Why do Scottish Station Ticket Sellers act surprised..

[bAzTNM]

..when I'm honest and want to actually pay for the journey I've had where I haven't encountered a ticket examiner?

For example, Bellgrove - Partick, more than likely you won't see an examiner until past Partick, so I go up to the bloke at the counter (at Partick) and ask for a RETURN from Bellgrove to Partick (so I'm using the RETURN part on the way back home). He seriously looks at me like I've just said "OPEN THE F'ING TILL!!!". He refuses to sell me it at first, but he eventually does .. "just that it's a strange combination" he says.

So basically my question is.. if I had bought a return from Partick to Bellgrove and used the RETURN part first would the ticket still be valid.

Sorry if it sounds a bit vague. Thanks again!

 

[4SRKT]

Because it is genuinely unusual these days (and not just in Scotland) to pay for something if you've already had it but nobody's asked for payment?

The return portion would still be valid had you bought a Partick > Bellgrove return, but only for the rest of that day. Buying a single would be what most people would do I would guess.

 

[stut]

He might have assumed that you were trying to get round some restriction or other.

(For example, I know that Biggleswade - Peterborough tickets are significantly cheaper than Peterborough - Biggleswade, to the point that a return of the former is cheaper than a single of the latter. If I need to get down from Peterborough, I always make sure I order the ticket in advance and throw away the outbound portion...)

 

[lyesbkz]

if I had bought a return from Partick to Bellgrove and used the RETURN part first would the ticket still be valid

The return portion would still be valid had you bought a Partick > Bellgrove return, but only for the rest of that day

Note that as soon as you used the Return portion, the outward portion would become invalid.

 

[MikeWh]

Note that as soon as you used the Return portion, the outward portion would become invalid.

Indeed, although I think the OP is suggesting that the return part would have been used before getting the ticket, so to speak. I.e. it is just so he has paid the correct fare.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

..when I'm honest and want to actually pay for the journey I've had where I haven't encountered a ticket examiner?....

Because hardly anyone does it unless they have to (for barriers, etc). People normally think something like "well that was good, I didn't have to pay for that journey".

When I worked in London, if we had a manned barrier in operation, the number of tickets we sold usually doubled (although the value of the sales was relatively low).

....So basically my question is.. if I had bought a return from Partick to Bellgrove and used the RETURN part first would the ticket still be valid....

The outward part is only valid with an unused return portion.

 

[LexyBoy]

So basically my question is.. if I had bought a return from Partick to Bellgrove and used the RETURN part first would the ticket still be valid.

You mean buying a Partick-Bellgrove Return rather than Bellgrove-Partick? This wouldn't officially be valid for the journey you have made, as the outward must be used before the return (if it is to be used; it's fine to only use the return part).

In most cases however the price is the same for either direction, and if there were only a TVM available then what I would do is buy a return in the reverse direction - I would have paid the correct price and I don't think anyone would have a problem with it!

If I need to get down from Peterborough, I always make sure I order the ticket in advance and throw away the outbound portion...)

BIW>PBO is £11.00 SDR, £8.00 SDS
PBO>BIW is £11.50 SDR, £9.50 SDS
CDR £10.00 either way

Unless I'm missing something?

In any case, are you worried that FCC will increase the price of the cheaper flow to make this not work? I doubt they would find it worth their while, and some of the fares (maybe CDR) will be protected anyway.

 

[stut]

BIW>PBO is £11.00 SDR, £8.00 SDS
PBO>BIW is £11.50 SDR, £9.50 SDS
CDR £10.00 either way

Unless I'm missing something?

Ah, then it's changed since the last time I did a one-way from PBO-BIW. It used to be about £7 from BIW, and about £12 from PBO - seems they've "normalised" it...

 

[b0b]

and if there were only a TVM available then what I would do is buy a return in the reverse direction - I would have paid the correct price and I don't think anyone would have a problem with it!

that's possibly bad advice given that we've had a member PF'd for not having the "right" ticket, that they bought from a TVM, and had paid the "correct price", since she failed to get the zero excess and had an opportunity to do so. The OP is doing it the correct way.

 

[LexyBoy]

that's possibly bad advice given that we've had a member PF'd for not having the "right" ticket, that they bought from a TVM, and had paid the "correct price", since she failed to get the zero excess and had an opportunity to do so. The OP is doing it the correct way.

If there is an opportunity to buy the correct ticket, then of course this is what you should do.

But, if one travelled from a station with no ticketing facilities (as in the OP’s case) to one with only a TVM, there would be no opportunity to buy the correct ticket – I would personally feel that I was in the right to buy the return in the reverse direction in this circumstance (as technically, there was no opportunity to buy the correct ticket. I suppose buying a single and attempting to get the guard to exchange it for the desired return would be more “correct”, but I don’t think you’d be thanked for it!).

 

[Greenback]

In those circumstances I would definitely buy a return in the reverse direction, and throw the return portion away.

 

[MikeWh]

In those circumstances I would definitely buy a return in the reverse direction, and throw the return portion away.

but not until I'd used the outward portion to return home ... just in case.

 

[supervalkoinen]

I seem to remember recent threads about passengers without tickets being stopped by RPIs or similar after walking past ticket offices without buying any ticket (Man Picc?) and also about controls outside stations.

Not knowing the stations in this thread, I don't know how likely the above would be, but it seems to me the passenger is following what seemed to be the "standard" advice offered in those earlier threads:

"Buy the ticket and don't risk it".

 

[route:oxford]

Do Scottish salesmen in England or Wales look equally surprised?

 

[londonbridge]

The outward part is only valid with an unused return portion.

I'm pretty certain that,when travelling on the outward leg of a journey and showing my ticket,I've NEVER had a guard or ticket inspector ask to see the return portion as well.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

That doesn't make it less the case though does it.

 

[rail-britain]

He refuses to sell me it at first, but he eventually does .. "just that it's a strange combination" he says

So what else did you purchase?

I had the same response when I bought three tickets
Glasgow - Preston
Preston - Warrington
Warrington - Crewe
That resulted in the response "Why not just buy a Glasgow - Crewe return?"

 

[bAzTNM]

So what else did you purchase?

I eventually got the Partick - Bellgrove RETURN out of him, but he did look rather confused whilst handing it over.

 

[rail-britain]

I eventually got the Partick - Bellgrove RETURN out of him, but he did look rather confused whilst handing it over.

Probably just surprised at you asking for a ticket, rather than just leaving without paying and/or purchasing a single for the return portion

Many years ago I encountered a Ticket Examiner who could only check tickets, machine had stopped working
Again, advised me (and many of the other passengers) to purchase a ticket on arrival at Glasgow Central
I stood at the window and eventually realised I was the only person off that train to stand in the queue!