• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Funny fare dodger on my train yesterday.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
26 Feb 2015
Messages
50
He got on at the same station as me (unmanned, no ticket machines). He headed straight for the toilet. At the next station, he emerged from his hiding place but the barriers were all up. So he went back to the toilet. At the next station (unmanned, but with ticket machines) there were about 6 or 7 RPIs waiting. For some reason, he didn't get out there either!

I'd love to know where he ended up, as I'm sure he was only going one stop away to start with. All that "effort" just to avoid paying £3(ish)!
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

AJG3

Member
Joined
9 Jan 2015
Messages
47
The worst run for fare dodging I've found is the non-stop CBG-KGX "flyer"; usually a group of youngsters in the leading 4 cars of an 8 car set- seems almost endemic from what I've seen.
 

pemma

Veteran Member
Joined
23 Jan 2009
Messages
31,474
Location
Knutsford
He got on at the same station as me (unmanned, no ticket machines). He headed straight for the toilet. At the next station, he emerged from his hiding place but the barriers were all up. So he went back to the toilet. At the next station (unmanned, but with ticket machines) there were about 6 or 7 RPIs waiting. For some reason, he didn't get out there either!

I'd love to know where he ended up, as I'm sure he was only going one stop away to start with. All that "effort" just to avoid paying £3(ish)!

Maybe he didn't intend to alight at either of those stations but emerged from the toilet to check which station the train had stopped at?
 

Darandio

Established Member
Joined
24 Feb 2007
Messages
10,674
Location
Redcar
Or maybe he was trying to attempt the latest craze?

To visit every station in the UK whilst on the toilet, only emerging at each station to see where he is before inscribing it on his log?
 

Antman

Established Member
Joined
3 May 2013
Messages
6,842
The worst run for fare dodging I've found is the non-stop CBG-KGX "flyer"; usually a group of youngsters in the leading 4 cars of an 8 car set- seems almost endemic from what I've seen.

Never any onboard checks in my experience but with barriers at both stations probably deemed unnecessary.
 

anti-pacer

Established Member
Joined
5 Jun 2013
Messages
2,312
Location
Narnia
Or maybe he was trying to attempt the latest craze?

To visit every station in the UK whilst on the toilet, only emerging at each station to see where he is before inscribing it on his log?

Not sure how that would work on Merseyrail or TfL Rail! :D
 

Darandio

Established Member
Joined
24 Feb 2007
Messages
10,674
Location
Redcar
Not sure how that would work on Merseyrail or TfL Rail! :D

Not a problem, he just has to take one of these! :lol:

Porta-Potty-Potti-135.jpg
 

SS4

Established Member
Joined
30 Jan 2011
Messages
8,589
Location
Birmingham
Or maybe he was trying to attempt the latest craze?

To visit every station in the UK whilst on the toilet, only emerging at each station to see where he is before inscribing it on his log?

I think you'd best get your coat mate ;)
 

317666

Established Member
Joined
4 Sep 2009
Messages
1,771
Location
East Anglia
The worst run for fare dodging I've found is the non-stop CBG-KGX "flyer"; usually a group of youngsters in the leading 4 cars of an 8 car set- seems almost endemic from what I've seen.

I know the barriers at Kings Cross are often left open in the evenings, but at Cambridge they're manned almost all of the time, so how would they get in/out of the station? (Unless they're coming from/going further North?)
 

MrB

Member
Joined
3 Jan 2016
Messages
373
Location
London
The worst run for fare dodging I've found is the non-stop CBG-KGX "flyer"; usually a group of youngsters in the leading 4 cars of an 8 car set- seems almost endemic from what I've seen.

I notice this a lot as many of our trains don't have interconnecting gangways so it's quite easy for people to avoid the guard during their journey.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
Never any onboard checks in my experience but with barriers at both stations probably deemed unnecessary.
I guess so these days. I've not used these trains often but there has been on-board checks on most of my trips, but that's only a handful and mostly before the King's Cross barriers.
 

Antman

Established Member
Joined
3 May 2013
Messages
6,842
I notice this a lot as many of our trains don't have interconnecting gangways so it's quite easy for people to avoid the guard during their journey.

Is there a guard on the KX-Cambridge non stop? I had assumed it was DOO?
 

Railsigns

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2010
Messages
2,489
To visit every station in the UK whilst on the toilet, only emerging at each station to see where he is before inscribing it on his log?

An unfortunate choice of word in the circumstance described. :)
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
On a similar subject, I have this evening seen an RPI on a TL Service for the first time in months. A rather generously proportioned gentleman was in first class without the appropriate ticket. He was very well dressed, and spoke good English with an accent that could have been Greek; quite the gentleman.

When the RPI invited him to pay the penalty fare of nearly £40, he tried to negotiate!
 

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,157
Location
West of Andover
I know the barriers at Kings Cross are often left open in the evenings, but at Cambridge they're manned almost all of the time, so how would they get in/out of the station? (Unless they're coming from/going further North?)

Unless they are continuing to travel away from Cambridge, to say Waterbeach, Ely (or other stations on the Kings Lynn line which none have barriers [not sure about Kings Lynn]
 
Joined
11 Sep 2012
Messages
748
Location
uk
Unless they are continuing to travel away from Cambridge, to say Waterbeach, Ely (or other stations on the Kings Lynn line which none have barriers [not sure about Kings Lynn]


Lynn has had barriers for a few years and I haven't been their for a while.
 

