"Any tickets I haven't yet checked?"

[lookingforit35]

Always struck me as being a bit of an odd approach to take when checking tickets.

I fully appreciate a conductor might not want to disturb passengers who perhaps have had their tickets checked earlier. But surely any fare dodger with an ounce of intelligence would simply remain "head down" when this question was posed. So by default, only passengers with tickets would be volunteering them for checking.

I have a season ticket, but dont always offer it up for checking if I am approached in this way. And no, the conductor doesnt remember that he/she hasnt yet seen my ticket!

So what's the purpose of this style of checking?

 

[Lampshade]

I've heard "Does anyone need a ticket?" before :?

 

[deltic1989]

This has always been a mystery to me, as has the practice of checking tickets on leaving a station with ticket barriers. However I expect this may be to check everyone is on the right train.

 

[WestCoast]

I've heard "Does anyone need a ticket?" before :?

I've heard that on SWT over the PA.

"Any Fares" I've heard on Northern, usually when the train is approaching a major terminal with ticket checks.

 

[thelem]

It varies by TOC and route. FCC is DOO, so ticket checks only happen at stations and by teams of 2-4 staff who'll check all tickets on a train. On Southern, the guards just seem to provide the option of purchasing a ticket - even if they know you haven't got a ticket they'll just move onto the next person. They also have teams checking whole trains, but much less frequently.

 

[Greenback]

I've heard "Does anyone need a ticket?" before :?

That is quite prevalent around here now.

This has always been a mystery to me, as has the practice of checking tickets on leaving a station with ticket barriers. However I expect this may be to check everyone is on the right train.

And to check that people haven't just bought a ticket to the nearest suburban station just to ge tthrough the barriers!

 

[Eagle]

Obviously a really good conductor would remember who she had or hadn't checked by sight and know who to bother each time . If the train's shortish and not very full it can't be too hard...

 

[Fincra5]

I say "Any unchecked tickets.." or, "Tickets from...". People don't like having it checked a lot. You sometimes get someone who has used it at the barriers complaining that I am checking later in the journey.

 

[scotsman]

Obviously a really good conductor would remember who she had or hadn't checked by sight and know who to bother each time . If the train's shortish and not very full it can't be too hard...

I'm just a volunteer, I check after every station, but it's hard to remember sometimes!

 

[2Dogbox]

This has always been a mystery to me, as has the practice of checking tickets on leaving a station with ticket barriers. However I expect this may be to check everyone is on the right train.

Yes its always worth checking passengers are on the right train. Plus you get passengers with wrong tickets who've got off other trains. And barriers do not check railcard validity etc. Common thing I see is passengers using a ticket vending machine to buy a ticket with a Young Persons discount and not even possesing a railcard.

 

[Anvil1984]

Well the only way to guarantee everyone has a ticket for full length of the journey would be a full ticket check after each stop however that would be silly and people object to having there tickets checked when you do a full check after a staff changeover on route.

I'll admit I use both the "any unchecked tickets / tickets I haven't seen" or "anyone wanting to buy tickets" lines mainly when in a hurry coming into main stations where passengers need tickets to get past barriers or if I'm due to get off the train at next station and want to get back quickly. If its a quietish train and I have time to revenue protect properly then I will but if its a commuter special and I have tickets to sell I'd rather do that first and come back to it then spend 15 mins faffing with unpaid fares notices which pees off the other passengers because they have to queue at the barrier becaue I'm tied up elsewhere

 

[Tomonthetrain]

And barriers do not check railcard validity.

Was at Portsmouth and Southsea last Tuesday and they had set the gates to reject all 16-25 railcard tickets because they were checking for railcard validity. Good on SWT I say!

 

[WestCoast]

people object to having there tickets checked when you do a full check after a staff changeover on route.

Why ever do people get annoyed at this? :roll:

I've noticed that on the intercity operators, they almost always do a full check after a staff changeover, and always make an announcement as to why this is necessary. However, on the other TOCs, it seems more down to the discretion of the guard. Probably down to the higher value tickets on the former.

