Guard question

[Kmo86]

Last week I got a 8.55am train intending to get ticket on train as there was no staff at ticket office and the machines won’t accept cash payment. I only had cash on me. I am used to paying £9.30 for a return but as this was before 9am it was £11.00 this is with a railcard. I only had £10 note on me so the guard took the £10 and gave me the £9.30 ticket he refused to give me change as it should have been more. Is this fair or was he right to do this? I assume he kept the 70p himself. Also seen the same guard today and he said he can give penalty fares out and will do so if he sees me without a ticket on train again which is fair enough I have been warned but what if there is no one at ticket office another time which does happen at times? Also could this guard give a penalty fare? He is on these trains regularly so I assume he is not a revenue officer who I know can give penalty fares.

 

[CompactDstrxion]

What journey are you making?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It sounds like you were both dodgy. You didn't pay the correct fare as you had insufficient funds to (grounds for prosecution), he seemingly pocketed 70p.

I would suggest you need to ensure you have the means to pay the correct fare with you in future or you could end up in a very awkward position.

I would not report this to the TOC as it could result in you being prosecuted.

 

[najaB]

I assume he kept the 70p himself.

He might have, or he might just have been 70p up on his float at the end of the shift.

 

[221129]

Is this fair or was he right to do this?

No. He should have taken your details to report you for criminal prosecution for intent to avoid your fare.

I'd stop feeling hard done by and certainly not write in to complain as you are the one in the wrong.

 

[skyhigh]

I wouldn't be entirely surprised if the guard had taken your name from your railcard and used it to submit a Travel Incident Report mentioning that you had insufficient funds for a correct ticket and what their actions were, which I suspect would be to declare a 70p surplus on their end of shift form.

I'm not trying to be funny, but pretty much every thread you've started has something to do with not paying for fares:

This example from 2020:

Are conductors bothered if people have wrong ticket off peak in peak times? I regularly get trains around 9am so the price can be over £1 more (I have disabled rail card) for case of few mins. Train used to be 9.04 meaning I’d get the off peak cheaper rate. Now it is 8.55 if I buy ticket before getting train I get charged the higher rate which is correct tho annoying for sake of 5 mins. If I get on train and buy ticket on train which I can as there is no barriers at the station the conductor has twice charged the cheaper rate. First one who I have spoken to a few times just charged cheaper rate saying it’s only few min before 9 so not worth charging the higher price and today they was going to charge higher price but I only had the money for cheaper price so he accepted that. Also I have been on train in afternoon with off peak ticket and never once been told I should have the dearer ticket. I’m not even sure when peak time is in afternoon but have been on train with off peak ticket at most times in afternoon at some point so must have been on with off peak ticket in peak times.

My bold - comes across a little like you're playing the system to me...

 

[mikeg]

Surely a UFN should have been issued at the very least. Of course there's the theory. In actual fact this is pretty time consuming and the guard may not have had time to do this.

As others have said though you were on very shaky ground re possible prosecution.

 

[221129]

Surely a UFN should have been issued at the very least.

A UPFN isn't a right. And I wouldn't think it appropriate in this case either.

 

[robbeech]

No. He should have taken your details to report you for criminal prosecution for intent to avoid your fare.

I'd stop feeling hard done by and certainly not write in to complain as you are the one in the wrong.

Given the circumstances here, I’d suggest this would have been a more suitable approach. Although I dare say there would still be a thread here complaining about it.

 

[GadgetMan]

Last week I got a 8.55am train intending to get ticket on train as there was no staff at ticket office and the machines won’t accept cash payment. I only had cash on me. I am used to paying £9.30 for a return but as this was before 9am it was £11.00 this is with a railcard. I only had £10 note on me so the guard took the £10 and gave me the £9.30 ticket he refused to give me change as it should have been more. Is this fair or was he right to do this? I assume he kept the 70p himself. Also seen the same guard today and he said he can give penalty fares out and will do so if he sees me without a ticket on train again which is fair enough I have been warned but what if there is no one at ticket office another time which does happen at times? Also could this guard give a penalty fare? He is on these trains regularly so I assume he is not a revenue officer who I know can give penalty fares.

So did you get on without a ticket again today?

 

[AlterEgo]

Incredible that the OP paid less than the proper fare for his journey again and still moans about it.

 

[GadgetMan]

Incredible that the OP paid less than the proper fare for his journey again and still moans about it.

I get the impression they only pay on the days they're challenged.