Dodgers

[HMS Ark Royal]

A pal of mine told me recently that his wife had her over-60s Oyster Card checked by an inspector on the bus, and was asked: 'Why are you using your mother's card?' She was rather annoyed at being accused of dishonesty, but also rather pleased that someone thought she was a lot younger than she is.

That sort of happened to my Grandmother a few years ago. Taking advantage of an offer in the Daily Express to get tickets to see Tommy Steele in concert at the London Palladium, we made a day of it and went down and had a couple of rides on the tube trains and then went on the H15 just for the heck of it - spending an hour traipsing up the road following the direction of Routemasters so we could get the entire run. As this was just before the end of cash fares, I produced the fare (I think it was £1.50) and my Grandmother produced her Bus Pass (this being just after new passes where issued that covered all buses in stage service after 09:30) whereupon the conductor kept looking and asking her age - turned out he thought she was under 60 when, at the time, she was 86!

 

[6Gman]

Agreed. I do, however, wish the 'checkers' (whether guards or others) would close the door after themselves once the check is complete...

Especially when I'm still sat an the loo!



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I was on a GN at Sandy when one scrote tried to blag that he was 15. Then blew it when asked if he had proof of address to contact his parents, pulled out his "I'm-allowed-to-buy-alcohol" proof of age card...

Not on the railway but I was on the gate at a charity event once when a small group of lads arrived and swore blind they were under-16s (which I doubt).

However, they were so keen to get in before being challenged they walked in before I could give them their change! So they ended up paying more than the adult rate.

Sympathetic? Nooooooo!

 

[philthetube]

Working as a conductor on the buses, one of my colleagues got some grief from a group of lads, who would only pay half fare, at the terminus they got off and walked into a pub, my colleague followed them and when the first one ordered a drink, shouted across the bar,"are you going to pay half for your drinks as well."

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Young Skater chick/emo girl gets on my train at Northallerton, produces a child ticket. I look at her, look at her ticket again, look back at her again....

"you're travelling on a child ticket...." I say to her.

"err, yeah...." She answers.

"so why are you reading the highway code?"

Pulls her lips, "ah, err... ooops...."

Made my day!

 

[miami]

When I were a wee lad, in the days before the Internet or portable computing, I would spend many an hour reading maps and the Highway Code.

Given that you can get a scooter and take the theory test on your 16th birthday it seems fairly reasonable for a 15 year old to be reading the Highway Code.

 

[swt_passenger]

... it seems fairly reasonable for a 15 year old to be reading the Highway Code.

Might even be a more than usually dedicated pedestrian or cyclist!

 

[Dannypenguin]

Not so much fare dodgers, just attempts:

Saturday and Sunday the Dean Forest Railway provided a park and ride service for one of the local pubs who had a festival event.

Sure enough, the 23:20 was the busy train and we had a makeshift ticket barrier with the two on train conductors, myself and a collegue, selling tickets to the party goers before they boarded. We had some excellent excuses, as well as a few try and push past us before our security (one of our larger volunteers) turned them around. The best one was my college who was offered a certain sexual act by a young lady as she didn't have £2.50 for a ticket!

He did decline, if you're wondering...

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

The best one was my college who was offered a certain sexual act by a young lady as she didn't have £2.50 for a ticket!

He did decline, if you're wondering...

The long arm of the law was on his side, I presume?

 

[Dannypenguin]

Her friend paid for her after, so it all ended well.

We did have some more rowdy ones including one drunk fellow that broke into the rear cab of the unit and started blowing the horn. Needless to say he was kicked off before exclaiming his young child was on the train. He was allowed back on under strict rules but what an example he is to his child!

 

[CC 72100]

Her friend paid for her after, so it all ended well.

We did have some more rowdy ones including one drunk fellow that broke into the rear cab of the unit and started blowing the horn. Needless to say he was kicked off before exclaiming his young child was on the train. He was allowed back on under strict rules but what an example he is to his child!

Did the services cover their costs? (I'm struggling to imagine a regular service in the Forest of Dean at 23:00 at night!)

