Used my mom's freedom pass, got caught and received a letter from TFL:

ForTheLoveOf said:

Personally, I always address letters to an unknown recipient as "Dear Sir / Madam". But maybe that's just me...

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As do l if l am unsure of the gender of the recipient.

Llanigraham said:

As someone who has previously dealt with prosecutions in another field I would suggest not including the words I have greatly reduced in size, above.

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A good steer. Comes over a little as protesting too much while understanding too much (certainly much more than the average person) otherwise.

Wolfie said:

A good steer. Comes over a little as protesting too much while understanding too much (certainly much more than the average person) otherwise.

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So how would you amend it?

Dyda said:

So how would you amend it?

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I think llanigraham was spot on.

Slight edits suggested below:

Please accept my sincerest apologies for what I have done regarding the TFL fare evasion offence. As an honest and law abiding citizen I feel deeply ashamed of falling foul of the law and I take full responsibility for my actions and I promise that I will never do it again.

I have no valid excuse for misusing the Freedom Pass, but I ask that you take into consideration my mental illness: I have suffered from depression, anxiety and associated disorders for about 10 years with frequent symptoms like confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, not knowing what I am doing, or making irrational things. My mental health deteriorated further upon losing my job 2 years ago and I am still suffering the consequences.

My mother's freedom pass was in my bag - I do not recall picking it up, but accept that I did. I often get mixed up with things so I think I used my mother's freedom pass thinking it was my debit card. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card.

Please, may I humbly ask that you consider giving me the opportunity to settle this matter out of court? I am very concerned that the prosecution and a criminal record will have a huge effect on my mental state, current and future employment, and on my personal life.

May I also offer to immediately compensate TFL for any damage my actions have caused and for any costs incurred in the processing of my case file.

I would greatly appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show some leniency in this matter.

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So no one really likes my offer to do some social work and apologise to the taxpayers? May I know why? But just out of curiosity as you are the experts so I deleted it.

I am seeing a nurse at 3 today to ask for the documents of my depression and I’m hoping she won’t refer me to my doctor who is always unavailable, but I’m staying positive!

Anyway guys! thank you ALL so much for your help! I edited the letter just a little bit – omitted the debit card because the officer only took details of my student oyster card so they might not know what I am talking about. I also removed some repetitions and changed 2 years to 1.5.

Please let me know if it now looks good. And provide feedback as needed. Thank you so much again I am so happy that such a forum exists!

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Dear Sir/Madame,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for what I have done regarding the TFL fare evasion offence. As an honest and law abiding citizen I feel deeply ashamed of falling foul of the law and I take full responsibility for my actions, and I promise that I will never do it again.

I have no valid excuse for misusing the Freedom Pass, but I ask that you take into consideration my mental illness: I have suffered from depression, anxiety and associated disorders for about 10 years with frequent symptoms like confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, not knowing what I am doing, or making irrational things. My mental health deteriorated further upon losing my job 1.5 years ago and I am still suffering the consequences.

My mother's freedom pass was in my bag - I do not recall picking it up, but accept that I did. I often get mixed up with things so I think I used it thinking it was my own card. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card.

Please, may I humbly ask that you consider giving me the opportunity to settle this matter out of court? I am very concerned that the prosecution and a criminal record will have a huge effect on my mental state, current and future employment, and on my personal life.

May I also offer to immediately compensate TFL for any damage my actions have caused and for any costs incurred in the processing of my case file?

I would greatly appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show some leniency in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Dyda said:

So no one really likes my offer to do some social work and apologise to the taxpayers? May I know why? But just out of curiosity as you are the experts so I deleted it.

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It isn't that nobody likes your offer, more that the people reading your letter are likely to be busy, dealing with many such letters, and will really appreciate a letter that gets to the point and deals with the relevant facts. Your edited letter now does that well.

I also agree with you about addressing your letter in a gender-inclusive way (although I'd spell it 'Madam' rather than 'Madame'). Women don't like the assumption that it's okay to be addressed as a man, so you made a good call there.