PaxVobiscum

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
2,395
Location
Glasgow
Or maybe he was trying to attempt the latest craze?

To visit every station in the UK whilst on the toilet, only emerging at each station to see where he is before inscribing it on his log?

And he might have managed that undetected and in peace but for the stool pigeon who reported it here. :)

I'll get my coat too.
 

jopsuk

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2008
Messages
12,771
Regarding the Cambridge service, the GN was (as far as I understand) one of the early DOO operations. As was the WAML- so at Cambridge there's no Guard on any electric train (thus the Kings Lynn line is DOO to the end!). Barriers at Kings Cross are often, but not always, open, especially on the "main" shed. Barriers at Cambridge are rarely left open these days. Barriers are going in at Ely- the other stations north of Cambridge are either completely unmanned or manned only part time
 

gingerheid

Established Member
Joined
2 Apr 2006
Messages
1,490
I do Cambridge <> KX on the flyer regularly, and have been really puzzled by how incredibly frequent the ticket checks are on it, even at peak times when the barriers are working at both ends.

RPIs assure me that "you'd be surprised" when I remark on this, and I would be; I still can't think what they could possibly find apart from a missing railcard?
 

StarCrossing

Member
Joined
27 Jul 2015
Messages
134
I do Cambridge <> KX on the flyer regularly, and have been really puzzled by how incredibly frequent the ticket checks are on it, even at peak times when the barriers are working at both ends.

RPIs assure me that "you'd be surprised" when I remark on this, and I would be; I still can't think what they could possibly find apart from a missing railcard?

I'd assume it would be people buying the cheapest possible tickets that would open the barriers at each end?
 

Antman

Established Member
Joined
3 May 2013
Messages
6,842
I do Cambridge <> KX on the flyer regularly, and have been really puzzled by how incredibly frequent the ticket checks are on it, even at peak times when the barriers are working at both ends.

RPIs assure me that "you'd be surprised" when I remark on this, and I would be; I still can't think what they could possibly find apart from a missing railcard?

My experience is the exact opposite, I only used it maybe 3 or 4 times a year but I've never had an onboard ticket check. I assumed it wouldn't be cost effective as the RPI's would be sat doing nothing once they had done the check?
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
It might make sense for RPIs to use the fast Cambridge trains to simply get up the line to work back on the stoppers (and vice versa)?

And I can imagine doughnutting would be quite tempting, especially with 8 and 12 car services where perhaps you'd still avoid revenue even if they were on the same train.

If caught, you'd likely be better off saying you'd lost your ticket than reveal your fraud, saying you'd just used it to get in to the station and must have dropped it or something - hoping for a penalty fare.

Hope I've not given any ideas now!
 
Last edited:

gary47

Member
Joined
7 Oct 2011
Messages
48
He got on at the same station as me (unmanned, no ticket machines). He headed straight for the toilet. At the next station, he emerged from his hiding place but the barriers were all up. So he went back to the toilet. At the next station (unmanned, but with ticket machines) there were about 6 or 7 RPIs waiting. For some reason, he didn't get out there either!

I'd love to know where he ended up, as I'm sure he was only going one stop away to start with. All that "effort" just to avoid paying £3(ish)!
Shame someone didn't shop him it's unfair on people who have paid for tickets
 

TrainfanBen

Member
Joined
30 Oct 2010
Messages
192
Location
Coventry.
I feel like playing devils advecote...

Could have had a mobile ticket and been confused about which stop he was at but also had a dodgey stomach or weak bladder or strange sexual needs...

We can't say whether the person had a ticket or not or why the RPI's where standing together.

(They, I suspect were probably doing mass spot check's at a station, I saw LM staff doing the same at Wolverhampton one morning this week)*.

Suspicious is a subjective term. You, or anyone else for that matter, is innocent until proven guilty.

*Because of course, ticket or no ticket. Ticket offences as we all should know can occur whether you have a ticket that opens the gates, or not.
 
Last edited:

amateur

On Moderation
Joined
23 Feb 2014
Messages
488
Why don't they do valid on tsgn (gtr) only on the CBG to kgx route? They have valid on aga only from cbg! Peterborough to Kgx do similar offer. Why not at CBG? Or is it because they call into two different London terminals? (Their sister company offer similar valid on LM only).
 

jopsuk

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2008
Messages
12,771
There's barely any difference in the fare any more, but as far as I understand the "Cambridge to London Terminals" is the regulated fare and "Cambridge to London Terminals (AGA only- previously NXEA/one only) is a permanent promotional fare to encourage people to use the slower, quieter, route.
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,984
Why don't they do valid on tsgn (gtr) only on the CBG to kgx route? They have valid on aga only from cbg! Peterborough to Kgx do similar offer. Why not at CBG? Or is it because they call into two different London terminals? (Their sister company offer similar valid on LM only).

GTR set the 'Any Permitted' fare therefore they aren't allowed to set 'GTR only' fares. Only a secondary operator can do this (in this case AGA). There are a couple of exceptions to this - Milton Keynes where LM set the 'Any Permitted' fare but also have 'LM only' fares, and just this week Peterborough where VTEC set the 'Any Permitted' fare but have introduced 'VTEC only' fares at weekends.

To be fair FCC (as was) introduced 'Any Permitted' Super Off Peak tickets at weekends. They are superb value.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top