Threw away ticket for first part of journey (Thatto Heath - Edge Hill - Birkenhead)

[reb0118]

People are asking me so many questions I feel like I'm being interrogated for a murder.

No, not at all. Yes, some on the board will ask questions but in the main these are just to clarify points of fact. You can always look at these questions as a practise session prior to the important ones from Northern later. Remember you are not on trial here on this forum and do not have to answer any questions that you do not wish to. However, that said, people on this forum do genuinely wish to help and as they were not present at the time in question may have to ask further questions to clarify any misunderstanding.

Remember too that this is an open forum and as such there will be many opinions as to your circumstances and the more general points raised i.e the voucher scheme as used by Northern. Some members are strongly pro TOCs (Train Operating Companies) AKA The Railway & some are strongly pro passenger. Others will take a more balanced viewpoint (I would hope to class myself in that group) - you will have to use your life skills to choose which comments can offer you succour.

Do not get too worried about the arguments amongst the various members with regard to general points raised by your experiences. However, it may be beneficial to move these to a new thread. This would be a decision for the moderators though.

So frustrated and stressed out at what could become of this, really don't want a criminal record

I know that it is easy to state here but there is no point worrying and fretting about this too much. Yes, it is a serious matter but you will have to wait until Northern contact you and state their intentions at this time they will give you a chance to give a written statement as to the facts as you recollect them. (This is when the questioning that you mention above may help you). Feel free to return then & request that somebody on this forum proofread your statement.

This may take several months to arrive as most railway prosecution departments are quite small and there is always a bit of a backlog. You will just have to have patience, again easy to state here when it is not me waiting.

Remember in life nothing is ever as bad as it seems in your imagination (unfortunately nothing is ever as good also) and hopefully in a few months this will be over and you can move on with your life.

Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[snail]

That's utterly ridiculous. Should I be made to feel like I've got to prove I'm not a faredodger because I happen to board at the last stop before a major terminus? As I do, every morning!

I don't get your problem with this. Are the leaflets too heavy?

Or is it ok for me to buy a ticket from Bache (or Edge Hill, or wherever you board) in advance but travel from another station with impunity?

 

[Joseph.bevan96]

Surely it would be a lot easier for Northern to issue a second ticket at Edge Hill to prove validity of travel? But when you consider the situation here its like travelling down to London and then purchasing a ticket when you arrive?

I have every sympathy for you, things should certainly be made more clear!

Another example of this is the routing guide! " any - permitted " " Via High Wycombe " "London Midland Only " I wonder how many people have made those mistakes!

Unfortunately you should not have travelled with out a ticket from Edge Hill to Lime Street but at the same time Northern should not be conducting practices as this. In any situation two wrongs do not make a right!

Best of luck sorting it out!

 

[mrscherry]

You came on a public forum and posted YOUR version of events. We have no reason to think your lying, we also have no reason to think you're being honest.

If you come on a public forum looking for advice/comments, then you have to be willing to listen to those comments whether you agree with them or not.

You've made your own case look weak by posting random tickets averaging at around 1.5 tickets a month. For someone who travels on a train 8 times a week that is not very convincing. Putting my revenue protection hat on, I suspect (and that's just my opinion) there may be other tickets you have in your possession you've not disclosed from Edgehill. The tickets you have presented in that picture also belong to more than one passenger, so at best only some of them are your previous tickets, and at worst none of them are. But there is no way they are all your tickets that you have travelled on.

Anybody who looks at that picture closely will more than likely draw the same conclusion as there are some details that don't add up.

Calm down and stop blasting out on other posters on this forum for asking some basic and obvious questions.

You see this post has really done my head in here because they are all MY tickets that I HAVE paid for. Yes they are all random dates/months because I don't keep hold of every single ticket I purchase. I either sip them on the purse/in a coat pocket/bag or just leave them on my seat (litter bug I know) but for you to basically accuse me of lying it really does annoy me.

