Cupcakequeen
New Member
- Joined
- 1 Jul 2013
- Messages
- 4
Hi there
I'm new to the forum but am hoping someone can advise me.
Three days a week I travel on London Underground from High Barnet tube station to Old Street tube station to my place of work. During school half term (last week in May 2013), I had alternative childcare for my two young children and therefore took the train from New Barnet overland station to Old Street. On Wednesday 29th May I topped up my Oyster card at New Barnet station and whilst doing so the train I needed to board was arriving into the station. I hurriredly completed the transaction, ran to the platform and scanned my Oyster against the card reader as I ran past.
During my journey to Old Street, just before the train arrived into Old Street station, a ticket inspector came through my carriage. I handed her my Oyster card which she scanned against her reader. She informed me that I didn't appear to have scanned my Oyster card at New Barnet. I explained that I had done so but had been running for the train at the time. She advised me that the reader obviously hadn't read my Oyster card properly as it wasn't showing up on her machine. She did however say that she could tell I had just topped up my Oyster card with £20 that morning at New Barnet station. She advised that I could be fined for not having a valid ticket for my journey but she could tell that it was a genuine mistake and she advised me to talk to the Ticket Booth operator inside the barriers at Old Street so he could sort my ticket out for me, allowing me to exit the barriers.
I exited the train and made my way through the tunnel/corridor to the escalators at Old Street station. In the corridor before I got to the escalator, I encountered another ticket inspector. I explained the situation to this lady and told her I had just had a conversation with a ticket inspector on the train I had just got off. She told me this wasn't possible, that there were no ticket inspectors on the train that morning. I assured her there was and told her of my conversation with the inspector on train. She insisted that I needed to pay an on the spot £20 penalty fare. I told her I didn't wish to do this and asked if I could speak to someone else. She informed me that the only alternative was for me to give her my contact details and then I could put my side of events in writing.
I today received a letter asking me to pay £55.70. There is no breakdown of what this amount is made up of - I have no idea how they got to this amount!
It was not my intention to fare dodge. It was a genuine mistake where I believed my Oyster card had registered on the scanner when I swiped it as I ran past. I was surprised when the original inspector on the train informed me that it hadn't registered.
Please can someone advise me what I should/could do? Thank you.
I'm new to the forum but am hoping someone can advise me.
Three days a week I travel on London Underground from High Barnet tube station to Old Street tube station to my place of work. During school half term (last week in May 2013), I had alternative childcare for my two young children and therefore took the train from New Barnet overland station to Old Street. On Wednesday 29th May I topped up my Oyster card at New Barnet station and whilst doing so the train I needed to board was arriving into the station. I hurriredly completed the transaction, ran to the platform and scanned my Oyster against the card reader as I ran past.
During my journey to Old Street, just before the train arrived into Old Street station, a ticket inspector came through my carriage. I handed her my Oyster card which she scanned against her reader. She informed me that I didn't appear to have scanned my Oyster card at New Barnet. I explained that I had done so but had been running for the train at the time. She advised me that the reader obviously hadn't read my Oyster card properly as it wasn't showing up on her machine. She did however say that she could tell I had just topped up my Oyster card with £20 that morning at New Barnet station. She advised that I could be fined for not having a valid ticket for my journey but she could tell that it was a genuine mistake and she advised me to talk to the Ticket Booth operator inside the barriers at Old Street so he could sort my ticket out for me, allowing me to exit the barriers.
I exited the train and made my way through the tunnel/corridor to the escalators at Old Street station. In the corridor before I got to the escalator, I encountered another ticket inspector. I explained the situation to this lady and told her I had just had a conversation with a ticket inspector on the train I had just got off. She told me this wasn't possible, that there were no ticket inspectors on the train that morning. I assured her there was and told her of my conversation with the inspector on train. She insisted that I needed to pay an on the spot £20 penalty fare. I told her I didn't wish to do this and asked if I could speak to someone else. She informed me that the only alternative was for me to give her my contact details and then I could put my side of events in writing.
I today received a letter asking me to pay £55.70. There is no breakdown of what this amount is made up of - I have no idea how they got to this amount!
It was not my intention to fare dodge. It was a genuine mistake where I believed my Oyster card had registered on the scanner when I swiped it as I ran past. I was surprised when the original inspector on the train informed me that it hadn't registered.
Please can someone advise me what I should/could do? Thank you.