Advice needed

[Ticketberk]

Hi there,

I had an incident with two train ticket inspectors the other day and need some advice.

I had boarded the oxford - Reading train, once arrived at Reading I was going to get off and meet my friend for a drink. Unfortunately she cancelled so I quickly made a decision to run on the Reading - oxford train to get back home.

Once on the train a ticket inspector asked for my ticket and I said unfortunately i didn’t have for the journey but was willing to pay cash or card.
He then called a colleague over to take the payment. When the colleague came over he asked for my details which I had to write down, then my stop was there and I had to get off.
They jumped off at my station and wanted to ask me more details. They both became more aggressive towards me I felt very intimated so due to station not having any barriers I walked away.

I know it was the wrong thing to do but I am having a few personal issues at the moment and it all become a bit to much.

I just wanted some advice on what to do and whether they will contact me further? And should I make a complaint about their behaviour?

Look forward to your replies.

Sandy

 

[Ticketberk]

Sorry I must also add that the two inspectors:

- did not caution me

- ask me for payment

- sign any documents apart from the standard Name, address, postcode and phone number details on a pad.

Hope this further information helps.

Thanks
Sandy

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum.

If you gave your name and address you can be certain that the rail company (GWR) will follow this up. I'd expect them to send a letter to you stating that they are considering prosecution for travelling without a valid ticket and asking for your version of events. This letter can take up to several months to arrive depending on the workload at the train company prosecutions department. Until you get this letter there is nothing that you can do.

You might want to post back here with details of the letter (with personal details redacted) when you receive it.

 

[30907]

I assume you travelled from somewhere en route like Cholsey (AFAIK Oxford still has barriers)? - no need to say which one!

What ticket did you have for your original journey, and how did you plan to get home after your drink? (I ask, not to be nosey, but because you will need to explain fully to GWR if they pursue this).

 

[Ticketberk]

Hi there,

Thank you for your response and please don’t worry about being noisey. I want to get my rights sorted out so all the information send over to you will help my case.

So I work in Oxford, boarded the train and got off at Reading. No drink every happened as my friend cancelled on the train. I then boarded the train going back to oxford (had to run as it was about to go in 1 min) and I got off at Chosley to go home.

Hope that makes sense. Would love some more advice, to be honest the two men were very forceful and seem very unorganised.

Thanks again, Sandy

 

[6Gman]

Hi there,

Thank you for your response and please don’t worry about being noisey. I want to get my rights sorted out so all the information send over to you will help my case.

So I work in Oxford, boarded the train and got off at Reading. No drink every happened as my friend cancelled on the train. I then boarded the train going back to oxford (had to run as it was about to go in 1 min) and I got off at Chosley to go home.

Hope that makes sense. Would love some more advice, to be honest the two men were very forceful and seem very unorganised.

Thanks again, Sandy

Did you hold an Oxford-Reading single ticket?

 

[Ticketberk]

Yes I did..

They didn’t even ask to see my Oxford - Reading single ticket come to think of it.

Thanks
Sandy

 

[Brissle Girl]

Yes I did..

They didn’t even ask to see my Oxford - Reading single ticket come to think of it.

Thanks
Sandy

There’s no reason why they would, as that wasn’t the journey you were taking.

In terms of your question about aggressive behaviour, it sounds as though things happened fairly quickly, in terms of you getting off, and I suspect they might have perceived that you were trying to “do a runner” and were trying to prevent it. So in what way were they aggressive? If we know a bit more then we can advise whether it is worth complaining.

Unfortunately, you were found without a ticket and whilst the explanation is understandable, it probably won’t count for much. So tactically it may be better to show contrition when the letter comes and try and settle, particularly if the evidence of the inspectors regarding what happened when you left the train is given more weight than your account. Ultimately, you didn’t have a ticket, so this is a damage limitation exercise.

Finally, re the comment about “personal issues” this seems to come up quite regularly here when posters have been found without a valid ticket and are asking for advice. If it comes up here frequently then I’m sure the train companies’ revenue protection teams also hear it frequently, and I suspect regard it with a certain degree of cynicism. So I’m not sure it would help your case to mention it in any correspondence.

