Accused of fare dodging...when i was trying to get a monthy season ticket

[moogie72]

Thanks for all of you who have replied both positivly or negativly but in a constuctive manner.

There seems little point in me continuing to reply, as i did not come on here to have holes picked in my 'story' as some seem to think or have to defend my character. I am well aware of ones conduct but as other understand, human nature and reaction to circumstance can cause anyone to react in many different ways. I was simply looking for facts about a situation. Not be grilled by Rail Sleuths who are in the mind that I came on here to effectivly 'blag' how pointless would that be, I have nothing to prove and nothing to defend.

Many thanks and again enjoy the weekend.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

.... If ater the way I been treated in the morning I choose to buy a 7 day pass because I will be carrting on in my normal journey...which is Cly to Oxford Road. I only ever intedned to use the 7.55 picc service as my wife was at college that side of town. And due to the no show guard I was not wanting to risk that again. Delayed on Platform one etc trying to get a ticket. So wanted to get a monthly. My wife had a valid ticket, why would i choose not to have one?.

On walking to oxford road at lunch , I choose to get my normal 7 day pass from the machine outside. Why should I get a monthy pass????....

All they are trying to get at is....

Why did you want a monthly in the morning, but only a weekly later in the day?

...There must be a reason for it, it may infact not be a big issue it might not be entirely relevant, but it is curious to say the least. It's not like you couldn't have bought a monthly at Oxford Road.

 

[Captain Chaos]

The way I have read the above quote from hairyhandedfool I have come the following conclusions:

1. The Guard didn't come through for whatever reason

2. This left a long queue to exit due to people requiring tickets

3. OP decides that he will say that he wants to buy a monthly ticket, knowing that he will have to be let through to the ticket office and thus avoiding the queue and joining a much shorter queue at the ticket office.

4. OP has no intention of buying a monthly ticket (as he has said himself, he always buys a weekly so therefore could have purchased a ticket from an Avantix user)

5. OP magically forgets PIN and so cannot buy ticket and knowing his wife is not there can say that his wife has walked off with his wallet and therefore cannot pay.

6. G4S have followed OP to make sure he buys his monthly ticket. If they have been harrassing in nature then yes that is out of order.

7. BTP get involved, OP claims harrassment, bit of an argument ensues. OP explains he cannot remember his PIN etc. Explains he always buys tickets and shows his old ones. BTP sees this as a gesture of honesty and therefore sends him on his way.

8. OP buys weekly ticket as intended at Oxford Road.

Now I could indeed be wrong. But I find it odd that someone who always buys a weekly and intended to purchase his ticket on the train suddenly decides to buy a monthly at the station only to change their mind again. I find it equally perplexing as to why the OP has consistently avoided the issue. If there is a genuine reason for doing so then why not just say?

I have seen this happen a few times at Reading. People claim they want to buy a ticket knowing that an Avantix user cannot issue in order to avoid the queue entirely or to get let out and then do a runner.

Maybe this is clouding my judgement and I am being cynical. If I am wrong then I apologise. Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[yorkie]

Captain Chaos - I think you are right. But when someone says they want a monthly they should be sold a single and be informed they must go to the ticket office to obtain a monthly on payment of the difference. If people are being allowed through without being charged a single then, sadly, some people will take advantage, so they will need to adhere to the proper procedure next time, which is a shame because it will delay genuine customers.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Captain Chaos - I think you are right. But when someone says they want a monthly they should be sold a single and be informed they must go to the ticket office to obtain a monthly on payment of the difference. If people are being allowed through without being charged a single then, sadly, some people will take advantage, so they will need to adhere to the proper procedure next time, which is a shame because it will delay genuine customers.

Yeah, I know. When people have wanted to renew a monthly on the train they usually ask me for a single or I will advise them to buy a single and go to the ticket office to pay the difference. This is has never been a problem.

Clearly the proper procedure hasn't been adhered to which I do agree is a shame.

 

[moogie72]

I can only tell you the truth of my intention.

