Russell Brand confesses to being a fare evader

[island]

All your RPIs are down in Devon and Cornwall if that TV series is to be believed...

 

[Pumbaa]

All your RPIs are down in Devon and Cornwall if that TV series is to be believed...

I got gripped between Reading and Slough last Monday by a Revenue Protection member of staff. I was fairly, but pleasantly, surprised.

 

[Flamingo]

All your RPIs are down in Devon and Cornwall if that TV series is to be believed...

They are good blokes down there! There are a few around Bristol, but they are spread thin, and mainly seem to be around mornings.

 

[Fare-Cop]

I would say that the difference would come in how difficult it is to get on a train without a ticket, full stop. If there are ticket barriers in operation, then tickets get bought, as there is no alternative. If there are no ticket barriers in operation (regardless of buying facilities), tickets as a rule don't get bought, unless the destination station is known to have barriers.

Whilst I agree with you that 'tickets get bought', all that any automatic barrier protects is the minimum fare to the next stop.

There is no real substitute for more rigorous on train checking when travelling outside of the short-journey commuter world and those short-journey areas need more random manual spot-checks to supplement the barriers, but to make this operate fairly the TOCs need to improve ticket purchasing facilities in many areas.

People like Brand have no excuse, he spends much of his life spouting drivel via the internet that no-one of consequence will take any notice of and could easily have bought online, but that doesn't escape the fact that many stations nationwide do not have collection or validation facilities.

Whilst there are whinges from those opportunist fare evaders who get caught out, TOCs who have recently stepped up spot-checking are finding real benefits. The effect of habitual offenders being targeted and brought to account leads to higher customer satisfaction from the majority of honest passengers who observe this and there is also a good level of re-education resulting in increased season ticket sales and other pre-purchases at booking offices.

 

[Flamingo]

Whilst I agree with you that 'tickets get bought', all that any automatic barrier protects is the minimum fare to the next stop.

There is no real substitute for more rigorous on train checking when travelling outside of the short-journey commuter world and those areas need more random manual spot-checks to supplement the barriers, but to make this operate fairly the TOCs need to improve ticket purchasing facilities in many areas.

People like Brand have no excuse, he spends much of his life spouting drivel that no-one of consequence will take any notice of via the internet and could easily have bought online, but that doesn't escape the fact that many stations nationwide do not have collection or validation facilities.

Whilst there are whinges from those opportunist fare evaders who get caught out, TOCs who have recently stepped up spot-checking are finding real benefits. The effect of habitual offenders being targeted and brought to account leads to higher customer satisfaction from the majority of honest passengers who observe this and there is also a good level of re-education resulting in increased season ticket sales and other pre-purchases at booking offices.

agreed, barriers are only part of the answer, but the "pay when challenged" evaders, who make up a significant part of the people travelling without tickets from stations with facilities (and are the most indignant when told they have committed an offence) will buy the correct tickets. The determined fare evaders do need more of a commitment to find and to discourage, but the extra time from not having to sell tickets to the "honest" (in their eyes) passengers means more time can be devoted to the determined hard-core.

Of course, all the above is meaningless if the TOC is not doing more than lip-service to revenue protection.

 

[Fare-Cop]

Of course, all the above is meaningless if the TOC is not doing more than lip-service to revenue protection.

Exactly and it is the more enlightened TOCs who are now finding that there are very effective ways of paying for that improved revenue protection process.

 

[meridian2]

Many of the people caught (in the "Disputes" threads) seem to be of the opinion that offering to purchase a ticket retrospectively means that there's no "crime" - and that its unfair to impose a higher cost/penalty than just the price of the cheapest ticket that could have been bought prior to the journey.

I think that's slightly unfair.

Judging from the threads I've read in this particular section of the forum, those that have admitted they've deliberately, or not, avoided buying a ticket are, to me at least, being honest and transparent that they have committed a transgression. And isn't 'offering to purchase a ticket retrospectively' the reason why we have penalties for this sort of crime?

 

[bb21]

So in your opinion should everyone who "offers to purchase a ticket retrospectively" be allowed to do so?

 

[meridian2]

So in your opinion should everyone who "offers to purchase a ticket retrospectively" be allowed to do so?

On the contrary they should never be given the choice to 'purchase a ticket retrospectively' in the first place. You either buy a ticket or don't travel.
My point was if you admit it on a public forum like this that you couldn't be bothered to purchase a ticket then you should expect to be penalised for failing to travel with a valid ticket. That, to me, is 'purchasing a ticket retrospectively'.
Or are my wires crossed?

 

[bb21]

Yes, sorry. I misunderstood.

 

[cjp]

agreed, barriers are only part of the answer, but the "pay when challenged" evaders, who make up a significant part of the people travelling without tickets from stations with facilities (and are the most indignant when told they have committed an offence) will buy the correct tickets. The determined fare evaders do need more of a commitment to find and to discourage, but the extra time from not having to sell tickets to the "honest" (in their eyes) passengers means more time can be devoted to the determined hard-core.

Of course, all the above is meaningless if the TOC is not doing more than lip-service to revenue protection.

Do you think FGW would employ me (or others) as a RPI on a commission only basis?
I really think a lot of people on the Thames Valley lines either have no ticket or the wrong class of ticket and it makes me angry to see so little enforcement
Of course they may have the correct ticket but without checking who knows.

