extendedpaul
Member
Today, indeed as I type this, I should be at a theatre in Manchester seeing a matinee musical.
However I had a senior moment and fixed it in my mind that the trip was yesterday. I only realised my error when I arrived at the box office to pick up my ticket because I completed the whole journey from Kent yesterday on an advance ticket for today. I travelled on the "booked trains" but 24 hours too early
The ticket failed to operate the barrier at two stations in Kent/London, it was checked both times and I was allowed through, no ticket check at Euston before boarding but the train manager examined and marked the ticket on the journey before Milton Keynes. Rejected at the barrier at Manchester where it was again checked and I was let through and given it back. That particular check could have been very costly or worse. Incidentally the ticket worked the barriers for the underground journey to Euston.
The theatre was able to exchange my ticket for the evening performance and I booked and returned home on an overnight National Express coach to London and train back to Kent at a total cost of £50. An overnight train journey would have cost a lot more with two long waits.
While I'm grateful I "escaped" at Manchester I could theoretically have paid up, turned round and gone home at any point up to Milton Keynes for less than £50. I thought I'd post it here as it does make me wonder if tickets are really examined as they should be when a wrong date can be missed four times in succession.
However I had a senior moment and fixed it in my mind that the trip was yesterday. I only realised my error when I arrived at the box office to pick up my ticket because I completed the whole journey from Kent yesterday on an advance ticket for today. I travelled on the "booked trains" but 24 hours too early
The ticket failed to operate the barrier at two stations in Kent/London, it was checked both times and I was allowed through, no ticket check at Euston before boarding but the train manager examined and marked the ticket on the journey before Milton Keynes. Rejected at the barrier at Manchester where it was again checked and I was let through and given it back. That particular check could have been very costly or worse. Incidentally the ticket worked the barriers for the underground journey to Euston.
The theatre was able to exchange my ticket for the evening performance and I booked and returned home on an overnight National Express coach to London and train back to Kent at a total cost of £50. An overnight train journey would have cost a lot more with two long waits.
While I'm grateful I "escaped" at Manchester I could theoretically have paid up, turned round and gone home at any point up to Milton Keynes for less than £50. I thought I'd post it here as it does make me wonder if tickets are really examined as they should be when a wrong date can be missed four times in succession.