A ticket can be marked, but that in no way cancels it.The last 2 days the return portion - valid for a month - was checked but not cancelled in any way.
A ticket can be marked, but that in no way cancels it.The last 2 days the return portion - valid for a month - was checked but not cancelled in any way.
As I understand it the income from ticket sales goes towards the costs of running and maintaining the railway. Does that answer the question?
No. The question is asked based purely on the perspective of the passenger, i.e. why pay for something if you can get it for free, not the moral/ethical considerations.
I travel from Nuneaton to London 2/3 times a week on a combination of Virgin and LM services. A couple of years ago you could pretty much guarantee that you would get your ticket checked on the Virgin service in the morning and also after MKC on the evening LM service. However, nowadays it is rare to get any ticket check at all and despite barriers now being in place on some platforms at Euston, they are rarely in use. How many people are taking advantage of this by paying nothing and why are both companies so incredibly lax on revenue protection?
So a ticket was necessary
No. The question is asked based purely on the perspective of the passenger, i.e. why pay for something if you can get it for free, not the moral/ethical considerations.
I could have gone from Scotlamd to Blackpool and back this week and only paid for a quarter of it due to lack of checks
As many others have already said, I almost always travel for work and they pre book the tickets for me, which I collect from the machine.
There was a time a couple of months ago though where I got the FGW from Cardiff to Bristol Parkway with the intention of buying a ticket on the train and the guard didn't come through to check - the train wasn't even busy). The ticket was only £10, but I ended up not paying it because there wasn't an opportunity.
Yes, ticket barriers do stop people travelling without a ticket. Which could, of course, be a ticket to South Hampstead.Aren't they introducing ticket barriers at Euston which will stop people travelling without a ticket?
You will never have PAYG for such journeys for many reasons, which I won't go into here as it's a whole new topic in its own right (feel free to make a thread if you want).I would love to be able to tap in at Euston and tap out at Manchester Piccadilly the same way I do from Euston to Piccadilly Circus..
He's very much mistaken. These are not fines, and I don't think they will issue endless Penalty Fares without prosecuting!Over a three month period, a pass would cost £90, but a couple of fines would be just £20. That's a big difference. I'm not condoning it, but you can certainly see why people choose to do it.
Are they?...why are both companies so incredibly lax on revenue protection?
Oh, you had the opportunity and obligation to buy a ticket at Cardiff before boarding, and it must have been early morning or late evening when barriers were open (or you connected onto local stoppers each end, in which case the ticket was not "Cardiff to Bristol Parkway"). Don't make out it's anybody else's fault you consciously dodged paying.As many others have already said, I almost always travel for work and they pre book the tickets for me, which I collect from the machine.
There was a time a couple of months ago though where I got the FGW from Cardiff to Bristol Parkway with the intention of buying a ticket on the train and the guard didn't come through to check - the train wasn't even busy). The ticket was only £10, but I ended up not paying it because there wasn't an opportunity.
Presumably there was no open ticket office at Cardiff or Bristol Parkway, and you were using a payment method that wasn't accepted by the machines at Cardiff, such as rail travel voucher?There was a time a couple of months ago though where I got the FGW from Cardiff to Bristol Parkway with the intention of buying a ticket on the train and the guard didn't come through to check - the train wasn't even busy). The ticket was only £10, but I ended up not paying it because there wasn't an opportunity....
Oh, you had the opportunity and obligation to buy a ticket at Cardiff before boarding, and it must have been early morning or late evening when barriers were open (or you connected onto local stoppers each end, in which case the ticket was not "Cardiff to Bristol Parkway"). Don't make out it's anybody else's fault you consciously dodged paying.
You chose not to pay - that a lot different to not having an opportunity to pay. It's called "Pay when challenged", and like a lot of people you seem to think that it's up to the Railway to catch you, and then the only consequence is that you will buy an off-peak, (+/- railcard discounted) ticket.
I look forward to reading your thread in the "Disputes" forum over the next few months...
As many others have already said, I almost always travel for work and they pre book the tickets for me, which I collect from the machine.
There was a time a couple of months ago though where I got the FGW from Cardiff to Bristol Parkway with the intention of buying a ticket on the train and the guard didn't come through to check - the train wasn't even busy). The ticket was only £10, but I ended up not paying it because there wasn't an opportunity.
I used to work with someone who used to get the Tyne and Wear Metro to work every day. He never paid for a ticket. His logic was that a monthly pas cost £30 (at the time, this was a few years ago) and the ticket inspectors would only ever be out once every six weeks. If you were unlucky enough to get stopped, you were given a £10 on the spot fine. As long as you had the £10 on you, they'd let you go on your way with no extra action being taken.
Over a three month period, a pass would cost £90, but a couple of fines would be just £20. That's a big difference. I'm not condoning it, but you can certainly see why people choose to do it.
Presumably there was no open ticket office at Cardiff or Bristol Parkway, and you were using a payment method that wasn't accepted by the machines at Cardiff, such as rail travel voucher?
I would love to be able to tap in at Euston and tap out at Manchester Piccadilly the same way I do from Euston to Piccadilly Circus. It amazes me as someone who works in FINTECH that the rail industry is so far behind the curve in the way tickets are used.
Yes, ticket barriers do stop people travelling without a ticket. Which could, of course, be a ticket to South Hampstead.
You can't really say there was "no opportunity" then
I'm not sure what difference it will make now, but I'm an honest guy and on any other day I'd have bought a ticket before getting on the train.
I'm sure this won't make any difference considering the replies to my previous comment, but all I'll say in my defence is that I arrived at Cardiff station with moments to spare to catch my train as I'd been held up at work. The barriers were open (it was around 3pm), so I decided to save time by buying a ticket on the train. By the time the train started approaching Parkway and I realised the guard wasn't coming, it was too late. Also, as the train was running a few minutes late, I only had about two minutes to make my connection (Which was all paid for) so didn't have time to go to the ticket office at Parkway either. None of this is an excuse. It's just what happened that day.
I did not set out to avoid paying the fare. I'd actually forgotten all about it until I read this thread - and now I feel really bad about it!
I'm not sure what difference it will make now, but I'm an honest guy and on any other day I'd have bought a ticket before getting on the train.
I just didn't want anyone to think I'd deliberately set out to avoid paying the fare because I'd never do that.
Might I ask why Euston barriers are open and/or unmanned so often? Whenever I use London Victoria the barriers are always operating/manned.
When you know you have a valid ticket in your pocket, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
When you don't have a ticket, you are tense and nervous. Perhaps even mentally sh-tting yourself on hearing any authoritative sounding voice in the vicinity.
Surely the transfer of a small amount of currency from your pocket to a ticket machine or ticket seller is far more desirable than a stressful journey - along with not knowing what might happen once you have reached your destination and attempt to leave the station.
It's more that it would have changed the foot traffic patterns significantly, and the mix of commuter, outer suburban and long-distance inter-city would make the issues at the Paddington gateline pale in comparison.I know a single barrier line would have required significant modifications to the station layout, but I still think it would have been worthwhile.