I have travelled on this route for 2 plus years now, ALWAYS buying a ticket. I just wish someone would believe me
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No, not at all. Yes, some on the board will ask questions but in the main these are just to clarify points of fact. You can always look at these questions as a practise session prior to the important ones from Northern later. Remember you are not on trial here on this forum and do not have to answer any questions that you do not wish to. However, that said, people on this forum do genuinely wish to help and as they were not present at the time in question may have to ask further questions to clarify any misunderstanding.

Remember too that this is an open forum and as such there will be many opinions as to your circumstances and the more general points raised i.e the voucher scheme as used by Northern. Some members are strongly pro TOCs (Train Operating Companies) AKA The Railway & some are strongly pro passenger. Others will take a more balanced viewpoint (I would hope to class myself in that group) - you will have to use your life skills to choose which comments can offer you succour.

Do not get too worried about the arguments amongst the various members with regard to general points raised by your experiences. However, it may be beneficial to move these to a new thread. This wound be a decision for the moderators though.



I know that it is easy to state here but there is no point worrying and fretting about this too much. Yes, it is a serious matter but you will have to wait until Northern contact you and state their intentions at this time they will give you a chance to give a written statement as to the facts as you recollect them. (This is when the questioning that you mention above may help you). Feel free to return then & request that somebody on this forum proofread your statement.

This may take several months to arrive as most railway prosecution departments are quite small and there is always a bit of a backlog. You will just have to have patience, again easy to state here when it is not me waiting.

Remember in life nothing is ever as bad as it seems in your imagination (unfortunately nothing is ever as good also) and hopefully in a few months this will be over and you can move on with your life.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Thank you for your response it really means a lot. I just can't help but worry about it and think how a criminal record will affect getting a job for the rest of my life, I'm only 19.

I'm just going to ignore certain peoples' responses from now on as I find a lot of people are being very negative and it's not what I need.

I appreciate I have come on here for advice and help but I don't need people to accuse me of being a liar or a bad person.

Again, thanks to all those people who are being genuinely helpful, I cant tell you how much it means
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Surely it would be a lot easier for Northern to issue a second ticket at Edge Hill to prove validity of travel? But when you consider the situation here its like travelling down to London and then purchasing a ticket when you arrive?

I have every sympathy for you, things should certainly be made more clear!

Another example of this is the routing guide! " any - permitted " " Via High Wycombe " "London Midland Only " I wonder how many people have made those mistakes!

Unfortunately you should not have travelled with out a ticket from Edge Hill to Lime Street but at the same time Northern should not be conducting practices as this. In any situation two wrongs do not make a right!

Best of luck sorting it out!

The distance from edge hill to lime street is about 5 minutes, of course travelling on a very long journey without a ticket would be very stupid.

I won't be travelling with northern after the distress this has caused me! Would much rather catch the bus then put up with this rigmarole

thanks for the luck

 

[Joseph.bevan96]

You see this post has really done my head in here because they are all MY tickets that I HAVE paid for. Yes they are all random dates/months because I don't keep hold of every single ticket I purchase. I either sip them on the purse/in a coat pocket/bag or just leave them on my seat (litter bug I know) but for you to basically accuse me of lying it really does annoy me.

I have travelled on this route for 2 plus years now, ALWAYS buying a ticket. I just wish someone would believe me
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Thank you for your response it really means a lot. I just can't help but worry about it and think how a criminal record will affect getting a job for the rest of my life, I'm only 19.

I'm just going to ignore certain peoples' responses from now on as I find a lot of people are being very negative and it's not what I need.

I appreciate I have come on here for advice and help but I don't need people to accuse me of being a liar or a bad person.

Again, thanks to all those people who are being genuinely helpful, I cant tell you how much it means
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


The distance from edge hill to lime street is about 5 minutes, of course travelling on a very long journey without a ticket would be very stupid.

