Hi guys, would really appreciate any advice on my predicament with TFL!
I was trying to travel from Finsbury Park to Brixton, but there was an event happening in the park and there was a queue to get into the station. The staff closed access to the Underground line. I tapped in with my Apple Pay and had to get a National Rail train to King’s Cross, then had to get the Victoria line from there.
However because of the amount of people travelling from the event, the exit barriers at the National Rail part of King’s Cross were open when we arrived and I didn’t (regretfully) tap out. When I got to the London Underground part of the station the barriers were closed as usual. I asked the security man standing behind the barriers (who wasn’t wearing London Underground uniform) what I should do, as I hadn’t tapped out and it was very busy back at the National Rail part of the station and would have been hard to reach over and tap in from the other side of the barrier. He just kind of fobbed me off and pointed back where I came from, not having really answered my query.
After wondering around for a minute or 2 I still didn’t know what to do so my thinking was, rightly or wrongly, that because I’m still tapped in I can just follow someone else in through the barrier, which I did. The same security man came over and demanded my details and I gave them to him. I then went on my way, got to Brixton and tapped out there, so I have paid for my journey.
I got the letter from the Investigations Appeals and Prosecutions Team and have to reply to them and accept or deny committing an offence. Have I committed an offence even though I had a valid ticket?
If anyone has any advice on what I should do I’d be extremely grateful, thanks!
I was trying to travel from Finsbury Park to Brixton, but there was an event happening in the park and there was a queue to get into the station. The staff closed access to the Underground line. I tapped in with my Apple Pay and had to get a National Rail train to King’s Cross, then had to get the Victoria line from there.
However because of the amount of people travelling from the event, the exit barriers at the National Rail part of King’s Cross were open when we arrived and I didn’t (regretfully) tap out. When I got to the London Underground part of the station the barriers were closed as usual. I asked the security man standing behind the barriers (who wasn’t wearing London Underground uniform) what I should do, as I hadn’t tapped out and it was very busy back at the National Rail part of the station and would have been hard to reach over and tap in from the other side of the barrier. He just kind of fobbed me off and pointed back where I came from, not having really answered my query.
After wondering around for a minute or 2 I still didn’t know what to do so my thinking was, rightly or wrongly, that because I’m still tapped in I can just follow someone else in through the barrier, which I did. The same security man came over and demanded my details and I gave them to him. I then went on my way, got to Brixton and tapped out there, so I have paid for my journey.
I got the letter from the Investigations Appeals and Prosecutions Team and have to reply to them and accept or deny committing an offence. Have I committed an offence even though I had a valid ticket?
If anyone has any advice on what I should do I’d be extremely grateful, thanks!
