Are you happy in your job as an RPI?

[ChiefPlanner]

As an Operations Manager on the North London line in the lawless days of the mid 1990's I used to love to make a PA announcement about a full ticket check (including penalty fares) was about to be made. Somewhere like Camden Road say - half the train would get off immediately. Then wait for the next train - 15 mins later - repeat - same again. You could sense the anguish on the freeloaders...then do a proper check on the 3d train and still (with properly qualified RPI staff) - pick up about 40 excesses - with a suitable bollocking about the next time.

Did a major excercise on the Watford - Euston DC lines on 2 Friday evenings - with good results - more honest people than dodgers - and being emboldened - did a 23xx from Euston on my own - namebadge and nippers only - driver did PA to say the train was being checked and I had nothing but goodwill (and thanks) from the passengers. Hands on management ....

 

[Antman]

This. The correct term is actually "People of Colour", which many of you may feel is no different, but the point is that it doesn't carry the same connotations. It's usually shortened to PoC for ease.

And I'm not sure saying "it's not offensive to me" is very helpful if you're white. The issue is whether it's offensive to non-white people, which it generally is.

I've never heard the phrase "people of colour" before.

I don't want to side track this debate in another direction but I used the term 'coloured' to a police officer (I was describing a suspect) and he didn't bat an eyelid, and yes the police officer was a "person of colour"

I suspect he was more interested in catching the suspect than the finer points of political correctness?

 

[najaB]

I have seen people suddenly change direction when they see RPI's.

Preston station is a good one for it - when they have a block on the bridge from Platform 1/2 it's amazing how many people will walk all the way down to the other end of the platform to use the underpass.

 

[ItchyRsole]

If someone is getting a dressing down from an RPI & the train stops at a station with barriers & the ticketless passenger decides to just walk off, can he? And how does he get through the barrier? As I believe you can't hold someone against their will. I saw this recently but not how it ended as my train pulled away.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Gosh I didn't expect this topic to arouse so much interest!

As an aside, are RPI's expected to work towards targets - i.e. to catch so many dodgers in a week/month, or to reduce lost revenue by 5% or whatever?

 

[plastictaffy]

With regard to the racist thing - we have a Guard at my place, an instructor no less, who was told, "You're only asking me coz I'm black.". Our hero replied with, "Certainly not, I'm married to one of your lot, I'm asking you because you've been locked in the khazi for the last 10 minutes since you saw me coming through first class!!!" Funnily enough, he was "gently encouraged" to leave at the next stop.
I've used "Yes, that's right, I'm asking you because you're black, yes. Just the same as I asked that gentleman there who is white, and that lady over there who is mixed race. Give me a ticket, or buy one, or get off!!"
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Gosh I didn't expect this topic to arouse so much interest!

As an aside, are RPI's expected to work towards targets - i.e. to catch so many dodgers in a week/month, or to reduce lost revenue by 5% or whatever?

Not with my TOC, they're not. They're too busy chasing the fare dodgers on the cross city who are dodging two quid, rather than those at the south end of the WCML, dodging 20 pound fares for the last 5 years!!!
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Just about anybody trying to enforce any rules and regulations these days seems to be regarded as a jobsworth

Jobsworth is one of my favourite phrases. "Yes sir, I am a jobsworth". "I daresay you do your job to the best of your ability, just the same as I am currently doing - so that clearly makes you a jobsworth, also". Usually shuts them up.

I also like it when they say "Aren't you going to check his ticket". They usually point at someone that either a) I checked before he got on, or b) He's staff, and I know he's staff because I see him regularly. I came out with "I don't come to your place of work and tell you how to flip burgers, so why are you sitting there trying to tell me how to do my job?"
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did a 23xx from Euston on my own - namebadge and nippers ....

Sod that. I might have a walk through after Watford on a late down train, but not with a ticket machine. Well paid, I am. Well paid enough to risk a smack in the mouth, I am not. It does happen, sadly.
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God, when I think about some of the things I say to the punters, it surprises me that I've never had a complaint made against me.

 

[LowLevel]

I make a point of going down late trains religiously and have a laugh and a joke and haven't had a problem yet. If I'm alone I do implement the 'won't pay walk away' policy but it's surprising how much money you'll take with little effort and make the various punters much happier for seeing you. I don't wake sleepers, I don't chase people out of the bog and so on but it's amazing how even the most dodgy looking folk stinking of drugs politely get their money out and wish you a good evening if you greet them cheerfully and don't give them grief in return.

