What Should a Passenger do when Witnessing Fare Evasion?

[timbo58]

For me, this is only an 'opportunity' if the guy is saying "ticket please" and not just walking.

I'd disagree, a ticket machine in working order is an 'opportunity to pay' but it doesn't ask you for a ticket when you walk past it.

I think someone in uniform with a ticket machine walking through a train is indeed an opportunity to pay, regardless of whether they are challenging a passenger directly or offering to check tickets from recent boarders.

My 1 car 158 train home yesterday stopped somewhere fairly rural and the guard came through, a little frustrated as he'd seen ONE passenger join and no-one was 'fessing up' so I politely pointed out the lady opposite me, explaining as an ex inspector I wasn't going to ignore it.

When travelling to work many years ago as an inspector manager I regularly got up from my seat with a sigh (after the guard had 'called over' unsuccessfully) slapped my badge on and did a full check in the carriage.

I have some sympathy to those that feel their ticket is checked 'too much' but unfortunately for them -regular fare evaders hide in the camouflage that reluctant ticket showers provide and bump up everyone else's fares and are, IME, often the sort that can very easily afford to pay but choose not to, ironically because they see others not showing tickets when asked!

 

[GodAtum]

I find that people who do not bother buying a ticket are untrustworthy in their job. I know one person who happily fudges his timesheets.

 

[Starmill]

A gaurd walking wordlessly through a train could be doing anything, a lot of people would assume they are in the course of some other duties and they would mostly be right from my own observations.

If a guard wants to check tickets, they need to ask for them. None I've met have ever had any problems with this though. Fortunately none have ever held the view that "if I've not marked your ticket, I'm going to ignore a part of my job" before either.

Similarly I've never seen anyone decide that a self service ticket machine and a guard are similar concepts.
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How exactly does fare dodging lead to drink driving?

By the same token what standards are you applying if you think stealing office stationery and drink driving are somehow on even similar levels?

 

[Antman]

By the same token what standards are you applying if you think stealing office stationery and drink driving are somehow on even similar levels?

Who suggested that?
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As it happens I 'grassed up' some fare dodgers today.

Javelin from St Pancras, at Chatham four uncouth females get on (they certainly weren't ladies) who wouldn't have looked out of place on the Jeremy Kyle show. During their loud lairy and expletive ridden conversation they mentioned what a result it was the ticket gates being open at Chatham and hopefully they'll be open at Sittingbourne.

I was getting off at Rainham and walked down the train to find the guard and told him, he thanked me and walked off to deal with them. Well if they hadn't been so loud I wouldn't have known that they were intent on bunking the fare!