disputes-prosecutions.152/

 

[Ivor]

Your first paragraph is not that clear & further on you mention “fare dodge for about 6 months” so assume you’ve deliberately evaded the full correct cost of your journeys?

 

[gray1404]

The Police in this country do not say "anything you say will be used against you. You have the right to remain silent" Rather something like: "You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned etc...." You have clearly been watching American films. The caution used here is worded differently.

Anyway, you need to provide more information before any advice can be given. Please read this post as it tells you what information you need to provide so that you can be offered assistance.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/please-read-before-posting-in-disputes-prosecutions.77759/

We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:
The stations where you started & finished your journey;
The stations where you changed trains (if applicable);
If you presented a ticket(s), the information stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;
What happened in any encounter with railway staff;
The details of any paperwork with which you were issued.
Be careful not to post anything incriminating or personally identifying
We need to know what outcome(s) you would consider satisfactory

Also, is there a specific reason why you might have been stopped by the British Transport Police rather then a Ticket Inspector of a train company? It is more common for train company staff stop, question and take details from passengers rather then the Police.

I am assuming you didn't tell the Police Officer if you had done this before? If so, they may be limited to dealing only with the fare avoided on the day of travel when you were stopped. However, once you provide more details it may become more clear if they have noticed any previous occasions you might have avoided your fare. Finally, please proof read and double check your posts before replying. Check that they read well and the English is correct. Makes it easier for posters here to be able to understand the situation and offer assistance.

 

[Samwise101]

Please explain more. Have you travelled beyond the station that you paid to go to, or did you use an advance ticket from A to C and cut your journey short at B?

So what happens

 

[Samwise101]

Your first paragraph is not that clear & further on you mention “fare dodge for about 6 months” so assume you’ve deliberately evaded the full correct cost of your journeys?

Its not often only if Im making my ends meet I buy my full ticket everytime when I go to london central

 

[Any_Permitted]

so for example
Supposedly travelling from A-E but I buy separate ticket from A-B then D-E

So have you been buying a ticket from your origin station to the next station on the line so you can get through the barriers? Then at your destination used a ticket from the previous station so you can get through the barriers?

If you have then this is likely to be seen by the train company as a clear-cut case of fare dodging. People often call it “doughnutting” on here (you pay for the start and end of the journey, but not the “hole” in the middle).

I’m not sure what the practicalities are of the police seeing your trainline history. When you get a letter I would urge you to be completely honest with how often you have been doing this. If you’ve been paying for complete journeys, having the tickets as proof could be useful, although any gaps will be looked at suspiciously.

 

[trebor79]

He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos.

Admitted I was wrong and I was so scared and dont want to commit crime and cried.

When they contact you, write back explaining your remorse and offer to settle out of court. They may still choose to prosecute if there is a demonstrable pattern of fare evasion, but it is worth trying to reach a settlement. Expect to pay several hundred pounds.

And don't do it again.

 

[Samwise101]

So have you been buying a ticket from your origin station to the next station on the line so you can get through the barriers? Then at your destination used a ticket from the previous station so you can get through the barriers?

If you have then this is likely to be seen by the train company as a clear-cut case of fare dodging. People often call it “doughnutting” on here (you pay for the start and end of the journey, but not the “hole” in the middle).

I’m not sure what the practicalities are of the police seeing your trainline history. When you get a letter I would urge you to be completely honest with how often you have been doing this. If you’ve been paying for complete journeys, having the tickets as proof could be useful, although any gaps will be looked at suspiciously.

So they guy ask me to sign his notebook but I was asked if Im okay or not and have the choice to refuse so I didnt signed. How will they in contact with me? Just by mail?

 

[Samwise101]

When they contact you, write back explaining your remotes and offer to settle out of court.

And don't do it again.

i am very guilty about it and very ashamed. I was traumatized by it and will never do it again. Im happy to pay for whatever the appropriate amount. Thank YOU!

 

[Samwise101]

When they contact you, write back explaining your remorse and offer to settle out of court. They may still choose to prosecute if there is a demonstrable pattern of fare evasion, but it is worth trying to reach a settlement. Expect to pay several hundred pounds.

And don't do it again.

What do you mean by pattern fare evasion? Thanks

 

[6Gman]

So they guy ask me to sign his notebook but I was asked if Im okay or not and have the choice to refuse so I didnt signed. How will they in contact with me? Just by mail?

I would expect them to contact you by post. You said you supplied your name and address - that's all they need.

 

[Samwise101]

I would expect them to contact you by post. You said you supplied your name and address - that's all they need.

Yes, how long would they contact me?

 

[6Gman]

Hello,
I have been caught skipping for paying more in my fare by cutting my trip to my destination using trainline app.

The British Police Transport got my details and recited the spiel “...anything you say will be use againts you.. you have the right to remain silent etc”
He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos. I refuse cos he said I can refuse but he said he can request it to trainline app. Thing is he only got my fulname, check my ID and got my address. Which I have a completely given freely and I was being cooperative. Admitted I was wrong and I was so scared and dont want to commit crime and cried. Anyway he didnt got my phone number or email address, how will they contact me through mail? And with the app I signed up through my facebook and I have a completely different name. How are they gonna search it? They dont know my email.
Im so scared and I was crying the whole morning. Im so traumatized!

I know nothing about apps but what would you do if they asked you for details?

If you refused to provide such details it's hardly going to encourage them to reach any agreement with you is it ?

 

[Any_Permitted]

Yes, how long would they contact me?

It can vary between train companies: at minimum from what I’ve seen on here assume 2 weeks. At most 2-3 months. They have a maximum of 6 months to lay information before a Court, so expect the letter a lot sooner than that. All you can do is sit back and wait.