I won't be travelling with northern after the distress this has caused me! Would much rather catch the bus then put up with this rigmarole

thanks for the luck

Sadly, it is likely that if the TOC do decide to pursue the matter they will use the fact that you admittedly travelled with out a valid ticket from Edge Hill to Lime Street. Even if they choose to drop the rest! Please dont get angry with me! I completely sympathise with you, there is certainly not enough advertisement about keeping tickets until leaving the journey. However, since I use Cross Country a lot i always keep mine as for some reason, a 15 year old in first class provokes enough suspicion for my ticket to get checked 4 times on one journey!

What's done is done now!

Just hope the TOC are forgiving (About as likely as seeing a Tug at Nuneaton) and learn! in future keep all tickets and they can never accuse you again!

Hope that helps you

 

[Greenback]

I have travelled on this route for 2 plus years now, ALWAYS buying a ticket. I just wish someone would believe me

Dear mrscherry

Unfortunately, it isn't a question of anyone on this forum believing you or not. I have no reason to doubt your story, but that doesn't help you much in any real way.

Other posters have given you some very good advice, which I can't really add much to, except to reinforce the 'try not to worry too much' aspect of what has already been said.

When you have received notice from Northern of their intentions, we will be in a position to help a little more.

Thank you for your response it really means a lot. I just can't help but worry about it and think how a criminal record will affect getting a job for the rest of my life, I'm only 19.

I'm just going to ignore certain peoples' responses from now on as I find a lot of people are being very negative and it's not what I need.

As reb0118 said, the very nature of an internet forum means that you will come across a wide range of opinions. It is your prerogative to ignore anyone and any post, though some of the questiosn that you have been asked may need to be addressed if they are put to you in more formal way.

The distance from edge hill to lime street is about 5 minutes, of course travelling on a very long journey without a ticket would be very stupid.

I won't be travelling with northern after the distress this has caused me! Would much rather catch the bus then put up with this rigmarole

thanks for the luck

As I am sure you know now, it is because of the very short journey that some people claim to have started their travel at Edge Hill when they have in fact come from further away and should, therefore, be paying a higher fare. This is why Northern are trying to catch these people out.

Of course, I appreciate that this is of little help to you now, but I hope that should you use the train again (perhaps in a different part of the UK) you will realise that you need to buy a ticket before travelling where possible, and that you should retain your tickets until you have left the train and your destination station.

But please come back and let us know how this progresses.

 

[mrscherry]

I will do. Thank you so much for your help

 

[MikeWh]

The tickets you have presented in that picture also belong to more than one passenger, so at best only some of them are your previous tickets, and at worst none of them are. But there is no way they are all your tickets that you have travelled on.

Anybody who looks at that picture closely will more than likely draw the same conclusion as there are some details that don't add up.

Perhaps I'm being dim here, but why does it not add up? There are a couple of cases where two tickets bear the same day for the same journey. Odd? yes. Not allowed? certainly not. Most Fridays I travel from Crayford to Sidcup with my kids, then back to Crayford on my own, back to Sidcup alone an hour later and return to Crayford with my kids. I'm sure that I need two separate returns for myself and that they would both have the same date on them. Or are you saying that a ticket can be used as many times as I like on the same day?

 

[mrscherry]

I'm not sure what you mean?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Perhaps I'm being dim here, but why does it not add up? There are a couple of cases where two tickets bear the same day for the same journey. Odd? yes. Not allowed? certainly not. Most Fridays I travel from Crayford to Sidcup with my kids, then back to Crayford on my own, back to Sidcup alone an hour later and return to Crayford with my kids. I'm sure that I need two separate returns for myself and that they would both have the same date on them. Or are you saying that a ticket can be used as many times as I like on the same day?

None of my tickets have the same date. They are all different

 

[island]

It's a question for GadgetMan, who seems to be saying that since you have multiple return tickets for the one day, they might not all be yours (an opinion I don't share).

