Plain Clothes Ticket Inspectors

[GWRjake]

I'm presently returning from a trip to Berlin, where, on one occasion, my tram ticket was checked by a plain clothes inspector. Are such schemes ever used on the British network?

 

[tankmc]

I'm presently returning from a trip to Berlin, where, on one occasion, my tram ticket was checked by a plain clothes inspector. Are such schemes ever used on the British network?

They are used on the London Underground and i think Merseyrail but i could be wrong.

 

[philjo]

There used to be several on FCC but I haven't seen any checking tickets on the GN route since GTR took over.

 

[telstarbox]

Yes - I see them watching the gateline on the Underground sometimes. Subtle they ain't.

 

[coppercapped]

I'm presently returning from a trip to Berlin, where, on one occasion, my tram ticket was checked by a plain clothes inspector. Are such schemes ever used on the British network?

Plain clothes ticket inspection squads are used all over Germany on buses, trams, U-Bahnen and S-Bahnen. As there are generally no ticket barriers anywhere it is the only way to control ticketless travel.

In view of controlled access to buses, via the driver, and to many stations through ticket gates I don't see the need for so many here. But they do exist.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Do they wear uniforms on their days off?

 

[Clip]

Yes - I see them watching the gateline on the Underground sometimes. Subtle they ain't.

Hard to see what flashes up on their side if they don't watch the barriers intently

 

[Monty]

Before becoming a guard I used to do plain clothes duties quite often as an RPI.

 

[185]

I 'hear' Metrolink used to have fancy dress days which were stopped about 18 months after management felt it 'sent the wrong message'.

Drat.

 

[Stigy]

Most if not all TOCs do this. When the barriers first went in at Waterloo there were routine plain clothes Ops, Monday to Friday during peak times. There are a lot of Ops now too, and some TOCs have dedicated Plain Clothed officers that are on the lookout for the more....professional fare evader.

 

[Antman]

I'm presently returning from a trip to Berlin, where, on one occasion, my tram ticket was checked by a plain clothes inspector. Are such schemes ever used on the British network?

Personally I've never seen anybody in plain clothes checking tickets anywhere in the UK

 

[Pinza-C55]

Most if not all TOCs do this. When the barriers first went in at Waterloo there were routine plain clothes Ops, Monday to Friday during peak times. There are a lot of Ops now too, and some TOCs have dedicated Plain Clothed officers that are on the lookout for the more....professional fare evader.

When I was at Paddington FGW apparently used to have a guy whose sole job was to build up a dossier on regular fare dodgers by following them home and on the train. He worked whatever hours he liked. Nice little job really.

 

[dalesrail]

I have spotted them on Merseyrail a few times. They show passengers ID before asking to see their tickets, just in case they think it's some random oddball.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They are used on the London Underground and i think Merseyrail but i could be wrong.

Merseyrail did have them, but everyone knew their regular revenue team so they fooled just about nobody.

 

[CarltonA]

The London Underground inspectors were quite effective. They would board different doors in the same car and only produce their ID and ask for tickets as the doors closed. With the advent of the S Stock it is much easier for evaders to spot them further down the train and nip off smartly at the next stop.

 

[185]

Personally I've never seen anybody in plain clothes checking tickets anywhere in the UK

For quite different reasons, I did work a train in a managers suit and tie as a dire emergency during storms in 2008. Dust and cobwebs off my guards' traps.

 

[theblackwatch]

Back in the 90s I was on an all-line rover doing slam door EMUs on the LTS and I came across a plain clothes RPI at Limehouse. Wherwas most people who alighted went straight down the stairs, I loitered, as I was waiting for the following unit 2-3 minutes later, and I was approached by a chap who showed me his ID and asked to see my ticket - I doubt he expected me to have an all-line! I doubt anyone would have suspected he was an RPI - he was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. After showing him my ticket, I did tell him that his 'plain clothes outfit' was very good!

 

[Antman]

The London Underground inspectors were quite effective. They would board different doors in the same car and only produce their ID and ask for tickets as the doors closed. With the advent of the S Stock it is much easier for evaders to spot them further down the train and nip off smartly at the next stop.

Were? Are they now a thing of the past?

I've been using the tube regularly for the best part of half a century and have never seen revenue inspectors on trains so I assume they were few and far between?

 

[jon0844]

Do RPIs enjoy doing plain clothed checks? Because RPIs for FCC used to - and really had fun choosing their 'dress down' clothing.

It seems most went for the chav look, probably causing some considerable surprise when they jumped into action. I would imagine that anyone who had a ticket would be glad to see that these people could catch those who may well slip away if uniformed people boarded.

Often they had a rucksack for their kit, but later on I noticed they tended to carry their rather obvious 'cases'. Perhaps that's why they don't do such checks so often now (or at all)?

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Plain clothes ticket inspection squads are used all over Germany on buses, trams, U-Bahnen and S-Bahnen. As there are generally no ticket barriers anywhere it is the only way to control ticketless travel.

In view of controlled access to buses, via the driver, and to many stations through ticket gates I don't see the need for so many here. But they do exist.

Also, Germans still have an innate aversion to uniformed people demanding compliance.

 

[GingerRH]

SWTs do have plain closed RPIs as well. Seen them on the Reading route a few times. They wear their SWT ID round their neck and act the exact same as every other RPI.

 

[scotsman]

Also, Germans still have an innate aversion to uniformed people demanding compliance.

Ouch.

 

[najaB]

TfL Rail have them - seen them a couple of times between Brentwood and Liverpool Street.

 

[CarltonA]

Were? Are they now a thing of the past?

I've been using the tube regularly for the best part of half a century and have never seen revenue inspectors on trains so I assume they were few and far between?

I was using the past tense as I was suggesting they wont be as effective now that the newer sub surface stocks have been introduced which are much more open in layout without the inter car doors.

I have only experienced them two or three times myself.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I've seen it on LM on the XCity, but not for some time.

 

[tsr]

Southern do plain-clothes patrols from time to time, both to prevent ASB and for revenue checks, though it is relatively rare and often targeted. Apparently the last targeted sting was quite successful (within the last few weeks). I shall leave the locations and timings nameless...

 

[Hellfire]

Were? Are they now a thing of the past?

I've been using the tube regularly for the best part of half a century and have never seen revenue inspectors on trains so I assume they were few and far between?

No they are still around. As has been said, three or four usually board one coach and then show their passes when they approach passengers.

I suppose with the new open stock they could pick a couple of carriages and board at either end of said carriages and move towards each other. Sort of pincer movement.

 

[TEW]

SWTs do have plain closed RPIs as well. Seen them on the Reading route a few times. They wear their SWT ID round their neck and act the exact same as every other RPI.

All of the plain clothes RPIs I see don't have there IDs round their necks. They don't always blend in that well, but it must be quite difficult to hang around watching a ticket barrier whilst fitting in. It does work though. As others have said above, plain clothes operations are very often targeted. A number of peak time services in to Waterloo were targeted by plain clothed RPIs a while back after complaints that First Class was regularly being used by passengers without First Class tickets, and I understand it was a successful operation.

 

[HH]

Greater Anglia do it and it goes back to FGE days at least. I suspect that it's like many things on the railway... new manager comes in and thinks it's a waste of time... the manager after says I've got this wonderful new idea...

 

[jon0844]

Greater Anglia do it and it goes back to FGE days at least. I suspect that it's like many things on the railway... new manager comes in and thinks it's a waste of time... the manager after says I've got this wonderful new idea...

Nailed it!