ValleyLines142
Established Member
Morning,
I'm writing on behalf of a family member who went out for the day yesterday.
My cousin and her step-sister went to Bristol yesterday. My cousin started her journey at Cardiff Central whilst her step-sister started from Porth and met my cousin on the platform at Cardiff.
My cousin had a valid ticket but her step-sister needed to purchase a ticket. I'm not sure if Porth has a ticket machine (I believe it does) but either way she intended on purchasing a return from Porth to Bristol on the train. The conductor did not come round so they went to the unpaid fares booth at Bristol Temple Meads. At no point whatsoever did she intend on avoiding paying her fare.
When they got the booth a female member of staff told her she would have to pay a £20 fine, which I assume is a Penalty Fare. She had no issue with that as she knew she should have purchased her ticket at an earlier opportunity (although if Porth does not have a ticket machine she may have a leg to stand on as by this point this would have genuinely been her next chance to purchase a ticket), and she paid it there and then.
The female conductor then called over an inspector (presumably an RPI), who was a short distance across the way. He was in the middle of serving a young female who, according to my cousin's account, couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen years old, and was reduced to tears as he was shouting in her face and accusing her of lying about her origin. I have no idea of the outcome of that.
When he spoke to my cousin and her step-sister, he produced his ID/badge, and said 'just take a moment to absorb all of this in, just so you know who I am', in a condescending manner. He then asked my cousin where she had travelled from, so she said Cardiff. He then said she was lying, even though she had a ticket which she produced to him. He then asked for her postcode, which she revealed. This was then followed by where she lives in Cardiff. She then said Canton. The RPI continued to say she was lying, saying that Canton isn't a real place (clearly can't be that good at his job as I grew up in Canton and it has a population of just under 15,000). He then said he'd have to check the CCTV at Cardiff, and claimed that they'd have to wait here for 'a couple of hours' whilst he checked the footage. My cousin then demanded they be released, as they'd already been held up for twenty minutes and didn't want to be delayed any more on their day out. Eventually after much bullying and interrogation they were allowed to leave.
As they were let through the barriers, my cousin said to her step-sister something non-harmful like 'oh gosh there's always drama everywhere we go', to which the inspector followed them through the barriers, outside of the station, chased them past the bus stops almost to by Temple Gate, and accused them of talking about him, when they weren't at all; it was just a light-hearted comment between the two of them. The inspector then goes 'you do realise I'm filming you love' to which my cousin says 'carry on, I'm not worried or scared, you're just a sexist, intimidating old man who enjoys terrorising other women. You've let all the 6ft 2 men walk through, because you know they'd deck you if you picked on them'. The RPI then threatened to have her sacked from her job (like this will happen), to which she did call him an arse but she knew that the RPI was trying to get a reaction out of her to have it against him so she kept her cool.
I'm not at all happy that one of GWR's staff has followed two young ladies out of the station in this day and age. The Penalty Fare was sorted; as soon as that was paid off that should have been it. Eventually when he did let them off, he shouted 'bye ladies, have a fantastic day!', in an over the top, patronising tone.
My cousin has a heart problem and if put under too much stress she gets bad chest pains. If she can provide a doctor's note of this can she take further action? To think he could be at Temple Meads right now intimidating other people. He needs instant dismissal.
Good job I wasn't there. Who employs these absolute nutters?!
I'm writing on behalf of a family member who went out for the day yesterday.
My cousin and her step-sister went to Bristol yesterday. My cousin started her journey at Cardiff Central whilst her step-sister started from Porth and met my cousin on the platform at Cardiff.
My cousin had a valid ticket but her step-sister needed to purchase a ticket. I'm not sure if Porth has a ticket machine (I believe it does) but either way she intended on purchasing a return from Porth to Bristol on the train. The conductor did not come round so they went to the unpaid fares booth at Bristol Temple Meads. At no point whatsoever did she intend on avoiding paying her fare.
When they got the booth a female member of staff told her she would have to pay a £20 fine, which I assume is a Penalty Fare. She had no issue with that as she knew she should have purchased her ticket at an earlier opportunity (although if Porth does not have a ticket machine she may have a leg to stand on as by this point this would have genuinely been her next chance to purchase a ticket), and she paid it there and then.
The female conductor then called over an inspector (presumably an RPI), who was a short distance across the way. He was in the middle of serving a young female who, according to my cousin's account, couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen years old, and was reduced to tears as he was shouting in her face and accusing her of lying about her origin. I have no idea of the outcome of that.
When he spoke to my cousin and her step-sister, he produced his ID/badge, and said 'just take a moment to absorb all of this in, just so you know who I am', in a condescending manner. He then asked my cousin where she had travelled from, so she said Cardiff. He then said she was lying, even though she had a ticket which she produced to him. He then asked for her postcode, which she revealed. This was then followed by where she lives in Cardiff. She then said Canton. The RPI continued to say she was lying, saying that Canton isn't a real place (clearly can't be that good at his job as I grew up in Canton and it has a population of just under 15,000). He then said he'd have to check the CCTV at Cardiff, and claimed that they'd have to wait here for 'a couple of hours' whilst he checked the footage. My cousin then demanded they be released, as they'd already been held up for twenty minutes and didn't want to be delayed any more on their day out. Eventually after much bullying and interrogation they were allowed to leave.
As they were let through the barriers, my cousin said to her step-sister something non-harmful like 'oh gosh there's always drama everywhere we go', to which the inspector followed them through the barriers, outside of the station, chased them past the bus stops almost to by Temple Gate, and accused them of talking about him, when they weren't at all; it was just a light-hearted comment between the two of them. The inspector then goes 'you do realise I'm filming you love' to which my cousin says 'carry on, I'm not worried or scared, you're just a sexist, intimidating old man who enjoys terrorising other women. You've let all the 6ft 2 men walk through, because you know they'd deck you if you picked on them'. The RPI then threatened to have her sacked from her job (like this will happen), to which she did call him an arse but she knew that the RPI was trying to get a reaction out of her to have it against him so she kept her cool.
I'm not at all happy that one of GWR's staff has followed two young ladies out of the station in this day and age. The Penalty Fare was sorted; as soon as that was paid off that should have been it. Eventually when he did let them off, he shouted 'bye ladies, have a fantastic day!', in an over the top, patronising tone.
My cousin has a heart problem and if put under too much stress she gets bad chest pains. If she can provide a doctor's note of this can she take further action? To think he could be at Temple Meads right now intimidating other people. He needs instant dismissal.
Good job I wasn't there. Who employs these absolute nutters?!