There will be others who can help. But what amazes me is people having things worth thousands of pounds, and not taking better care, or noticing when its missing. If it was a laptop, or phone that was worth the same you would soon notice it gone.
But why should they contact you. You had not reported it missing. Someone has used it, been caught, gave a story. Perhaps even gave a telephone number to confirm the story. The pass was then confiscated, and its now in the system, a system that moves slowly. Now you have reported it missing, things will be moving, but as its now part of a fraud case, may take some time.
Plus, did they have your details, phone etc.
I think you are being slightly harsh in this post but as a guard who undoubtedly gets all the stories virtually daily on excuses for having lost tickets this is probably not surprising.
Personally I take a lot of care over my ticket, checking I have it before I leave the hosue, when I get to the station, and when I get off the train. However I only do this after I lost it last year.
The problem is that it is a paper ticket, you need it to go through the barriers at some stations but not all. When you do need it to go through barriers you tend to have hands full with coats, briefcases or whatever. Its not particularly easy to get it back in to its wallet and if it is thats usually because the wallet is damaged and as such it can fall back out again.
I find the big danger time is when tickets get checked on the train. I keep the ticket in its ToC supplied wallet in my pocket, thats great for going through barriers as I can push it deep back in my pocket. However when sitting down on a train it doesn't go back in as well and can fall out again.
I have no idea where I lost my ticket last year, but I retained my photocard, so I can only assume I put the ticket back in my pocket after it had been checked, without putting it in the wallet and I assume it fell out. It wasn't until I needed it when I got to the ticket barrier at London Bridge I realised I had lost it.
As it happened after 3 weeks it was handed in to my local station but by then I had a replacement. Now last night there was an item on BBC News South East about a South Eastern company who had lost his ticket twice and the ToC was refusing to replace it and he was complaining.
When I lost my ticket it was made very clear that I would be unlikely to get a 2nd replacement in a year and only would if my original ticket was handed in and it was clear the 2nd loss was stolen.
I believe that ticket holders dont realise that when lost a ticket cannot be cancelled and it remains live and if found can be used by someone else until they are caught.
I am very surprised someone was caught using it so quickly, because I can't recall the last time my photocard was checked, indeed I seperately lost my photocard last year and didnt get it replaced until renewing my season ticket 6 months later!
This is one issue that smartcards will address, allowing the lost ticket to be cancelled and therefore I guess more replacements issued.
