On the 29th of August, I was stopped by an inspector at London Bridge for not carrying a ticket.
I had been travelling on the train from Dartford towards London and boarded the train without purchasing a ticket. The train was due to leave and I was worried I would miss it, so intended to buy a ticket from the conducter.
I was extremely tired when I boarded the train. I had been travelling for nearly three days from northern Italy with little food or sleep whilst carrying a large heavy pack. This resulted in a lack of mental clarity and in actions that were completely unnecessary.
On leaving the train, I realised I didn't have a ticket. The correct thing to have done at this point would be to have explained my situation, however I wasn't thinking clearly. Instead, I told two of the staff on duty that I had forgotten my ticket on the train and was directed to the inspector. I panicked, worried that I would be punished further for lying and attempted to leave the area without talking to the inspector.
The inspector stopped me and during our conversation I became increasingly confused. I understood that I was to pay a penalty fare but thought I was agreeing to pay it by mail. Instead, I signed a witness statement which is inaccurate on a number of points. It has the wrong station of departure. I had definite means of paying both before and after travelling. Most importantly, I did not understand the caution (I was asked if I understood what a caution was and thought it was directly related to a penalty fare) or that this could lead to prosecution.
The fare from Dartford is £8.20. I had means to pay both this and the penalty fare and proof to show this.
It is a mystery to me why I didn't pay the fare and penalty fee then and there; I was at a point of extreme exhaustion and wanted only to go home.
My question is, is there anything that I can do - such as sending a letter with proof of ability to pay - that will avoid this going any further and result in just a penalty fare?
Any help would be hugely appreciated.
I had been travelling on the train from Dartford towards London and boarded the train without purchasing a ticket. The train was due to leave and I was worried I would miss it, so intended to buy a ticket from the conducter.
I was extremely tired when I boarded the train. I had been travelling for nearly three days from northern Italy with little food or sleep whilst carrying a large heavy pack. This resulted in a lack of mental clarity and in actions that were completely unnecessary.
On leaving the train, I realised I didn't have a ticket. The correct thing to have done at this point would be to have explained my situation, however I wasn't thinking clearly. Instead, I told two of the staff on duty that I had forgotten my ticket on the train and was directed to the inspector. I panicked, worried that I would be punished further for lying and attempted to leave the area without talking to the inspector.
The inspector stopped me and during our conversation I became increasingly confused. I understood that I was to pay a penalty fare but thought I was agreeing to pay it by mail. Instead, I signed a witness statement which is inaccurate on a number of points. It has the wrong station of departure. I had definite means of paying both before and after travelling. Most importantly, I did not understand the caution (I was asked if I understood what a caution was and thought it was directly related to a penalty fare) or that this could lead to prosecution.
The fare from Dartford is £8.20. I had means to pay both this and the penalty fare and proof to show this.
It is a mystery to me why I didn't pay the fare and penalty fee then and there; I was at a point of extreme exhaustion and wanted only to go home.
My question is, is there anything that I can do - such as sending a letter with proof of ability to pay - that will avoid this going any further and result in just a penalty fare?
Any help would be hugely appreciated.
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