Caught travelling with a child's ticket.

[missdizco21]

Hello everyone
about a week ago now, i was caught travelling with a child's ticket (im 17, 18 very soon and that's what's got me panicking). The woman asked me
lots of information where i told her the correct address, my sisters name (she knows and is okay with it) and a random date of birth which indicates me being 16 which i know was wrong and i cannot sleep because of the fear of a criminal record and the extreme guilt. Im autistic and suffer with anxiety and i truthfully chose to try and run away from the situation which has put me further in the mud. Im terrible with confrontations and i regret it so badly. The journey was 5 mins and from one stop to another, the ticket difference being just over a pound. Im expecting a letter in the post and I just want to pay the fine and get this over and done with. What do I write back to them? Is a travel incident report more serious than just a normal penalty fare? I've also bought a child's ticket before, so this is also terrifying to me. I really don't want a criminal record i've got a whole life ahead of me and i understand what i've done wrong.

 

[methecooldude]

• We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:
  • The stations where you started & finished your journey;
  • The stations where you changed trains (if applicable);
  • If you presented a ticket(s), the information stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;
  • What happened in any encounter with railway staff;
  • Uploading copies of any paperwork (with personal details redacted) with your post.
• Be careful not to post anything incriminating or personally identifying
• We need to know what outcome(s) you would consider satisfactory

 

[missdizco21]

• We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:
  • The stations where you started & finished your journey;
  • The stations where you changed trains (if applicable);
  • If you presented a ticket(s), the information stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;
  • What happened in any encounter with railway staff;
  • Uploading copies of any paperwork (with personal details redacted) with your post.
• Be careful not to post anything incriminating or personally identifying
• We need to know what outcome(s) you would consider satisfactory

I don't really feel comfortable disclosing the stops but it was one stop to another and a 5-6 minute journey. It was a child's ticket via the destination and the conductor was polite but firm, she asked me some questions about me which i was like maybe 75% honest about (wrong first name and birthday but correct house and last name) she filmed a small portion of the short interaction on her body cam and provided me with a travel incident report slip. The most satisfactory outcome for me would being able to pay the fine and not go to court and be prosecuted.

 

[gray1404]

Which train company are you dealing with?

 

[missdizco21]

northern rail! i've heard they're more inclined to out of court settlements, but i'm still worried sick. i'm willing to be more than cooperative, i've got my letter pre-written

 

[gray1404]

A letter will be sent to your sister then. It may be a warning, it may be inviting the fare to be paid, it may be inviting her to give her side of the story or it may be inviting her to pay the fare plus an administration fee. You will have to sit tight and wait for the letter.

Had you have given correct details and this was your first time getting stopped we could have been confident at settling with Northern. However giving false details is something they do not look upon favourably.

How did you purchase the ticket?

 

[missdizco21]

this is my first time being stopped, i've just purchased childs fares before. the ticket was purchased from a guest trainline account.

 

[randyrippley]

You gave your sisters name
How old is she?
This could have consequences for her

 

[missdizco21]

she is actually 15

 

[SussexMan]

They will write to you (but addressed to your sister). If they offer an out-of-court settlement and that is promptly paid, then that would be the end of it and they will never know that the name you gave is not yours. However, your sister will then be on their radar so if she gets caught with an invalid ticket they will assume it is her second offence and may well go straight to court.

 

[missdizco21]

my sister doesn't ever travel by train, and if she does it's a child's ticket since she is literally 15, i'll bare that in mind though. i'll just see what happens when the letter arrives, if its an explanation letter do i come clean? I'm also more than happy to settle and pay the money i just want this over.

 

[Titfield]

my sister doesn't ever travel by train, and if she does it's a child's ticket since she is literally 15, i'll bare that in mind though. i'll just see what happens when the letter arrives, if its an explanation letter do i come clean? I'm also more than happy to settle and pay the money i just want this over.

you should follow the advice that @Hadders gives in situations such as this.

What happens next is that Northern Rail will write to you in the next few weeks. The letter will say that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events before deciding how to proceed. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. Most train operating companies are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) to people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and they are within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court.

If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay around £150 plus the outstanding fare at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the 'short' ticket you purchased. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[missdizco21]

you should follow the advice that @Hadders gives in situations such as this.

What happens next is that Northern Rail will write to you in the next few weeks. The letter will say that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events before deciding how to proceed. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. Most train operating companies are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) to people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and they are within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court.

If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay around £150 plus the outstanding fare at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the 'short' ticket you purchased. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

i've got my rough draft here, feel free to give critique

dear northern rail,

i would firstly like to preface this letter by apologising sincerely for my actions. I understand shortfaring (in my case, buying a child's fare) is a serious crime and I have no excuse for why I did it, only that I regret it severely and am more than willing to cooperate with the company. If you would be kind enough to consider an out of court settlement, I would be eternally grateful. This has been my first time in trouble and i understand the true depth of my offence. I do not intend on ever doing it again as I have learned my lesson from the guilt that being dishonest has caused me, therefore I do not want to deal with such a situation again.