 

[Chapeltom]

Spotted that recently on a Middlesborough to Manchester Piccadilly service after a changeover at York, the TPE guard's explanation was quite long.

 

[NJTom]

Was on a 153 leaving Bodorgan in the 90s. No-one ever gets on there, but this day there were amazingly 3 or 4 people. The guard asked for tix from Bodorgan and no-one answered. So he shouted "I know there was a few of you, I'll check the whole train if I have to". Then, of course a sheepish voice says, "Oh, hi!" and bought her tix for her and her 3 kids.

 

[Bittern]

Well the only way to guarantee everyone has a ticket for full length of the journey would be a full ticket check after each stop however that would be silly and people object to having there tickets checked when you do a full check after a staff changeover on route.

I was traveling from Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street via Airdire a few weeks ago. We left Waverley and a lady checked my ticket. We left Batgate and a guy then checked it. We left Airdrie then another guy checked it.

Three TE's for an hour's journey? Really?

 

[CarterUSM]

I was traveling from Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street via Airdire a few weeks ago. We left Waverley and a lady checked my ticket. We left Batgate and a guy then checked it. We left Airdrie then another guy checked it.

Three TE's for an hour's journey? Really?

We really can't win though, some punters moan getting their ticket checked, and others moan it's not checked at all.

 

[rail-britain]

When I worked with InterCity East Coast, there was an art to ticket checking

On leaving Aberdeen a short PA announcment for all passengers to have their ticket and railcards ready for inspection
On a HST it was impossible to check all tickets before Stonehaven (about 25 minutes), typically completing coaches A, B, and C
I would then look for any new passengers boarding in these coaches already checked, these could quickly be checked on departure and the remainder of the train before Montrose
In most cases most new passengers were quite obvious to spot
From Dundee onwards it was a challenge, in most cases I would still ask for tickets and occasionally receive "You've already checked mine"

When working Edinburgh to Newcastle or Carlisle, it was a complete ticket check
Annoying to passengers, but ensures all passengers have a ticket

The same technique is still pretty much applied to this day
I am normally asked for a my ticket between Glasgow and Preston, and again between Preston and Euston, and almost identical on the ECML

 

[Lrd]

Probably somewhat unrelated, I have had my ticket checked whilst stood on the platform whilst waiting for the train to come in, by the guard that would be relieving the guard on the train. He was obviously hoping the previous guard had done a full check before he boarded, but he still walked through checking tickets so I guessed that wasn't the case.

I've also had my ticket checked 5 times whilst on a train, twice by the same guard.

 

[Scotrail84]

We really can't win though, some punters moan getting their ticket checked, and others moan it's not checked at all.

Spot on. Then they moan when you ask to their rail card stating the man at the desk seen it. then you find the rail card is out of date because they used the machine

 

[142094]

Very common to see this on Northern services into Leeds - normally to try and ensure that everyone who needs a ticket to get through the barriers has one. Queues at the Excess desks can be long.

There has been numerous times when travelling from Newcastle on East Coast that I've never had my ticket checked until after York (even though the guard has been through counting numbers). Newcastle, Durham and Darlington are all barriered so I guess to some staff it provides a false feeling that everyone has a valid ticket.

 

[WestCoast]

I am normally asked for a my ticket between Glasgow and Preston, and again between Preston and Euston, and almost identical on the ECML

Yes, Preston is often used as the crew changeover point. Hence, why full ticket checks occur before and after.

 

[DarloRich]

Very common to see this on Northern services into Leeds - normally to try and ensure that everyone who needs a ticket to get through the barriers has one. Queues at the Excess desks can be long.

There has been numerous times when travelling from Newcastle on East Coast that I've never had my ticket checked until after York (even though the guard has been through counting numbers). Newcastle, Durham and Darlington are all barriered so I guess to some staff it provides a false feeling that everyone has a valid ticket.

