Advice please - notice of prosecution

[221129]

As you come off Exmouth platform, the ticket office is to the right, but the RPI's and the queue would be straight ahead. So I think it would be perfectly reasonable if you were looking to buy a ticket to head to the staff. I think you could easily not see the ticket office, as you had seen the staff first, and just headed there. I also do not think a fare dodger would head straight to the RPI's I think they would have gone to the ticket office and purchased a ticket from Exton if they were trying to avoid the fare.

Where they are normally placed is out of sight as you walk through the ticket hall.

 

[Deafdoggie]

But if there is a queue of people, tickets in hand, it is not unreasonable to expect a ticket inspection. You may even sneak ahead to check there are staff there which is why everyone is queuing. I would say a reasonable person would not know that these people would not sell tickets, and that you would happily approach them to get a ticket if you didn't have one.

 

[Bungle158]

The fault here is that the first guard should have sold tickets at the time and not said that the guard joining the train at Exeter would sell tickets. Clearly the guard who took over at Exeter was not doing his/her job properly by not bothering to sell tickets. I have been on this route and it depends who the guard is as to whether tickets are sold at times. GWR should ensure that ALL guards sell tickets and not just some.

Having worked in that area, it is possible that the guard had cashed up before ending duty at EXD. I am not condoning the practice, but it was not uncommon in my day.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Having worked in that area, it is possible that the guard had cashed up before ending duty at EXD. I am not condoning the practice, but it was not uncommon in my day.

But in which case, why come down at all, and why sell tickets to people only going to Exeter?

 

[Rockhopper]

Don't guards get commission for selling tickets? - if so that makes it even stranger that he wouldn't sell them any.

 

[najaB]

But in which case, why come down at all, and why sell tickets to people only going to Exeter?

As noted above, if the transaction was anything other than simple they could complete it on the platform.

 

[reb0118]

Don't guards get commission for selling tickets? - if so that makes it even stranger that he wouldn't sell them any.

Yes we do. Therefore if we are going to rationalise it it would seem more likely to sell the higher value fare than the lower. However, the guard's attitude might be to collect as many fares from those passengers alighting soonest to ensure that they pay as opposed to breeze out the station sans billets so to speak. Personally when working a e.g. Tweedbank to Edinburgh service I will by pass the Edinburgh fares until after Galashiels/Stow to ensure that I get as many "local" fares as possible. Many local passengers expect a free ride & it is always good to disabuse them of that idea.

The first guard may have thought that his relieving colleague would have scooped up any remaining fares. If I was in the position of the first guard I would have told my colleague the situation and informed him that there were still outstanding fares to collect. Teamwork.