Fearless said:

It isn't that nobody likes your offer, more that the people reading your letter are likely to be busy, dealing with many such letters, and will really appreciate a letter that gets to the point and deals with the relevant facts. Your edited letter now does that well.

I also agree with you about addressing your letter in a gender-inclusive way (although I'd spell it 'Madam' rather than 'Madame'). Women don't like the assumption that it's okay to be addressed as a man, so you made a good call there.

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Thank you very much I amended it to Madam and yes, if a feminist gets my letter and I address her as ‘sir’ I will be in much bigger trouble!

And a really silly question but I need to be 100%! As per below, they say to return everything in writing, by email… ALTERNATIVELY by post.
So an email with all the attachments is enough, right? Or should I also send all the documents by post in case it might help my case? Or it doesn’t really matter?

Dyda said:

So no one really likes my offer to do some social work and apologise to the taxpayers? May I know why? But just out of curiosity as you are the experts so I deleted it.

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For me it's because TfL don't have the power to compel community service. I suppose they could have you do some unpaid work at a train station, but that's likely to be more trouble than it's worth (need to train you, health and safety concerns, etc).

Dyda said:

And a really silly question but I need to be 100%! As per below, they say to return everything in writing, by email… ALTERNATIVELY by post.

So an email with all the attachments is enough, right? Or should I also send all the documents by post in case it might help my case? Or it doesn’t really matter?

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Yes, an email with attachments would be enough. Make sure you get a confirmation that that it's been received though.

Dyda said:

Sorry but everything is in italics... so I'm not sure what to insert

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Sorry about that. I should have used bold. There have been further suggestions since I posted, but here are the altered paragraphs:

"Unfortunately I have no valid excuse for what I did. The only defence is my mental illness. I have suffered from depression, anxiety and associated disorders for about 10 years. Some of the symptoms I have been experiencing include confusion, forgetfulness, paranoia, inability to concentrate, not knowing what I am doing, or making irrational decisions. My mental illness health deteriorated further upon losing my job and I had to seek therapy.

"It is possible that my mother's freedom pass ended up was in my bag but I can't think of a valid reason why I used it on the day when I don't possess my own. I do not recall picking up my mother's freedom pass, but evidently I did. I often get mixed up with cards and I think I used my mother's freedom pass thinking it was my debit card. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card.

"May I humbly ask that I settle this matter as a matter of urgency. I am willing to pay an appropriate settlement. Please accept £** (insert suitable amount here) to cover TFL's losses and administrative costs."

Guys, thank you so much for all your comments and help! I appreciate it a lot. I am now getting ready to see the nurse and see what she will say. I will keep you updated!

Wishing you good health and a less stressful time, Dyda.

Dyda said:

what I have done regarding the TFL fare evasion offence. ...I think I used it thinking it was my own card.

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Perhaps I'm missing something - are you saying you're admitting the offence they refer to and that the offence is evasion? Evasion would normally imply intention, and you're saying you think it was unintentional.

Also maybe TfL would want more explanation - even if the RPO has already recorded it - as to how you ended up not seeing that the card was hers, with her picture and/or other differences.

It may be worth trying to imagine the situation from their point of view - they may hear many kinds of odd tales and need to see a clear story.

Did you touch in using the card case without taking the card out?

If the mistake was picking up the wrong card case, perhaps it would be worth making that clearer.

If you think you might have mistaken the actual card for the debit card, again more detail might help, including perhaps if applicable, something like "I know it might seem unlikely that I could have mistaken the freedom pass for a green credit card, but this is in fact the sort of memory/concentration lapse I suffer from, as the medical notes say".

some bloke said:

Perhaps I'm missing something - are you saying you're admitting the offence they refer to and that the offence is evasion? Evasion would normally imply intention, and you're saying you think it was unintentional.

Also maybe TfL would want more explanation - even if the RPO has already recorded it - as to how you ended up not seeing that the card was hers, with her picture and/or other differences.

It may be worth trying to imagine the situation from their point of view - they may hear many kinds of odd tales and need to see a clear story.

Did you touch in using the card case without taking the card out?