 

[Joseph.bevan96]

Perhaps I'm being dim here, but why does it not add up? There are a couple of cases where two tickets bear the same day for the same journey. Odd? yes. Not allowed? certainly not. Most Fridays I travel from Crayford to Sidcup with my kids, then back to Crayford on my own, back to Sidcup alone an hour later and return to Crayford with my kids. I'm sure that I need two separate returns for myself and that they would both have the same date on them. Or are you saying that a ticket can be used as many times as I like on the same day?

Are you trying to look at the return analogy here? Like having a valid return ticket to Bedworth to Coventry then using it all day?

 

[Goatboy]

I think he's pointing out the two tickets on the same date in October, both from the same origin to the same destination, but one is a Standard Single the other is a zero fare excess relating to a different ticket number that isn't in the picture.

 

[Joseph.bevan96]

This is why I keep tickets, its also something to show if you were to get stopped while taking photographs. But also I have quite a neat little stack building up!

 

[MikeWh]

It's a question for GadgetMan, who seems to be saying that since you have multiple return tickets for the one day, they might not all be yours (an opinion I don't share).

Correct. Sorry mrscherry, I didn't mean that to look like I was questioning you. It is indeed GadgetMan who I am questioning.

None of my tickets have the same date. They are all different

It is possible that the resolution of the scan is tricking my eyes, but I can see two tickets on 20th June and two tickets on 18th October. If they are in fact different dates then I apologise, and re-iterate my question to GadgetMan as to why he believes some of those tickets aren't yours.

I think he's pointing out the two tickets on the same date in October, both from the same origin to the same destination, but one is a Standard Single the other is a zero fare excess relating to a different ticket number that isn't in the picture.

Indeed. However as the tickets are clearly just a selection this isn't really anything to get worked up about. Perhaps the "missing" ticket was used as a bookmark and discarded.

 

[mrscherry]

Correct. Sorry mrscherry, I didn't mean that to look like I was questioning you. It is indeed GadgetMan who I am questioning.

It is possible that the resolution of the scan is tricking my eyes, but I can see two tickets on 20th June and two tickets on 18th October. If they are in fact different dates then I apologise, and re-iterate my question to GadgetMan as to why he believes some of those tickets aren't yours.


Indeed. However as the tickets are clearly just a selection this isn't really anything to get worked up about. Perhaps the "missing" ticket was used as a bookmark and discarded.

The dates on the tickets are:

18 October
24 May
11 June
20 June
28 June
14 Aug
21 Aug
20 September

Think some people need to wear glasses! These are all singles with one return ticket and one excess. The excess ticket was what the guy got for me because he took my ticket off me. Went and bought a ticket myself cos I didnt trust what he wrote on my ticket

 

[jon0844]

Some helpful advice: If you pay on a debit card you will build up a record of payments via your bank, which could help if you don't keep all your tickets.

Some (perhaps less helpful!) advice: Don't just chuck your tickets on the seats, or indeed the platforms at stations. Littering is just rude and shows a lack of respect. At 19, you're old enough to be aware of it not being nice to see rubbish everywhere. That's from all the other people who think the 'odd bit' of rubbish tossed on the floor isn't a big deal.

 

[Starmill]

This is why I keep tickets, its also something to show if you were to get stopped while taking photographs. But also I have quite a neat little stack building up!

Stopped while taking photos? Is there some ancient law that you can only take photographs if you have a ticket?

 

[island]

Only terrorists take photos on the railway, innit?

 

[Starmill]

Only terrorists take photos on the railway, innit?

I thought you only needed a permit to film... like, with a massive TV camera? Would they pull you up with a phone? And what good would a ticket do if they did? This is off topic sorry...

 

[Joseph.bevan96]

Stopped while taking photos? Is there some ancient law that you can only take photographs if you have a ticket?

No, i have been asked as to what im doing several times, but i never have a problem at Nuneaton for example