 

[cuccir]

In terms of your question about aggressive behaviour, it sounds as though things happened fairly quickly, in terms of you getting off, and I suspect they might have perceived that you were trying to “do a runner” and were trying to prevent it. So in what way were they aggressive? If we know a bit more then we can advise whether it is worth complaining.

Agreed. You could complain directly the train company, GWR, but note that this complaint would be outside of their investigation into your travel

Unfortunately, you were found without a ticket and whilst the explanation is understandable, it probably won’t count for much. So tactically it may be better to show contrition when the letter comes and try and settle, particularly if the evidence of the inspectors regarding what happened when you left the train is given more weight than your account. Ultimately, you didn’t have a ticket, so this is a damage limitation exercise.

Yes, this is the nub of the matter. That you immediately offered to pay is good as it should make them less able to prosecute you under the stricter legislation, but unless there's something we've missed, you would probably be found guilty of a prosecution under the Railway Byelaws, if GWR attempt to do this. Respond honestly and contritely and hopefully they'll accept a settlement out of court.

Finally, re the comment about “personal issues” this seems to come up quite regularly here when posters have been found without a valid ticket and are asking for advice. If it comes up here frequently then I’m sure the train companies’ revenue protection teams also hear it frequently, and I suspect regard it with a certain degree of cynicism. So I’m not sure it would help your case to mention it in any correspondence.

Further agreement. If do think it was important, you need to be specific: you will need to tell GWR, when they write to you, how the ongoing issue affected your decisions on the day you were travelling. In other words, only include it if you think you can show a clear cause > effect based on the issue.

 

[island]

I think it’s worth reflecting on whether the authorised officers were in fact “aggressive” or just firm and perhaps saying something you did not want to hear. Choosing to board a train with no ticket is a criminal offence, which you appear to have committed.

Had your evening gone to plan and had you gone for the planned drink, how would you have travelled home?

 

[Brissle Girl]

I think it’s worth reflecting on whether the authorised officers were in fact “aggressive” or just firm and perhaps saying something you did not want to hear. Choosing to board a train with no ticket is a criminal offence, which you appear to have committed.

Had your evening gone to plan and had you gone for the planned drink, how would you have travelled home?

Bearing in mind the guidelines for contributing to this section that feels a little aggressive, especially the bolding. I’d assume from the explanation given that the OP would have had the drink and made sure they arrived back at the station in time to purchase a ticket. It was the snap decision to return straight away and the fact that the train was going in one minute that they state led them to jump on board, rather than have to endure a long wait.

 

[sheff1]

To Ticketberk
At present no one here can know with certainty what communication GWR will send. If they send one of their letters asking for £80 plus the cost of the fare (as in this post - GWR Prosecutions) I would certainly recommend you pay it immediately.

 

[greyman42]

I’d assume from the explanation given that the OP would have had the drink and made sure they arrived back at the station in time to purchase a ticket.

Would two singles cost the same as a return?

 

[MikeWh]

Would two singles cost the same as a return?

Probably significantly more, but we don't know whether the intention was to return that evening or not, originally.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Would two singles cost the same as a return?

More, but remember the journey back was only as far as Cholsey. The OP may not have realised that it would be cheaper to buy a return to Reading and alight early at Cholsey, or even that it was permissible. And if they travelled into Oxford by train from Cholsey in the morning they may have assumed three singles was the only way to do it. Not everyone is as well versed as many of us are on what is allowed and/or cheapest.

The question as to what would have been the cheapest fare isn’t relevant in trying to help the OP.

 

[najaB]

That you immediately offered to pay is good as it should make them less able to prosecute you under the stricter legislation...

Only barely. Given that the station the OP was travelling to had no barriers it looks like "pay when challenged". Would the OP have sought to pay for his ticket on arrival at Cholsey?

 

[Brissle Girl]

Agree. Even if the intent was to pay, the perception will likely be as you state, so I don’t think it can be relied on as a mitigating fact. The fact that the OP walked off further weakens the story.

I’m not sure there is much more to add in terms of advice, unless the OP can bring any more information.