If there is anything to complain about, I don't think this is it: after all, it is fairly obvious to even the layman why a ticket to Basingstoke is not valid to Theale. Obviously it's a different situation if the ticket were to Theale "AAA Basingstoke", and the ticket was being checked between Reading and Basingstoke.
Hmm, an interesting take. I suppose if even a Byelaws conviction were imperative to avoid, that could be an argument to be made!
Which byelaw do you have in mind? Not 18 - had valid ticket on entering train; showed season ticket. (That's why I mentioned RORA.)
Good point - it seems to be a 'loophole' in Byelaw 18 that if you enter the train with a valid ticket, and present a ticket for inspection - even if it is not valid at the point of inspection - then you are not guilty of any offence. Could intent even be proven for RoRA? I think an RCCA offence of knowingly overtravelling might actually be the most appropriate. Certainly not an easy one for a prosecutor!
The Penalty Fares Regulations don't require approximate compliance with the spirit of the rules. They require exact compliance, as they set out a statutory civil scheme for an otherwise unenforceable scheme of penalties against passengers. Strict checks and balances, and rules, have to be put in place - and enforced - to ensure that Penalty Fares are applied correctly in all circumstances.
They did travel beyond their ticket's validity, but there is an argument to say, as above, that they should have been able to excess their ticket to a Theale to London Zones 1-6 "AAA Basingstoke" ticket as a form of a change of route excess. That is then not quite so straightforward.
Leniency would surely have meant charging only the ordinary fare from Reading West?
Perhaps they should have been, but there is never an obligation to issue a Penalty Fare. It is always down to the individual Authorised Collector. If they, in their infinite wisdom, decide to issue the Penalty Fare from a station different to the passenger's actual origin - the passenger having correctly declared their actual origin - that is on them. In the same way that the Penalty Fares Scheme gives not a jot about your intent to avoid any fare, the rules give not a jot about whether a defect in a Penalty Fare is intentional or not.
Ultimately this section of the forum is here to assist those who have had post-travel problems. OP is one of those, and so investigating possible defences or grounds of appeal is exactly what we are here for. You could call us the equivalent of the infamous "Mr Loophole" solicitor, but at the end of the day the Penalty Fares Regulations set out limitations for a reason and breaching them must have some consequence.
If that had happened we’d probably now be a few pages into a discussion about how there was a valid ticket available as far as Reading or Reading West.
Ah, the crime of misunderstanding the railway's complex rules? A severe crime which has deeply affected its victim and caused years worth of psychological damage. Oh wait, no, we're talking about it hurting the profits of a private company by the tune of a few pounds. Can't have that happening, can we!
The NRCoT might sometimes entitle you to something it calls an excess. How that is implemented is a separate matter - it might even be a season ticket changeover.
What I’m thinking is that in the more general case someone might want to excess their season just the once. A changeover wouldn’t necessarily be the best solution to that situation.
But in this forum we talk about specific cases. The OP tried to find a way to get a ticket allowing travel from both Basingstoke and Theale yet found the wrong answer. Why does the rail industry introduce products that meet demands like this then make it so difficult for people to discover they are available to buy?
It's about the rules being followed. The TOCs expect it of passengers, so it's only fair to expect the TOCs to play by the rules too. It's the same reason that even someone who admits to a heinous crime should have, or will otherwise be appointed, a solicitor - to make sure the procedures are followed properly.
Be careful here - it sounds like the OP did evade a fare. And I'd still suggest just paying up what's asked and writing it off to experience.
Evade suggests intent. A misunderstanding of the rules isn't an intent IMO!
No, but if you search for Theale, it does (and AAA Pangbourne to boot). You don't have to try and find a loophole or dabble with the Routing Guide.
Yes; the ticket may be taken to have either the "real" origin or the AAA origin as the origin.