On the date this incident occurred, I had a difficult morning after missing the bus, losing money out of my pocket and had been in a rush to college and had to quickly purchase a ticket, this was when i inexcusably bought the child's ticket. The journey was from (REDACTED) to (REDACTED), a 5-6 minute journey from one stop to the other at (REDACTED)am. The difference between the two tickets will be around £1.40. I had boarded the train and I was the first to be approached by the conductor, she taps me on the shoulder to get my attention because i was wearing headphones and she asks me when i turn 17, out of panic, I foolishly responded with the first thing that had come to mind. I have now forgotten what I said, but my response would have indicated me being 16, whereas in reality i am already 17. She also asked me some other questions, i do not recall what they were but i remember answering "no" to them. I feel as if it is important to note that I am diagnosed with autism and suffer with social anxiety, which makes me handle stressful situations such as confrontation very differently from my peers, i will attach evidence of this. My autism affects me on a frequent basis, this includes average day to day interactions such as the one in this incident. The conductor was polite and clear then asked for my information, where i provided my correct address and surname. I offered to pay for the adult ticket on the train after realising my fault, but my offer was refused. I asked how much my fine was going to be because I was willing to pay it, and the conductor told me that she was not fining me but instead was providing me with a caution that i was to respond to in the post which was due to arrive within 14 days. She then handed me a leaflet and told me to invest in a railcard to avoid any further problems in the future, which I intend on doing as soon this situation is dealt with in full. Prior to this journey, I have travelled once. I purchased an adult ticket which was an open return from (REDACTED) to (REDACTED) via (REDACTED) which i will also provide evidence of.

I fully understand that what i have done breaches your railway policies and regulations and is against the law. I take complete responsibility for the actions of myself on this occasion, it was a mistake i will never make again. I have been filled with so much guilt following this incident because I am a law abiding citizen and i am very keen to resolve this issue without any legal trouble. I hope you would be prepared to keep this matter civil as I am 100% cooperative and i do not want to have a criminal record.

I'd be extremely thankful if you could allow me to pay any owed fare and administrative costs that this error has caused Northern Rail. I am once again sincerely sorry for this inconvenience caused and I will ensure you that it will not happen again. An important lesson has been learnt and I will make 100% sure that I purchase the correct ticket from now on, and that I will buy a railcard as soon as i need to travel again to avoid any further situations.

I look forward to receiving your response and i hope you can find it in your heart to forgive a young girl's mistakes and work as a team to resolve our dispute.

 

[Gloster]

my sister doesn't ever travel by train, and if she does it's a child's ticket since she is literally 15, i'll bare that in mind though. i'll just see what happens when the letter arrives, if its an explanation letter do i come clean? I'm also more than happy to settle and pay the money i just want this over.

Ignoring the contradiction in this, your sister may have reason to travel by train in the future, possibly in only a year or two. If she has a problem with a ticket, even a perfectly innocent mistake, it will (as said above) be seen as a second offence by her and is more likely to result in her being taken to court, which could have a long-term negative effect. It would not help her if she turns around in a year or two (if stopped) and says, “The first time was actually my sister, not me.”

As I am not an expert, others may give better advice on this. However, in my option, you should sort out the matter of who committed the offence at the first opportunity.

 

[missdizco21]

Ignoring the contradiction in this, your sister may have reason to travel by train in the future, possibly in only a year or two. If she has a problem with a ticket, even a perfectly innocent mistake, it will (as said above) be seen as a second offence by her and is more likely to result in her being taken to court, which could have a long-term negative effect. It would not help her if she turns around in a year or two (if stopped) and says, “The first time was actually my sister, not me.”

As I am not an expert, others may give better advice on this. However, in my option, you should sort out the matter of who committed the offence at the first opportunity.

okay thank you for your help, i understand what you mean and i will come clean if that's what's best. Will i be prosecuted for this?

 

[gray1404]

Did you use etickets? If so did you use the same email address each time for them to be sent to when using Trainline (even on a guest account). If so they will be able to look at your ticket purchasing history.

If you sister is only 15 then the correct thing would be for her parents or guardians to respond saying she was not the person stopped.

 

[missdizco21]

Did you use etickets? If so did you use the same email address each time for them to be sent to when using Trainline (even on a guest account). If so they will be able to look at your ticket purchasing history.

If you sister is only 15 then the correct thing would be for her parents or guardians to respond saying she was not the person stopped.

yes i used etickets, i'm going to own up when the letter arrives i think, i've got a letter drafted which i've posted just waiting approval. will i be prosecuted??