Fare Dodging on Public Transport

Mt61

Oh I didn’t know about any of that Nahsma. He sounds like a hypocrite then.
Just thought it was brave of him to tackle these rail dodgers. Just goes to show you need to know the person you are voting for.

And to cap it all, you are required to apply to TfL to film in any of their stations. Needless to say, Honest Bob didn't bother. His desire for people to apply by the rules/law doesn't seem to apply to Mr Jenrick himself, only the “little people”.

seventhfloorregular

Take some knitting to do on the train - you are not such a soft target with a pair of 3mm in your hands.

Also I never see inspectors at 8:30 on the northern line as too packed (but then again you don't see beggars at that time either)

So you expect her to stab him because he's doing his job, and she doesn't like what he says to her.

Thank you nahsma for reminding us of key moments in Jenrick's career. Of course fare dodging is wrong but Jenrick is clearly self-promoting. I hope Tories don't vote for him.

Maggiemaybe

I’ve actually witnessed a group of four young lads having great fun tormenting a guard and refusing to show their tickets or pay, on an early train from Carlisle to Leeds. The guard walked off and I felt so angry on his behalf, knowing that he couldn’t do anything about it.

But he did. At the next stop, in the middle of nowhere, two burly transport police officers got on, without a word indicated that the four troublemakers should stand up, and marched them off. The chorus of apologies, attempts to pay, whinging about how they would get to Leeds was a joy to witness. I felt a little wave was due as the train pulled away without them.

The guards are in touch with BTP and this is often the way that miscreants are dealt with.
A while ago I was sitting in front of a young lady who asked if she could use her ticket from the night before because she had been too late for the train and had to wait until morning to get home. She admitted she'd been at a party!
The guard said he would accept it for the train but he doubted she would get through the ticket barrier at the other end.
Also four million pounds a year is no longer a massive sum of money...

The financial restrictions experienced by any rail company that have resulted in understaffing, inadequate reporting systems etc etc are not a valid excuse for picking on vulnerable (that is often females) to be seen and heard to be proactive on fair dodgers, ..
and then letting others who are clearly deliberately avoiding paying up off because they look scary.
These penalty fair detectives often work in twos male and female wearing their ticket machines except they aren’t there to issue tickets, just fines on the spot. And according to cases I have read about they also blatantly lie, it is tantamount to blackmail in some cases saying pay up now or we will call the police.👮
Truly jobsworths imo.

There is about to be a fares and fare penalty review at last. Should not be necessary at the taxpayer's expense. The fatcat investors should have their dividends cut to pay for it.

Fare tariffs are so complex and confusing, it must be easy to make a mistake - surely it is simple to just charge the difference if you have the wrong ticket?
We have silly things, travelling into London from my station, I can get on an earlier train to get the offpeak than the next stop can. I can use my senior card on a packed commuter train because of this in one direction, but not in the other.
My niece can get a better deal by buying 2 separate singles than one return to get to me.
I travel to Sheffield and can go up to Wakefield and across more cheaply than one train and it is quicker
I am sure there are many many more examples

I saw completely different treatment of two passengers during one day. Different train managers admittedly, but older guy who ‘hadn’t realised’ his Veterans Pass (himself + two grandkids) had expired got off scot free with advice on best tickets to buy next time. Later on, polite young black man got put through the wringer for buying ticket with railcard after he boarded. Apparently this is not allowed. He politely refused to buy a new ticket and train manager was so rude. Both were in the wrong, but treatment was so different. The older guy’s wife clearly knew he was lying about the expired pass. She gave him the look, then just stared out of the window until the super friendly train manager finished chatting and moved on.

I’ve actually witnessed a group of four young lads having great fun tormenting a guard and refusing to show their tickets or pay, on an early train from Carlisle to Leeds. The guard walked off and I felt so angry on his behalf, knowing that he couldn’t do anything about it.

