Child tickets on your 16th birthday

[DasLunatic]

This has probably been asked thousands of times before, but...

I'm planning on having a day out in London on the 17th October, my 16th birthday. However, as I was born at about 4PM, would I be able to get away with using a child Travelcard for that day, providing I leave before turning 16?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MikeWh]

This has probably been asked thousands of times before, but...

I'm planning on having a day out in London on the 17th October, my 16th birthday. However, as I was born at about 4PM, would I be able to get away with using a child Travelcard for that day, providing I leave before turning 16?

Thanks in advance!

Simple answer, no. It's one reason why I was thankful that my parents chose the day after my midnight birth to record my DOB.

 

[yorkie]

No.

However an adult can purchase a Family Railcard the day before your birthday, which would then be valid for a year. This may not be of any use on that day if you are no suitable adults accompanying you though!

Note: I have given the only answer we can give, I am not going to get into the literal interpretation of "would I be able to get away with it", partly because it's unanswerable, and partly because that is not what this forum is for. Besides, I trust you were not asking the literal question!

 

[34D]

What if his 'up' journey was the day before, and his down (return) journey started before 4pm?

Not sure where he's from, but it might even pay for the hotel!

 

[PermitToTravel]

I think they'd have to be 16 at the time of making the return journey too.

A season ticket bought before turning 16 remains valid, but it's rare that buying one will save money for a straight return journey

 

[34D]

I would contact the TOC with a specific question here. They may well decide to be lenient.

 

[Howardh]

If it's your 18th birthday, and you were born at 11pm; I imagine you are legally allowed into a pub to buy a beer at 7pm!
Therefore you are an "adult" from 00.01 of your birthday! It's a good job the UK isn't split into time-zones so you could walk across a line and be 17 for another hour....and illegal!!

But it's a good question and does anyone know the correct answer? I took my first driving lesson on my 17th and was *legal* even though I was born at 10pm.

 

[Haywain]

No need to ask the TOC, as Knowledgebase says this:

Any child aged under 16 at the start of the ticket's validity. The ticket may be used until the end of its period of validity, even if the child turns 16 during this time.

And for season tickets:

• 7-Day Season Tickets/Travelcards – Children pay the adult price on reaching their 16th birthday. If the birthday is after the first day of validity, a 7-Day Season Ticket at half rate will remain valid;
• Period Season Tickets/Travelcards – A child who becomes 16 years old on the first day of a 'period' Season Ticket/Travelcards pays the adult rate. If the birthday is within the ticket’s validity period, but after the first day, the half rate ticket will continue to be valid, but needs to expire by up to a maximum of four months after the 16th birthday.

 

[cuccir]

Given that time of birth is not recorded on a birth certificate (see Wikipedia's example) it clearly can't have any implication for identity checking or official age; you become an age on at the start of your birthday!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Nice try, but you turn 16 at 0000 on 17 October, not at 1600.

I bet you didn't wait until 4pm to open your presents when you were younger

 

[Romilly]

In Scotland at least, the legislation is clear - see section 6 of this Act which has been in force since 25th September 1991:

Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991

1991 CHAPTER 50

An Act to make provision in the law of Scotland as to the legal capacity of persons under the age of 18 years to enter into transactions, as to the setting aside and ratification by the court of transactions entered into by such persons and as to guardians of persons under the age of 16 years; to make provision in the law of Scotland relating to the time and date at which a person shall be taken to attain a particular age; and for connected purposes.
[25th July 1991]


6 Attainment of age.

(1)The time at which a person attains a particular age expressed in years shall be taken to be the beginning of the relevant anniversary of the date of his birth.

(2)Where a person has been born on 29th February in a leap year, the relevant anniversary in any year other than a leap year shall be taken to be 1st March.

(3)The provisions of this section shall apply only to a relevant anniversary which occurs after the commencement of this Act.

Section 9 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969 makes corresponding provision for England and Wales (although doesn't deal explicitly with 29th February).

On that basis, a child ticket is not valid on the ticket-holder's 16th birthday.

 

[talltim]

That legislation doesn't allow for whether the "beginning of the relevant anniversary of the date of his birth" is in the UK timezone or another (possibly the timezone you were born in)

 

[Bletchleyite]

That legislation doesn't allow for whether the "beginning of the relevant anniversary of the date of his birth" is in the UK timezone or another (possibly the timezone you were born in)

In practice it will be the date (not time) on any official documentation you may produce to prove it.

 

[Haywain]

On that basis, a child ticket is not valid on the ticket-holder's 16th birthday.

Unless it was also valid prior to the date of the birthday, as stated above.

 

[talltim]

In practice it will be the date (not time) on any official documentation you may produce to prove it.

But the date where? After all the date in New Zealand is the 09/10/15 now and this morning the date in the Cook Islands was 07/10/15

 

[Tetchytyke]

Your birth date is the date it was where you were born.

Your relevant birthday is the date it is where you are now.

 

[IanD]

But the date where? After all the date in New Zealand is the 09/10/15 now and this morning the date in the Cook Islands was 07/10/15

Try using a London Travelcard or any British railway ticket there on any date there and see where it gets you.

 

[talltim]

Try using a London Travelcard or any British railway ticket there on any date there and see where it gets you.

But they don't involve your birth date

 

[kkong]

Given that time of birth is not recorded on a birth certificate (see Wikipedia's example)

Perhaps it differs between England and Scotland or it has changed since I was born.

I was born in Scotland in the 1970s and my birth certificate includes the time I was born.

 

[34D]

So you can buy a child return the day before, stay in a hotel (etc) and be fine.

 

[Haywain]

So you can buy a child return the day before, stay in a hotel (etc) and be fine.

If it is an Anytime ticket, or an Off-Peak/Super Off-Peak ticket and the journey has been started but not completed (although that is a different argument).