If the mistake was picking up the wrong card case, perhaps it would be worth making that clearer.

If you think you might have mistaken the actual card for the debit card, again more detail might help, including perhaps if applicable, something like "I know it might seem unlikely that I could have mistaken the freedom pass for a green credit card, but this is in fact the sort of memory/concentration lapse I suffer from, as the medical notes say".

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Thank you so much for pointing it out!
I did NOT intend to use the freedom pass but my own card. I was not aware that I had 2 cases in my bag and I just took the first one (the cases where the same or very similar) Yes I touched the 'case' and the card was inside so I didn't see which one it was, I thought I was using mine. I tried to make my story clearer but the general consensus here was to be concise and to the point so I omitted the details.

And yes I am pleading guilty because I was caught so I can't say I am not guilty and if you plead guilty straight away apparently they tend to have more mercy for you.

Is there anything I misunderstood? I’m getting really confused now…

Dyda said:

I am pleading guilty because I was caught so I can't say I am not guilty and if you plead guilty straight away apparently they tend to have more mercy for you.

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What offence is the form asking about?

Dyda said:

Guys, thank you so much for all your comments and help! I appreciate it a lot. I am now getting ready to see the nurse and see what she will say. I will keep you updated!

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So, I saw the nurse who told me to write an official letter to my GP requesting the statement of my diseases, the duration and the medication and pay about £30 – that’s ok.

Apparently they have a process for that that might take up to a week and I need to send my apology letter this Wednesday the latest (I only received the letter on Saturday!!)

So, I wrote a hand written letter to my GP, left it at the reception and she should have it by tomorrow. I have also written an email requesting the same.

So, my plan is to book an appointment with my GP tomorrow and beg to speed it up and if no luck repeat it on Wednesday and if still no luck write to TFL that I will send it to them separately a few days later as my GP is delaying the process L

some bloke said:

What offence is the form asking about?

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"failing to produce a valid ticket, pass or photocard for your journey on the London Underground"

If I deny - they talk about TFL fare evasion offence and that a mistake or accident is not a defence. The fact that you were on a TFL service without a vaid ticket or pass is normally sufficient for a conviction
If I accept - they only mention offence, ask for exceptioal reasons, incuding evidence as to why they should not prosecute me.

Dyda said:

So, my plan is to book an appointment with my GP tomorrow and beg to speed it up and if no luck repeat it on Wednesday and if still no luck write to TFL that I will send it to them separately a few days later as my GP is delaying the process.

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Don't delay writing to TfL - explain in your letter/email that you are waiting on a report from your GP. TOCs appreciate people who respond promptly rather than keeping them waiting.

najaB said:

Don't delay writing to TfL - explain in your letter/email that you are waiting on a report from your GP. TOCs appreciate people who respond promptly rather than keeping them waiting.

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Good idea, but they've gone home now or are on the way and I'm seeing my GP tomorrow - hopefully in the morning - so if I'm lucky I'll send all the docs together.

Dyda said:

"failing to produce a valid ticket"

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I suggest you omit the words "evasion" and "misusing", and so replace this:

Dyda said:

...apologies for what I have done regarding the TFL fare evasion offence.

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with

"apologies for failing to produce a valid ticket";

replacing

Dyda said:

I have no valid excuse for misusing the Freedom Pass

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with

"I touched in with my mother's Freedom Pass, but by accident. Despite the way it might seem, I assure you that I had no intention to use anything other than my debit card"

[or appropriate statement if you can't remember your motivation but are sure you would not have attempted to evade the fare].

Dyda said:

I was not aware that I had 2 cases in my bag and I just took the first one (the cases where the same or very similar) Yes I touched the 'case' and the card was inside so I didn't see which one it was, I thought I was using mine.

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I'd say those details, with "card case" instead of "case", and the appropriate minor edits for formality, are important to include.

Ok, I’m losing my mind now! It this version ok?

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Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for failing to produce a valid ticket. As an honest and law abiding citizen I feel deeply ashamed of falling foul of the law and I take full responsibility for my actions, and I promise that I will never do it again.