But he did. At the next stop, in the middle of nowhere, two burly transport police officers got on, without a word indicated that the four troublemakers should stand up, and marched them off. The chorus of apologies, attempts to pay, whinging about how they would get to Leeds was a joy to witness. I felt a little wave was due as the train pulled away without them.

Oh I didn’t know about any of that Nahsma. He sounds like a hypocrite then.
Just thought it was brave of him to tackle these rail dodgers. Just goes to show you need to know the person you are voting for.

Monica - did you get out of the wrong side of the bed today? You don't sound like your usual self.

Magenta - Like you say a real bully, you pointed out he was incorrect so he warns you no doubt loudly to renew the following year in such a way as to infer he was letting you off on this occasion. Too many people like this in these type of jobs, a little bit of perceived power and no ability to say 'sorry I got that wrong'.

Mt61

Absolutely unfair to the people who pay, extortionate rail fares.
I thought RJ was superb, high lighting what’s goes on with these rail fare dodges, thought he was rather brave tackling them. Yes, unfortunately, usually the older person who has forgotten to up -date their rail card 🙄

Ah, that pillar of virtue Robert Jenrick. The Robert Jenrick who was censured in parliament for claiming the same travel expenses twice - once by car, once by train. And the Robert Jenrick who admitted to deliberately helping Tory donor Richard Desmond avoid a £45 million tax bill on a new housing development. Mr Desmond gave the Tories £12k immediately after Honest Bob's decision. Just keep in mind that tax bill was for the Community Infrastructure Levy. The tax would have gone to Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest boroughs in England. Right charmer that Jenrick! I guess his YouTube exploits are part of his next campaign to become Tory leader.

Mt61

Absolutely unfair to the people who pay, extortionate rail fares.
I thought RJ was superb, high lighting what’s goes on with these rail fare dodges, thought he was rather brave tackling them. Yes, unfortunately, usually the older person who has forgotten to up -date their rail card 🙄

Magenta8
Why doesn’t that surprise me? People just won’t accept responsibility for their mistakes, which means we have to pay for them. The problem is, there is NEVER enough staff!

Barrier

Take some knitting to do on the train - you are not such a soft target with a pair of 3mm in your hands.

Also I never see inspectors at 8:30 on the northern line as too packed (but then again you don't see beggars at that time either)

Maybe if the powers that be were not so penny pinching and employed STAFF to man stations and a ticket battier they won't be losing 4 million a year

Magenta You said it yourself He was obviously pleased to have hit on a soft target, a little old lady on her own

I rest my case.

Quite often the trains can be so packed with standing passen gers, it's physically impractical for train managers to get round & check tickets.

Magenta I thought your OP gave that impression.

M0nica I expect he did speak to every other person who did not offer a threat the same way as he spoke to me. Can I respectfully request that you read all my contributions to this thread and then tell me where I indicated that I assumed that he only spoke to me in this fashion because I was a little old lady. Given his manner was so officious, I think it is highly likely that he spoke to other people, not necessarily little old ladies, like that.

grannysyb

Nice young man carried my case up some steps at Kings Cross, then leapt over the barrier!

Oh the cheek 🙄

Cabbie21

On the TV this morning was a case of someone with a Young Person’s Railcard who was told the discount was not valid for her particular ticket costing under £10 so she was fined £400. Disproportionate! I think she has appealed on the grounds of lack of transparency of the T & C when she bought that ticket.
Genuine mistakes should not be punished as crimes.

I hope they let her off with a warning!

You are absolutely right to be miffed- he sounded like a bit of a bully.

How do you know he didn't speak to other single passengers in situations similar to you the way he spoke to you?

Just because he took the wisest course of action faced with a group of young men, why do you assume he was bullying you because you were a little old lady?

On a train a few years ago a young woman, travelling without a ticket, was challenged by a member of staff.
After she had shared with the carriage her views on idiots who paid the fare, she told the ticket inspector that she needed to hurry from the train, now, as she was due in court, and her solicitor was cross with her the last time she was late...
I think this might have been an occasion to purchase a ticket..