Hello,
I'm a masters student visiting London from the United States. I was on the bus home from university when some yellow jackets boarded the vehicle and asked the passengers inside to produce their cards. When it was my turn to touch mine to the reader, one of the officers informed me that there were insufficient funds on my card. This was news to me, as I'd added money to the card yesterday, and had heard the machine beep when I presented my card on boarding. This officer asked me to get off the bus, and then proceeded to take my details: name, address, and DOB. I informed him that the address was temporary (my program is only a year long) and that I would be returning home soon. I tried to give him my US address as well. I have had this happen to me once before, during my first few days in the country. At that time, the officer who approached me said he would mail me a letter with further information, but that letter never arrived. During the course of this incident, the officer confirmed that I had been in the UK for 6 months, using this previous incident to do so. I repeated several times that my lack of payment was accidental and offered to pay the fare, but was denied. He didn't read me anything or ask me to sign anything. He then printed me a ticket to continue my journey, and said I'd receive a letter in the mail.
What is happening???? I asked if I was being arrested, but the officer would only say that he didn't have the authority to make arrests, and provided curt, and somewhat vague answers to my questions. Am I going to be indicted over a bus fare that I would have been happy to pay???
I'm a masters student visiting London from the United States. I was on the bus home from university when some yellow jackets boarded the vehicle and asked the passengers inside to produce their cards. When it was my turn to touch mine to the reader, one of the officers informed me that there were insufficient funds on my card. This was news to me, as I'd added money to the card yesterday, and had heard the machine beep when I presented my card on boarding. This officer asked me to get off the bus, and then proceeded to take my details: name, address, and DOB. I informed him that the address was temporary (my program is only a year long) and that I would be returning home soon. I tried to give him my US address as well. I have had this happen to me once before, during my first few days in the country. At that time, the officer who approached me said he would mail me a letter with further information, but that letter never arrived. During the course of this incident, the officer confirmed that I had been in the UK for 6 months, using this previous incident to do so. I repeated several times that my lack of payment was accidental and offered to pay the fare, but was denied. He didn't read me anything or ask me to sign anything. He then printed me a ticket to continue my journey, and said I'd receive a letter in the mail.
What is happening???? I asked if I was being arrested, but the officer would only say that he didn't have the authority to make arrests, and provided curt, and somewhat vague answers to my questions. Am I going to be indicted over a bus fare that I would have been happy to pay???