 

[Flamingo]

Do you think FGW would employ me (or others) as a RPI on a commission only basis?
I really think a lot of people on the Thames Valley lines either have no ticket or the wrong class of ticket and it makes me angry to see so little enforcement
Of course they may have the correct ticket but without checking who knows.

At this stage, I honestly think it is a decision made at a very high level not to upset the Thames Valley travelling public, for political reasons.

As seen in the recent flooding, they are very influential, and complaints from them carry a lot of weight.

 

[cjp]

At this stage, I honestly think it is a decision made at a very high level not to upset the Thames Valley travelling public, for political reasons.

As seen in the recent flooding, they are very influential, and complaints from them carry a lot of weight.

Do you have a name or names I can write to - both to complain and to offer my services?

 

[Flamingo]

Do you have a name or names I can write to - both to complain and to offer my services?

As they say, save your breath to cool your porridge.

 

[Tibbs]

If I couldn't buy a ticket I'd be saying sod it and take the car instead, not jump a barrier. Must remember to change this view next time I'm not happy with the time taken to get served in a shop. Don't dump the goods and walk out, just nick it. Too long to get the bill in a restaurant? Just leave. Sorted.

Actually, getting up to leave is a very effective way of getting your bill sorted in a slow restaurant.

Of course, paying in a restaurant is conditional, as long as you are able to demonstrate that you can pay.

 

[Deerfold]

Actually, getting up to leave is a very effective way of getting your bill sorted in a slow restaurant.

Of course, paying in a restaurant is conditional, as long as you are able to demonstrate that you can pay.

I recall a very slow Indian in Chelmsford (a shame as the food had been delicious). We'd asked for out bill 4 times and after nearly an hour we went to the front desk and explained that we had to be going and would appreciate our bill or we were going to have to leave anyway.

Mysteriously they were then able to produce it in seconds.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Of course, paying in a restaurant is conditional, as long as you are able to demonstrate that you can pay.

It isn't that simple. Most cases are judged as making off without payment.

 

[jon0844]

Actually, getting up to leave is a very effective way of getting your bill sorted in a slow restaurant.

Getting up to leave is fine, but actually leaving isn't.

And there's nothing wrong with just getting up and asking to pay at the counter to speed things up, rather than wait for the bill and for someone to come back to take the payment (and bring change if you opted to pay cash).

I suppose some might see that as jumping the queue, but they're perfectly entitled to do the same too if they're in a hurry.

 

[maniacmartin]

If I'm in a hurry and the restaurant are being especially slow, I'll just leave the cash on the table and leave.

 

[Deerfold]

If I'm in a hurry and the restaurant are being especially slow, I'll just leave the cash on the table and leave.

That's fine if they've actually brought the bill and you know how much it is...

 

[gnolife]

On the contrary they should never be given the choice to 'purchase a ticket retrospectively' in the first place. You either buy a ticket or don't travel.
My point was if you admit it on a public forum like this that you couldn't be bothered to purchase a ticket then you should expect to be penalised for failing to travel with a valid ticket. That, to me, is 'purchasing a ticket retrospectively'.
Or are my wires crossed?

So, what youre saying is that I need to go down to East Didsbury six hours before travel if I decide that I feel like going to spend an evening with friends in Wythenshawe, as I can't guarantee that theguard will come through to sell tickets in the 5 minutes between EDY and HDG?

 

[yorkie]

So, what youre saying is that I need to go down to East Didsbury six hours before travel if I decide that I feel like going to spend an evening with friends in Wythenshawe, as I can't guarantee that theguard will come through to sell tickets in the 5 minutes between EDY and HDG?

I think in the scenario meridian2 has in mind, there are adequate facilities available 24/7 to cater for every need. Obviously that's not actually the case at most stations.

 

[FenMan]

That's fine if they've actually brought the bill and you know how much it is...

Ha ha! Did that in (Communist at the time) Bulgaria when Western tourists were issued with meal tickets valid at any restaurant.

Requests for the bill were met with zero reaction. So we left. 200m down the road a rather plump mini-skirted waitress in high heels came racing after us shouting in Bulgarian. There followed a Basil Fawlty-style exchange involving speaking loudly and rudely in English and the eventual handover of the relevant vouchers.

That was the only holiday where I came back with more money than I went out with, due to the highly unofficial exchange rate that operated so locals obtained the hard currency to buy much-prized Western goods brought in by West Germans meeting up with East German members of their family.

Those were the days ...

 

[maniacmartin]

That's fine if they've actually brought the bill and you know how much it is...

Well if theres only two of you, you can calculate it from the menu, especially if there's a meal deal. Or my favourite, ask for the bill when you order, which I used to do when I dined alone in lunch breaks at a previous job

 

[jon0844]

Or my favourite, ask for the bill when you order, which I used to do when I dined alone in lunch breaks at a previous job

I didn't mention that before because it was already off topic, but I've also done that. It's particularly good advice at airports.

I do recall some restaurants (and especially cafes) placing the bill on the table with a 'pay whenever you're ready' comment in the past, but haven't seen that happen in years. While it was probably convenient, I remember feeling like they wanted to get rid of you - and it was if they didn't want you to order anything else (dessert, coffee etc).