Decided to go on a Tyne Tees Day Ranger again today and it was fairly good, weather was better than expected but the Redcar ticket office took the hard line this time.
My first train is 08:43 but the ranger doesn't start until 08:45. Generally I am allowed to purchase the ticket and let the guard decide whether he wants to charge me a single to the nearest station in order for the ranger to then become valid. This has happened many times before without question but this morning the lady in the ticket office insisted that I buy a single to South Bank along with the ranger. I explained that she had let me just have the ranger many times before but she still insisted. I then said, what if the train doesnt arrive until 08:45, she said that it wouldn't matter because I the ranger was now booked on the scheduled 08:43 service.
Now I am not an expert on tickets but the ranger isn't specifically booked on any service at all, it's an open ticket and should surely be valid on the 08:43 if it arrives after the ticket becomes valid. Against my will, I then purchased a single to South Bank for £2.40.
As for the train, it arrived at around 08:44:45 and I didn't board until after 08:45 anyway, then the guard just accepted the ranger so I had wasted the £2.40.
She is probably within her rights to question my timings but not to say that the ticket is now scheduled for that particular service.
Apart from that, the rest of the day went well, had some GC action in the first class replacement coach and managed to cram in some decent mileage!
P.S. Some of the older MTU's are starting to sound pretty good and are also clagging well too! That should start an argument.
My first train is 08:43 but the ranger doesn't start until 08:45. Generally I am allowed to purchase the ticket and let the guard decide whether he wants to charge me a single to the nearest station in order for the ranger to then become valid. This has happened many times before without question but this morning the lady in the ticket office insisted that I buy a single to South Bank along with the ranger. I explained that she had let me just have the ranger many times before but she still insisted. I then said, what if the train doesnt arrive until 08:45, she said that it wouldn't matter because I the ranger was now booked on the scheduled 08:43 service.
Now I am not an expert on tickets but the ranger isn't specifically booked on any service at all, it's an open ticket and should surely be valid on the 08:43 if it arrives after the ticket becomes valid. Against my will, I then purchased a single to South Bank for £2.40.
As for the train, it arrived at around 08:44:45 and I didn't board until after 08:45 anyway, then the guard just accepted the ranger so I had wasted the £2.40.
She is probably within her rights to question my timings but not to say that the ticket is now scheduled for that particular service.
Apart from that, the rest of the day went well, had some GC action in the first class replacement coach and managed to cram in some decent mileage!
P.S. Some of the older MTU's are starting to sound pretty good and are also clagging well too! That should start an argument.