I have no valid excuse for entering the station with my mother’s Freedom Pass, but I ask that you take into consideration my mental illness: I have suffered from depression, anxiety and associated disorders for about 10 years with frequent symptoms like confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, not knowing what I am doing, or making irrational things. My condition deteriorated even further upon losing my job because of my mental illness 1.5 years ago, and I am still suffering the consequences.

My mother's freedom pass was in my bag (probably because we share things like bags) and had a very similar card case to mine - I do not recall picking it up, but accept that I did. I often get mixed up with things so I think I used it thinking it was my own card. I know it might seem unlikely, but this is in fact an example of memory/concentration lapse I suffer from. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card.

Please, may I humbly ask that you consider giving me the opportunity to settle this matter out of court? I am very concerned that the prosecution and a criminal record will have a huge effect on my mental state, current and future employment, and on my personal life.

May I also offer to immediately compensate TFL for any damage my actions have caused and for any costs incurred in the processing of my case file?

I would greatly appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show some leniency in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

It is really important that you respond to TfL by the deadline they have set. Do not delay replying just because you have not received the letter from your GP. If you cannot get the letter from your GP tomorrow then it is important that you respond to TfL regardless.

gray1404 said:

It is really important that you respond to TfL by the deadline they have set. Do not delay replying just because you have not received the letter from your GP. If you cannot get the letter from your GP tomorrow then it is important that you respond to TfL regardless.

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Yes I agree and I will definitely respond by the deadline that is Wednesday.

Good luck and do let the forum know of the outcome as it will be of help to others

Dyda said:

It this version ok?

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That version seems clearer that you are not saying you saw the pass at home or at the station.
Just to spell it out, you could say this:

"My mother's freedom pass was in a card case in my bag (probably because we share things like bags) and the card case is very similar to mine - I do not recall picking it up, but accept that I did. I often get mixed up with things and am certain I used it thinking it was my own card. I know it might seem unlikely, but this is in fact an example of memory/concentration lapse I suffer from. I touched in with the card case and, here again, did not see the card inside. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card."

Sometimes it may not be clear exactly when a deadline is, so it's important to err on the side of caution.

It's understandably stressful going over these things - good luck.

Thank you and will do! But I am actually planning to send it today early afternoon. Any last comments on my apology letter?

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Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for failing to produce a valid ticket. As an honest and law abiding citizen I feel deeply ashamed of falling foul of the law and I take full responsibility for my actions, and I promise that I will never do it again.

I have no valid excuse for entering the station with my mother’s Freedom Pass, but I ask that you take into consideration my mental illness: I have suffered from depression, anxiety and associated disorders for about 10 years with frequent symptoms like confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, not knowing what I am doing, or making irrational things. My condition deteriorated even further upon losing my job because of my mental illness 1.5 years ago, and I am still suffering the consequences.

My mother's freedom pass was in my bag (probably because we share things like bags) and had a very similar card case to mine - I do not recall picking it up, but accept that I did. I often get mixed up with things so I think I used it thinking it was my own card. I know it might seem unlikely, but this is in fact an example of memory/concentration lapse I suffer from. After the officer stopped me, I realised my mistake. I will ensure, in future that I check I'm using the correct card.

Please, may I humbly ask that you consider giving me the opportunity to settle this matter out of court? I am very concerned that the prosecution and a criminal record will have a huge effect on my mental state, current and future employment, and on my personal life.

May I also offer to immediately compensate TFL for any damage my actions have caused and for any costs incurred in the processing of my case file?

I would greatly appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show some leniency in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Hi everyone, I've just sent the email with all the documents.

I was lucky and this morning my GP gave me a letter confirming my severe depression, anxiety since 2002! And I thought I've only been sick for 10 years but anyway it's my confused mind...

I asked in writing for receipt confirmation but I got an automatic one so they definitely received it.

Thank you all very much for helping me with all this and I will get back to once I hear back from them.

Do bear in mind that the process could take many weeks/a few months

You've sent everything off now so try not to dwell on it. Get on with your life as best you can