BurtonM
Member
I wouldn't be one to post a thread in the D&P section, especially one about Northern, but needs must...
I should preface this further: we'd all do better in retrospect.
Today I was travelling from home in Stalybridge to a friend's, his local station being Salford Crescent. Easy enough, that's one train, the 12:46. Out of force of habit (and being an Asperger's scatterbrain) I bought an off-peak return to Manchester (Central Zone), with a 16-25 Railcard for £3.30. Having realised my mistake, aboard my train, the guard came through, and asked if I was 'alright for a ticket'. I showed the guard my ticket and asked him for a single from Manchester to the Crescent. He looked through his machine for a moment before telling me 'same price, don't worry about it' or similar words to that effect. (I know at this point I should have asked for an endorsement or zero fare excess, but who thinks of that in the moment, and what would the average passenger do?). The guard wandered off, and left the train at Manchester Victoria to be replaced by another guard I didn't interact with.
Alighting at Salford Crescent, there are barriers and some revenue bods (sigh). For reasons unbeknown to myself as much as anyone else I put my (invalid?) ticket in the barrier (again, retrospect, but what would an average passenger do), obviously 'seek assistance'. "Assistance".
Revenue lady asks to see my railcard, I show her and explain my situation and immediately explain I should in retrospect have asked for an excess or endorsement. After consulting some colleagues she decided to take details, a statement etc. (No false details here don't worry :roll: ) Upon my initial explanation she didn't seem quite convinced, explains to me how Manchester CTLZ tickets work and such (I'm more than familiar), and I encouraged her to check with the guard on the service I had alighted (of which I might have negleected to mention, whoops?) , but having more clearly explained myself, how I'd got to the Crescent and so on, she admitted that the guard I had asked for a ticket 'shouldn't have done that' ('that' in this case being nothing :roll: ). She realised what I was trying to say (basically asking for an excess? I think she initially interpreted me as trying to buy two separate tickets? not quite sure), and admitted the cost difference could well be zero, to which I questioned if, if that was the case, should it not be a zero fare excess?
The lady was rather surprised/alarmed by this - seems I caught her off guard. She asked me 'how do you know about that, how do you know about zero fare excess? Have you been fined before?' with something of an insistent tone - I said no I hadn't been 'fined' (even the revenue bods call it that!) and (again) that I know how the railways work, I'd heard about it on internet fora, and so on. After this the lady just went back to repeating what she'd already said/generic spiel, I'd hear from them in 4-6 weeks blah blah, and somewhat promptly sent me on my way.
If it comes to it and I do get the letter from Northern, do I have much cause for concern? Provided I explain myself well etc, is it likely I'll have to give them £80 to make it go away? Do the new regime/franchise still work like that?
I'm annoyed at myself for managing to get caught out by this, I really am. In the heat of the moment you just don't think
I should preface this further: we'd all do better in retrospect.
Today I was travelling from home in Stalybridge to a friend's, his local station being Salford Crescent. Easy enough, that's one train, the 12:46. Out of force of habit (and being an Asperger's scatterbrain) I bought an off-peak return to Manchester (Central Zone), with a 16-25 Railcard for £3.30. Having realised my mistake, aboard my train, the guard came through, and asked if I was 'alright for a ticket'. I showed the guard my ticket and asked him for a single from Manchester to the Crescent. He looked through his machine for a moment before telling me 'same price, don't worry about it' or similar words to that effect. (I know at this point I should have asked for an endorsement or zero fare excess, but who thinks of that in the moment, and what would the average passenger do?). The guard wandered off, and left the train at Manchester Victoria to be replaced by another guard I didn't interact with.
Alighting at Salford Crescent, there are barriers and some revenue bods (sigh). For reasons unbeknown to myself as much as anyone else I put my (invalid?) ticket in the barrier (again, retrospect, but what would an average passenger do), obviously 'seek assistance'. "Assistance".
Revenue lady asks to see my railcard, I show her and explain my situation and immediately explain I should in retrospect have asked for an excess or endorsement. After consulting some colleagues she decided to take details, a statement etc. (No false details here don't worry :roll: ) Upon my initial explanation she didn't seem quite convinced, explains to me how Manchester CTLZ tickets work and such (I'm more than familiar), and I encouraged her to check with the guard on the service I had alighted (of which I might have negleected to mention, whoops?) , but having more clearly explained myself, how I'd got to the Crescent and so on, she admitted that the guard I had asked for a ticket 'shouldn't have done that' ('that' in this case being nothing :roll: ). She realised what I was trying to say (basically asking for an excess? I think she initially interpreted me as trying to buy two separate tickets? not quite sure), and admitted the cost difference could well be zero, to which I questioned if, if that was the case, should it not be a zero fare excess?
The lady was rather surprised/alarmed by this - seems I caught her off guard. She asked me 'how do you know about that, how do you know about zero fare excess? Have you been fined before?' with something of an insistent tone - I said no I hadn't been 'fined' (even the revenue bods call it that!) and (again) that I know how the railways work, I'd heard about it on internet fora, and so on. After this the lady just went back to repeating what she'd already said/generic spiel, I'd hear from them in 4-6 weeks blah blah, and somewhat promptly sent me on my way.
If it comes to it and I do get the letter from Northern, do I have much cause for concern? Provided I explain myself well etc, is it likely I'll have to give them £80 to make it go away? Do the new regime/franchise still work like that?
I'm annoyed at myself for managing to get caught out by this, I really am. In the heat of the moment you just don't think
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