Lost ticket en-route

[al78]

Travelling back from Farringdon to Horsham earlier this evening on the return parts of my split tickets, when I arrived at Horsham and rummaged in my pocket for the Three Bridges -> Horsham ticket I couldn't find it, which means it had fallen out of my pocket when on the train (probably when I was getting my phone out). I was fortunate that (unusually) the barriers at Horsham were open so I could exit, but if they had been closed, would I have had to buy another ticket, or would it have been possible to convince a nearby member of staff, using the three paper tickets I still had and which were labelled as off peak day return, that I had lost the second section of my split and I was not trying it on?

 

[AlterEgo]

Travelling back from Farringdon to Horsham earlier this evening on the return parts of my split tickets, when I arrived at Horsham and rummaged in my pocket for the Three Bridges -> Horsham ticket I couldn't find it, which means it had fallen out of my pocket when on the train (probably when I was getting my phone out). I was fortunate that (unusually) the barriers at Horsham were open so I could exit, but if they had been closed, would I have had to buy another ticket, or would it have been possible to convince a nearby member of staff, using the three paper tickets I still had and which were labelled as off peak day return, that I had lost the second section of my split and I was not trying it on?

You would have had to buy another ticket. Showing other portions of the ticket wouldn't have done anything for you unfortunately.

 

[M&NEJ]

You would have had to buy another ticket. Showing other portions of the ticket wouldn't have done anything for you unfortunately.

Generally speaking I'd agree with that; but there is scope for a tiny bit of optimism. This happened to my wife when we travelled from the Isle of Wight to Stevenage and she forgot to pick up her ticket from one of the London Underground barrier machines. There was a crowd behind us and the machines were giving difficulties so when the barrier opened she just went through. She only discovered the absence of the ticket portion at the next underground station.

The LU staff were kind and let us out and then at King's Cross a lady at the Thameslink ticket offices accepted our remaining tickets as evidence. She hand-wrote a makehift ticket for my wife to complete the journey. There are some helpful and I would say reasonable people out there!

Edit: I meant a makeShift ticket!

 

[northwichcat]

I suppose it's up to the staff to decide whether they believe you dropped a ticket or if they think you could have handed it to someone else.

 

[30907]

I suppose it's up to the staff to decide whether they believe you dropped a ticket or if they think you could have handed it to someone else.

...and travelling with someone else who has the full set of identical tickets (as in M&NEJ's case, is likely to be convincing.

 

[a_c_skinner]

I alighted once at Gatwick with a similar problem and the other bits of the transaction (other half of the return plus credit card reciept) plus a sympathetic bloke carried the day. It was a while ago though.

 

[al78]

Thanks for the responses, sounds like it would be up to staff discretion and in the worst case would have to buy a single from Three Bridges to Horsham. I will make sure to keep phone and tickets in different pockets from now on.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thanks for the responses, sounds like it would be up to staff discretion and in the worst case would have to buy a single from Three Bridges to Horsham.

Worst case might have been to have been reported for prosecution, and maybe end up being asked to pay a three figure sum ("admin fee") on top of the £6.10 fare.

 

[156gricer]

I accidentally threw my York - New St ticket into the Voyager bin en route last year.
I managed to convince the barrier staff, who let me out. I was really grateful. I agree - up to barrier staff discretion

 

[Bedpan]

My wife's London Travelcard got "eaten" by a ticket machine at a District Line station last month. Luckily there was a staff member (albeit with a slightly negative attitude) there who retrieved it after quite a few minutes - it would probably have been easier if he has some sort of tool such as a screwdriver or some tweezers to flick up the corner to get hold of it but it was a but of a worry to say the least. What could she have done if the station was unstaffed or it couldn't be retrieved? He didn't seem to have any means of reissuing the ticket as opposed to retrieving it. Buy a new ticket and then an add on for the part of the journey home that was outside the Zone 6 boundary, and then write in to see if she could claim the cost back I suppose. This sort of thing must happen all the time.

 

[rg177]

Years ago (about 2017) I managed to lose my Advance ticket from Kings Cross to Newcastle. I noticed as soon as I arrived in London though, so went to see if the ticket office could do anything.

To my surprise, the bloke pulled out a pad of emergency replacement tickets, asked for my booking confirmation and issued a handwritten ticket in lieu under my name/details. I was equal parts stunned and grateful!

 

[Oldgaloot]

Last night I was watching with half an eye a programme about TFL. Two revenue protection people were talking to a homeless chap who didn't have a ticket to be getting on the bus. Then one of them, rather like the example above, produced some kind of pad and (if I've understood the position correctly) wrote out a one day pass for the chap so he could go about his day. I was impressed.