North Road or Dinsdale arent - amazing how many people claim to have got on there when they get to the barriers at Darlo despite clearly having got off the Newcastle or York train!

 

[blackfive460]

Sliding gently off topic...

The best one I ever had for multiple ticket checks on the same journey was in the 1970s between Darlington and Saltburn of all places.
I was on a 3D ticket* (anyone remember those?) and the guard had obviously never seen one before so every time he passed me he asked to see it. After about 10 inspections he gave up and asked me what it was!

*It was ticket valid on three days in a week for a return trip to a choice of destinations and excellent value for money. Happy days!

 

[2Dogbox]

Was at Portsmouth and Southsea last Tuesday and they had set the gates to reject all 16-25 railcard tickets because they were checking for railcard validity. Good on SWT I say!

Thats good! Wonder if they could do that with ours? Ours seem to be very random in what they accept or reject.

 

[Malderon]

This is very common on the trains I travel on now all of the below -
In order of commonness

"Any Unchecked Tickets"

"Tickets from ...."

"Does anyone need to buy a ticket"

I think quite alot of the time it's after the guard has changed, so the previous guard might have just done a ticket check but it is very strange especially in a penalty fare area which I am in. For instance having boarded the train at Chichester, we then call at Barnham where I assume the guard is changed because 5 minutes later the guard is coming through ("Any tickets from Barnham - can I see any tickets from Barnham please"). Now my ticket hasn't yet been checked (I have a gold card), but I didn't board at Barnham!!

I'm sure this has been asked before but is it now the case that guards wont issue penalty fares and only the 2 man revenue enforcement teams will?

(I travel on Southern up the Arun Valley - Chichester to ECR and then on DOO Southern Metro ECR to Kingswood)

 

[WestCoast]

Thats good! Wonder if they could do that with ours? Ours seem to be very random in what they accept or reject.

Rejecting 16-25 railcard tickets can be a right pain, if they don't have staff ready and waiting to assist close by. If they fail in this regard, then it's just a nuisance and causes hold-ups and dissatisfaction.

 

[Greenback]

Sliding gently off topic...

The best one I ever had for multiple ticket checks on the same journey was in the 1970s between Darlington and Saltburn of all places.
I was on a 3D ticket* (anyone remember those?) and the guard had obviously never seen one before so every time he passed me he asked to see it. After about 10 inspections he gave up and asked me what it was!

*It was ticket valid on three days in a week for a return trip to a choice of destinations and excellent value for money. Happy days!

Yes, we used one in 1975. It wa slimited to the Western Region, unfortunately!

All the guards around here seem to be very switched on when it comes to who has just got on the train. At least at off peak times anyway, in the peaks they can't always get through the train.

 

[142094]

North Road or Dinsdale arent - amazing how many people claim to have got on there when they get to the barriers at Darlo despite clearly having got off the Newcastle or York train!

Hard to prove otherwise, could just say you've been to the toilet or Pumpkin after you got off and that's the reason for the delay in getting to the barrier.

 

[WestCoast]

North Road or Dinsdale arent - amazing how many people claim to have got on there when they get to the barriers at Darlo despite clearly having got off the Newcastle or York train!

Hard to prove otherwise, could just say you've been to the toilet or Pumpkin after you got off and that's the reason for the delay in getting to the barrier.

That problem is not limited to Darlington though, it's quite prevalent across the Northern network, and on other TOCs. When you have unstaffed stations so close to the major terminal, the situation is made worse. Of course, there is no Permit-to-Travel at these Northern stations.

At Leeds = "single from Burley Park, please".
At Manchester Piccadilly = "single from Ashburys, please"
At Manchester Victoria = "single from Eccles/Moston, please".

Tactics have involved RPIs on the stations involved, and Northern's approach of handing out vouchers to prove where you boarded on the Glossop Line, which backfired in a prosecution case.