penalty fines!

[sheff1]

The TOC should organise a few stings, backed up by police. When FCC do these, they don't just catch fare evaders, they also find drugs, weapons and people wanted by the police.

You are right that the poor guard can't do much, but the industry needs to redress the balance from time to time or it will only get worse and worse.

Exactly. If nothing is done, things do get worse and law abiding passengers will be driven away.

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There are times when you save your breath to cool your porridge

Again I agree. But at those times why even bother to approach the dodgers in the first place.

My thought, when it happened, was annoyance that non payment was being condoned. If no approach had been made, I would just have assumed he was checking in another carriage and would have thought nothing of it.

 

[Flamingo]

Again I agree. But at those times why even bother to approach the dodgers in the first place.

My thought, when it happened, was annoyance that non payment was being condoned. If no approach had been made, I would just have assumed he was checking in another carriage and would have thought nothing of it.

Fair enough. Point was, they knew that had been clocked, and "Softly, Softly, Catchee Monkey". They travel a lot, and we will talk to BTP and build up a pattern of offending. Then at a later date, nail them.

I can think of numerous occasions when I've seen someone with a ticket irregularity or no ticket at all and said nothing but alerted barrier staff at the station they were alighting at, had a reception committee waiting, or knew I would see them again and could catch them next time I had back-up.

 

[yorkie]

<nitpick> The code for Bristol Temple Meads is BRI, not BTM.</nitpick> Although BTM is not a valid station, so less confusion than when people write BNS (Barnes) meaning Birmingham New Street (BHM)!

Or worse, "ELY to LLS" (Ely to Llanishen) when there are direct trains to two possible places that they could mean; London Liverpool Street or Liverpool Lime Street!

The 3-letter codes are in so many places now, there really is no excuse!
- Throughout the National Rail website including the journey planner, Stations made Easy, etc.
- Most, if not all, ticket booking websites including Thetrainline, WebTIS, etc.
- Avantix Traveller
- Live Departure boards
- Many 3rd party apps

I can think of numerous occasions when I've seen someone with a ticket irregularity or no ticket at all and said nothing but alerted barrier staff at the station they were alighting at, had a reception committee waiting, or knew I would see them again and could catch them next time I had back-up.

Yeah, the passenger may not know what is going on 'behind the scenes'.

Three people from Bishops Stortford who thought they had got away with 'effing it' from London to Leeds a few days ago thought they had got away with it, until the train was met at BTP at Doncaster. They didn't see that coming. Oh, and that was the last train to Leeds and the last train to anywhere departed shortly after. Even better, one of them realised mid-journey that he had advertised his little excursion on Facebook and that people he worked with would probably tell his boss the real reason why he hadn't turned up to work. That'll be a trip they won't forget for sure! But anyone who got off the train before Donny would have thought they were going to get away with it.

 

[Flamingo]

Scene in First Class on a late train:
Two drunk passengers (who happened to be on their way home from a football match): "You're not going to be able to make us move"
Me: "No sir, you're right - The three policemen in plain clothes at that table over there are going to"

One just holds up warrant card, two drunks get up and move...