 

[Dannypenguin]

I'm afraid I'm not aware of the costs and I wasn't the conductor that cashed up, so no idea if it made money of not. We had quite a few passengers though, mainly people from Lydney who could travel up to Whitecroft during the day, get hammered and not worry about driving or waiting for taxi to be available to get back later in the night.

It was only a one off for the weekend due to the festival at the local pub, though we did have a few people request we do it every weekend!

 

[Agent_c]

Sure enough, the 23:20 was the busy train and we had a makeshift ticket barrier with the two on train conductors, myself and a collegue, selling tickets to the party goers before they boarded. We had some excellent excuses, as well as a few try and push past us before our security (one of our larger volunteers) turned them around. The best one was my college who was offered a certain sexual act by a young lady as she didn't have £2.50 for a ticket!

If she'd price herself at £2.50, it probably wasn't worth even that much....

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The best one was my college who was offered a certain sexual act by a young lady as she didn't have £2.50 for a ticket!

He did decline, if you're wondering...

Good thing he did, she'd have had a busy night!

 

[Antman]

Her friend paid for her after, so it all ended well.

We did have some more rowdy ones including one drunk fellow that broke into the rear cab of the unit and started blowing the horn. Needless to say he was kicked off before exclaiming his young child was on the train. He was allowed back on under strict rules but what an example he is to his child!

I'm surprised the police weren't called if he was drunk in charge of a child, in addition to any other offences he may have committed?

 

[Clip]

I'm surprised the police weren't called if he was drunk in charge of a child, in addition to any other offences he may have committed?

Sometimes its just easier to get them on their way rather than involve police and it seems they made the right choice

 

[Dannypenguin]

That was our view, we were only 5 minutes away from the terminus and we just wanted him off the train - by the time the police had been called and his family escorted from the train we would have had trouble with the remaining passengers so it was just easier to get to Lydney and get everyone off.

There was a group of them, so it wasn't just him with his child, he just happened to be the worst of the group.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Sometimes for the greater good of the entire train it is better to keep the individual on board.

 

[Cletus]

I have to admit I didn't pay a fare last week for the 1st time ever.

Got on at Saltash where there are no ticket buying facilities, got off at Plymouth to continue my journey with my Devon Day Ranger. The train was pretty busy and guard never came along.

 

[Antman]

I have to admit I didn't pay a fare last week for the 1st time ever.

Got on at Saltash where there are no ticket buying facilities, got off at Plymouth to continue my journey with my Devon Day Ranger. The train was pretty busy and guard never came along.

Fair enough then

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I have to admit I didn't pay a fare last week for the 1st time ever.

Got on at Saltash where there are no ticket buying facilities, got off at Plymouth to continue my journey with my Devon Day Ranger. The train was pretty busy and guard never came along.

Should you not have then purchased a ticket at Plymouth?

 

[Cletus]

I walked from Keyham station past the St Budeaux stations down to the river, then up and across the Tamar road bridge.

 

[KTHV]

Had an incident a couple of nights ago which made me smile quite a lot.

Was waiting at Droitwich Spa (DTW) for the train home after work down to Worcester Shrub Hill (WOS).

LM's 1V22 turns up 1L at 1752 and I get on - sitting on the fold up seat in the vestibule as I'm only going one stop (8 minutes) down the line.

A couple of teenagers then get on - with the boy telling the girl "If they ask - tell them we've lost our tickets". And then "See if the toilet is free down there".

The girl goes and checks the toilet - which is just about big enough for one person at the best of times.

She then disembarks to check the electronic platform sign - which was an error.

The lad is shouting to her to get back on - as she move back towards the doors from the platform - the guard has initiated the Interlock procedure. Cue beeping and flashing of door control as the lad looks on in horror as the doors close on the girl stood on the platform.

Much pressing of buttons does no good as traction is gained and we majestically pull out of the station with her stood there mouth open in shock and annoyance.

30 seconds later - the lad's mobile rings and you can clearly hear her on the other end giving him a load of abuse down the phone about leaving her behind etc.

And the thing is out of all of this - no ticket check was done on board the service between DTW and WOS...