SlimJim1694
Member
During the really hot weather last week I overheard some passengers telling another passenger at the ticket machine not to buy a ticket as "they don't check them any more". The person thanked them for the information and went into the station without buying one.
I get the impression that quite a lot if people who used to buy tickets have twigged this and have stopped buying them now.
I can't see regular ticket checks and proper revenue blocks being a thing again for the foreseeable, so I wonder what effect this might have on passenger culture if they are getting away without paying during the pandemic. What will it take to make these new fare evaders start paying again? I also wonder how much harder it will make the jobs of guards and RPIs once they do have to start checking tickets again and come up against a culture of people who have got used to free travel and built up a sense of entitlement. Most station booking offices look to be on borrowed time anyway and sadly I expect the current situation will probably signal the end for many of them.
Just wondered what others thought about it. Personally I've noticed a far higher percentage of passengers walking straight past ticket machines, offices and oyster readers lately and I've not seen any RPIs or BTP since March! Have others noticed similar around the country?
There are far more people travelling for leisure last few weeks and from the 4th when the pubs reopen I'm sure it will be like the wild west. I think it could be hard to put the genie back in the bottle once all this is over.
I get the impression that quite a lot if people who used to buy tickets have twigged this and have stopped buying them now.
I can't see regular ticket checks and proper revenue blocks being a thing again for the foreseeable, so I wonder what effect this might have on passenger culture if they are getting away without paying during the pandemic. What will it take to make these new fare evaders start paying again? I also wonder how much harder it will make the jobs of guards and RPIs once they do have to start checking tickets again and come up against a culture of people who have got used to free travel and built up a sense of entitlement. Most station booking offices look to be on borrowed time anyway and sadly I expect the current situation will probably signal the end for many of them.
Just wondered what others thought about it. Personally I've noticed a far higher percentage of passengers walking straight past ticket machines, offices and oyster readers lately and I've not seen any RPIs or BTP since March! Have others noticed similar around the country?
There are far more people travelling for leisure last few weeks and from the 4th when the pubs reopen I'm sure it will be like the wild west. I think it could be hard to put the genie back in the bottle once all this is over.