 

[Samwise101]

It can vary between train companies: at minimum from what I’ve seen on here assume 2 weeks. At most 2-3 months. They have a maximum of 6 months to lay information before a Court, so expect the letter a lot sooner than that. All you can do is sit back and wait.

What if within 3mos they didnt contact me? Who do I talk to?

 

[Samwise101]

I know nothing about apps but what would you do if they asked you for details?

If you refused to provide such details it's hardly going to encourage them to reach any agreement with you is it ?

I refuse because I have explicit photos of myself in my phone and the app kept on crashing thats why I refused

 

[30907]

What do you mean by pattern fare evasion? Thanks

A pattern means something you have done repeatedly (not necessarily every time).
Fare evasion means deliberately not paying the correct fare.

If they don't contact you, assuming they have your correct address, I would advise doing nothing (apart from saving up ). Although if you move house, make sure you arrange a Redirection Order for your mail.

 

[Samwise101]

A pattern means something you have done repeatedly (not necessarily every time).
Fare evasion means deliberately not paying the correct fare.

If they don't contact you, assuming they have your correct address, I would advise doing nothing (apart from saving up ). Although if you move house, make sure you arrange a Redirection Order for your mail.

I honestly didnt do it before only for approx about 6mos and thats about 1-2x a week.

 

[GB]

I honestly didnt do it before only for approx about 6mos and thats about 1-2x a week.

6 months at 1-2 times a week is a pattern, quite a significant pattern. Would you have honestly stopped if you hadn't been caught?

 

[JBuchananGB]

You will get a letter. It sounds like you may have done the wrong thing as many as 50 times. I suggest that you look through your travel history and try to make a list of all those times.

Then when you get letter from the train company representative, you can tell them all the truth. As someone else has said, you can expect to pay quite a lot, not just in unpaid fares but also in administration fees.

I they decide to take you to court, then the magistrate will decide on the penalty, both in terms of costs and fines.

 

[Samwise101]

6 months at 1-2 times a week is a pattern, quite a significant pattern. Would you have honestly stopped if you hadn't been caught?

Ofcourse I would. I only did it when I dont have enough money

 

[RPI]

The inspector/police officer will obtain a spreadsheet from the train line or whichever retailers app you were using and be able to see your full journey history, they have to jump through a few hoops to obtain it but they can legally obtain it.

 

[Llanigraham]

I honestly didnt do it before only for approx about 6mos and thats about 1-2x a week.

6 months at 1-2 times a week is a pattern, quite a significant pattern. Would you have honestly stopped if you hadn't been caught?

Difficult to understand since it is obvious that English is not the OP's first language, but those 2 replies and the fact that BTP seem to be involved, makes we wonder whether the OP has been under scrutiny for a while.
And I note that they have still not supplied the details that are normally required here; stations, ticket type, etc.

 

[[.n]]

The inspector/police officer will obtain a spreadsheet from the train line or whichever retailers app you were using and be able to see your full journey history, they have to jump through a few hoops to obtain it but they can legally obtain it.

In this instance it would appear to be unlikely, as the details used for the app are different to those given to BTP

 

[6Gman]

In this instance it would appear to be unlikely, as the details used for the app are different to those given to BTP

At which point they ask the OP for access. And if she refuses, any chance of a settlement probably vanishes.

 

[Fare-Cop]

Hello,
I have been caught skipping for paying more in my fare by cutting my trip to my destination using trainline app.

The British Police Transport got my details and recited the spiel “...anything you say will be use againts you.. you have the right to remain silent etc”
He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos. I refuse cos he said I can refuse but he said he can request it to trainline app. Thing is he only got my fulname, check my ID and got my address. Which I have a completely given freely and I was being cooperative. Admitted I was wrong and I was so scared and dont want to commit crime and cried. Anyway he didnt got my phone number or email address, how will they contact me through mail? And with the app I signed up through my facebook and I have a completely different name. How are they gonna search it? They dont know my email.
Im so scared and I was crying the whole morning. Im so traumatized!

You mention British Transport Police, are you certain this was a Police Officer? Unless as a part of a special revenue exercise and working in company with Railway Revenue Protection Inspectors, it is very unusual for BTP officers to conduct any ticket checks.

Gray1404 has correctly identified some very important questions that need to be answered before anyone can give you any meaningful help in trying to understand what is likely to happen now.

These questions, identified by gray1404, will help to determine how the TOC might deal with this:

1) The stations where you started & finished your journey;
2) The stations where you changed trains (if applicable);
4) If you presented a ticket(s), the information stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;
5) What happened in any encounter with railway staff

As you say "He ask to see my app history as it would obviously see my fair dodge for about 6mos", what does the 'dodge' amount to?

Unless you have been watched over a period of time and targeted, I very much doubt that BTP are involved yet, but knowing which TOC this is will help us to know the likely way in which it will be handled

 

[WesternLancer]

I honestly didnt do it before only for approx about 6mos and thats about 1-2x a week.

Your written accounts of the incident are unclear, and I am not sure you are clear about the questions being asked of you. Whilst you are waiting for their letter I would suggest you go and seek some free advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureaux. You can look up where that is on your phone or ask at a local library where it is.

 

[ainsworth74]

Whilst you are waiting for their letter I would suggest you go and seek some free advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Though please note that unless they have specialist funding they will not be able to provide much assistance, if any, regarding a criminal matter. CAB's deal with civil matters not criminal ones like fare evasion. That doesn't mean that they won't be able to help at all just that that might be very limited.