How not to be a successful fare dodger

[trainophile]

I'm still chuckling at something that happened yesterday morning.

I boarded at Hereford, and as we left the station the guard came through asking to see "tickets from Hereford". A chap had got on just in front of me and was sitting across the aisle, but ignored the request. He had headphones on so I assumed he just hadn't heard it. The guard walked on through.

After Leominster, he came through again, asking for "tickets from Leominster". He stopped by the chap opposite, and asked to see his ticket. Chap replies "I got on at Hereford". Guard: "Yes but I haven't seen your ticket yet". Bit of a half-hearted pocket dance, then chap resignedly says "I was in a hurry this morning. Single to Ludlow please". "That'll be £9.80". Bloke grudgingly fishes out a tenner and pays. There goes the night's beer money .

I half hoped the guard would accuse the guy of deliberately trying to avoid buying a ticket, but I don't blame him for just letting it go. He couldn't have proved it anyway.

I wondered if he was genuinely wanting to go to Ludlow, or just said the next stop as he couldn't afford to pay for where he wanted to go. He did get off at Ludlow.

Kudos to the guard for realising he hadn't seen this bloke's ticket, and for ensuring he actually bought one. I also wonder how often he gets away with it, knowing that the worst that can happen is he has to buy one on the train.

It was an early (0649) train from Hereford and the barriers were open, so he probably thought he would get away with it as not all guards are so diligent.

 

[Lou92]

The phrase "successful fare dodger" sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Is there a reason the gates are left open in the morning?

 

[AlterEgo]

The phrase "successful fare dodger" sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Is there a reason the gates are left open in the morning?

Staffing.

 

[colchesterken]

I found myself struggling with the Paris metro last weekend- too far from Essex for me!
I was amazed at the number of people pushing their way through the gates without tickets ( bunking through behind the person in front ) there were no staff around to supervise the gateline no help for a foreigner trying to find my way from Gare Lyon to Gare D Nore for Eurostar
Never seen such behaviour in London must be a huge revenue loss for SNCF

 

[pdeaves]

... people pushing their way through the gates without tickets ... no staff around to supervise the gateline ... Gare Lyon to Gare D Nore for Eurostar

You are almost exactly describing the same journey I did just over 16 years ago. Nothing, it seems, has changed!

 

[MotCO]

You are almost exactly describing the same journey I did just over 16 years ago. Nothing, it seems, has changed!

And nothing has changed since I last used the Metro 26 years ago, when people were leaping over the barriers :roll:

 

[Amy Worrall]

I found myself struggling with the Paris metro last weekend- too far from Essex for me!
I was amazed at the number of people pushing their way through the gates without tickets ( bunking through behind the person in front ) there were no staff around to supervise the gateline no help for a foreigner trying to find my way from Gare Lyon to Gare D Nore for Eurostar
Never seen such behaviour in London must be a huge revenue loss for SNCF

I went to Paris for a month doing work experience as a teen. We all bought season tickets for the metro. One of my friends lost hers half way through, and for the rest of the trip just jumped the barriers. She never got caught.

 

[Clip]

I'm still chuckling at something that happened yesterday morning.

I boarded at Hereford, and as we left the station the guard came through asking to see "tickets from Hereford". A chap had got on just in front of me and was sitting across the aisle, but ignored the request. He had headphones on so I assumed he just hadn't heard it. The guard walked on through.

After Leominster, he came through again, asking for "tickets from Leominster". He stopped by the chap opposite, and asked to see his ticket. Chap replies "I got on at Hereford". Guard: "Yes but I haven't seen your ticket yet". Bit of a half-hearted pocket dance, then chap resignedly says "I was in a hurry this morning. Single to Ludlow please". "That'll be £9.80". Bloke grudgingly fishes out a tenner and pays. There goes the night's beer money .

I half hoped the guard would accuse the guy of deliberately trying to avoid buying a ticket, but I don't blame him for just letting it go. He couldn't have proved it anyway.

I wondered if he was genuinely wanting to go to Ludlow, or just said the next stop as he couldn't afford to pay for where he wanted to go. He did get off at Ludlow.

Kudos to the guard for realising he hadn't seen this bloke's ticket, and for ensuring he actually bought one. I also wonder how often he gets away with it, knowing that the worst that can happen is he has to buy one on the train.

It was an early (0649) train from Hereford and the barriers were open, so he probably thought he would get away with it as not all guards are so diligent.

I bet he gets away with it twice a week at least too.

 

[CC 72100]

After 8 months of living and commuting in Paris a couple of years back, your comments from weekend visits etc. Are very much true all of the time! It's commonplace and pysically 'weak' barriers that are not staffed are an ideal cocktail.

That said, in my last few months at my station on the RER (which had two barriered exits) they did a revenue block once a month, at my exit at least.