The best example I can think of was working a known serious trouble line and a group of 4 massive skinheads filling every stereotypical 'problem' box with cans of Oranjeboom in tow got on the last train (an all shacks Worksop to Nottingham). I thought about it then went to them anyway and was almost surprised when the 'leader' greeted me with 'good evening my good man, group saver to Mansfield please' in heavily Eastern Europe accented English with a crisp £20 note offered up.

Sure, there's grief, but the only bloke I thought was going to hit me seriously was a welsh chap in a suit during disruption who'd got a colleague cornered in a mob and I squared up to him to rescue him (which worked) with a manager at my back.

So yes - I love being a commercial guard - best job I've ever had.

 

[DaiGog]

I'm an ex RPI and loved it most of the time. When we first started, one of our number had been in the role for years with other TOCs and said it was the best job on the railway. Years later I still believe he was right in many respects.

The hours were good, the pay was reasonable. We were on MS contracts (i.e. flat salary) so if we were required to do extras for a special event, say, then we were able to claim time back in lieu. But generally speaking, as we didn't get paid to work overtime, we didn't do any. The job by nature is quite 'peaky' in that there is an amount of revenue-chasing to be done in the morning peak, apart from anything else to justify your existence by bringing some bunce in. Getting out of bed at 4am in January is rubbish in anyone's book, but being home by 1130 is just fine. In the summer, at 4am when the sun is rising, the birds are singing and it's just you on the way to work without another soul to be seen, it really is the best time of the day. We got most weekends off as well.

There are aspects of the job which of course aren't for everybody. It is in its nature confrontational, but you are trained well and after doing it for a while, a good RPI can handle the vast majority of people who cross their path. It's a case of horses for courses most of the time - in a good team, at least one of you can deal with any awkward type. Fare dodgers come in every shape and size, from the scrote avoiding a £1.50 fare to the businessman committing £10K-a-year season ticket fraud - and different RPIs will have different strengths. For example, I was always good at spotting forged tickets, handling the more cunning fare-dodger who tried to use their intelligence and arrogance assuming they were more intelligent and better educated than you, and talking people down when they became hysterical or when a fellow RPI was struggling to get their point across. Some RPIs are better than I was at shouting people down (very necessary in some cases), and/or using physical resistance to stop people, for example, but collectively as a team there was always someone able to deal with any scenario, no matter what it was. And of course, get the right bunch together, and you have a great laugh along the way.

 

[Greaseball3220]

Perhaps there's a certain type of person who'd enjoy this role and thrive on it, I regard jobs like RPI, the Gateline or the Ticket Office as pretty much the antithesis of Train Driving, (constant Joe Public grief, having to talk and interact with people even when you don't want to, lack of autonomy, micromanagement) I'd rather be a Carriage Cleaner any day.

 

[ItchyRsole]

I agree. Not my bag at all!

 

[W230]

The TL RPIs I work with are happy as. Well, most of them. Same as any other job I guess.

 

[TEW]

If someone is getting a dressing down from an RPI & the train stops at a station with barriers & the ticketless passenger decides to just walk off, can he? And how does he get through the barrier? As I believe you can't hold someone against their will. I saw this recently but not how it ended as my train pulled away.

If someone is determined to get away, they'll get away. Barriers aren't an obstruction to the determined. Part of the job is knowing that you have to let them get away sometimes, there's no point chasing someone down the street as it's only going to lead to trouble and the company won't back you up. They'll try it again and one day you'll catch them.

 

[Flamingo]

If someone is determined to get away, they'll get away. Barriers aren't an obstruction to the determined. Part of the job is knowing that you have to let them get away sometimes, there's no point chasing someone down the street as it's only going to lead to trouble and the company won't back you up. They'll try it again and one day you'll catch them.

They have to get lucky every time - we only have to get lucky once!

 

[ItchyRsole]

Yes but the point is you cannot put your hands on them under any circumstances so they could win every time if they wish?

 

[TEW]

Sometimes blocks are carried out with BTP present. Or they might be caught on the train with no escape.