I intended to travel on the Picc service for the forcomming 3 weeks.as my wife was at college and wanted to go with her on her commute. Thus to avoid the ticketless situation I ended up in I wanted to get a monthy pass, so yes in part you have a point, to avoid any future delay or running the risk of having to que up say in 7 days time. That is the only reason I wanted a monthly. As I mentioned when i used to regularly travel to Picc over 1 year ago I used to get monthlys, and was allowed to go to the desk. Hence my initial confusion of being told i could not.

After the whole incident and on meeting my wife at lunch and franky being totaly sick to the pit of what had happened that morning. I was upset. So decided to stay on my normal commute to oxford road. Therefore why spend all the extra cash on a monthy?. I buy 7 dayers usually totaly true, but surley am allowed to change my mind and ticket as per what journey i intend to take.

Also 7 days are good for me in reality , as mentioned its easyier for me to claim back on expeses if I have to work ofsite. I can hand it in at the end of the week to claim back. I was prepared to lose all these benifits to spend a few weeks going to work on my wifes commute.

Incidently, after the situation as mentioned earlier, I franky did not want to use Picaddily again, some may say embarrasment, and my wife agreed to change Her commute for the period and come in on the 8.03 that spots at Picc then at Oxfor road. In all a better service, nice seats no over crowding or peaople fight to get a bum on seat at each of the stopping stations. I mentioned earlier I hade revenue in mind too, It may not make sense to those of you in the know, but to me I thought if i get my 7 day pass on the transpennine express, then they get the monies. I know thats not correct now.

All hail the national rail app on the iphone, being at an unmanned station this has made getting the 8.03 easy. Before this It was a trickey one, as my line is known for lots of disruption, and yes you were forced to use the 7.55 as waiting on the the 8.03 was a gamble.

I really didnt want to carry this thread on , but have seemingly taken the bait again.

Captin Chaos you make valid points that are spoilt by point 5. Effectivly that is obviosly what the g4s guys thought. why on earth would I lie? would i not have been in the same situation waiting at the platform for a 7 day pass? , i would have still told my wife not to wait and be delayed. altho you may be correct in thinking that if I had, I would not have got stressed and mucked up my pin number. As stated earlier this is the crucial point. do you not think I wished I had remembered my number whilst knowing If i forgot I has just been threatend with the police?. I hate fare dodgers I seem them every day, i see the tactics, and when i pay all the time it is probably more annoying to us travelers than it is to g4s or the train company.

I did not come on here to make things up fool you or myself into thinking I am whiter than white, or lording it up on what a discrace it is. I have admited I belive i was wrong to 'think' i knew best thus wanted clarification on other similar situations or the actual rules. I makes no difference on personal oppinions to me. I just wanted to know what you can and cant do in these situations. I stated the g4s chap said nothing other than 3 things 'you cant' and 'if you do i will get the police ' and my manager' 'join the que'

Is this a valid eplanation to a consumer on why he cant purchase what he wants?.

He did not say 'sorry you cant you need to get a single and take it to the office they will refund you on getting your monthy ticket' as has been mentioned on here. Which as daft as it is being the office is 10 yadrs from the platform regardless, I totaly understand now that this HAS been used as an excuse to fare dodge, as I have openly chatted to other G4s about this, and they told me they had been told to crack down.

A messy early morning journey that has had a bad outcome, I had no intention of fare dodging defrauding que jumping , I just wanted to get a monthy to use the 7.55 nothern service to platform one with no delays in the future 4 weeks whilst commuting with my wife.

 

[yorkie]

He did not say 'sorry you cant you need to get a single and take it to the office they will refund you on getting your monthy ticket' as has been mentioned on here.

I suggest you may wish to write to Northern to ask them if they can offer any explanation as to why you were not sold a single ticket and instructed to then pay the difference at the ticket office, in line with the correct procedure.

If & when you receive a reply from Northern, please do feel free to send me a PM if you wish to update us.

Until then I am going to lock the thread as it is going around in circles. Ultimately I think it probably could have been handled better by G4S in the first place by the sound of it, and then handled better by yourself, as you recognise.

Edit (6 June 2012): The outcome was that moogie72 was not prosecuted and was let off with a warning letter.