Fare evasion letter. Worried

[Urban Gateline]

Just a little bye-way, but if you're rushing for a train, and board ticket-less, wouldn't searching out the conductor/guard indicate a willingness to pay, rather than "waiting for him to come round and he didn't"?

It would help a little, but if there were RPI's on board the Guard may refuse to sell you the ticket and let them deal with you instead, so it still doesn't mitigate not buying the ticket before boarding if facilities to do so existed at the boarding station.

 

[Flamingo]

But it would make an "intent to avoid payment" prosecution damn-near impossible. I am not aware of any of my colleagues who would refuse to sell to somebody actively looking for them immediately after boarding.

My personal approach is that I will treat somebody who approaches me with cash or card in hand as Bona Fide, and railcard discounts will usually be given, if I find them and they have come from a manned station they are a potential fare-dodger, even if they are paying when challenged.

 

[steadmane]

I can't believe there is any excuse not to purchase a ticket at Preston, if the conductor is willing to sell you if you just jump on the train fair enough, if there are RPI on-board and the conductor is not willing, even if you went looking for him, then you rolled the dice and lost.

To this day it astounds me the amount of tickets sold on board trains where people have come from manned stations and just said they were in a rush. I have no idea if all these people have pre-advised guards but it seems prevalent on SouthEastern beyond the Metro area. I don't think I've seen RPI on board SE in the last year despite travelling two returns a week on average, so the odds down South seem good.

 

[Urban Gateline]

I can't believe there is any excuse not to purchase a ticket at Preston, if the conductor is willing to sell you if you just jump on the train fair enough, if there are RPI on-board and the conductor is not willing, even if you went looking for him, then you rolled the dice and lost.

To this day it astounds me the amount of tickets sold on board trains where people have come from manned stations and just said they were in a rush. I have no idea if all these people have pre-advised guards but it seems prevalent on SouthEastern beyond the Metro area. I don't think I've seen RPI on board SE in the last year despite travelling two returns a week on average, so the odds down South seem good.

Well to combat that, most Guards will sell full priced "Anytime" tickets without Railcard discount to anyone who boarded at a manned station or unmanned where TVM was in working order (Yes it is possible to ring up and check!) Sometimes this price difference can persuade people to buy before they board so long as the facilities sell the ticket they need. People will still chance it on the shorter journeys though especially between unmanned stations.

 

[Flamingo]

Well to combat that, most Guards will sell full priced "Anytime" tickets without Railcard discount to anyone who boarded at a manned station or unmanned where TVM was in working order.

Not necessarily. For the sake of a quiet life, the vast majority of guards I know (and myself) will usually sell the walk-up ticket. It involves less confrontation, argueing, and "please explains" from management when the inevitable complaint about the "jobsworth guard with poor customer care skills" comes in (especially as we know the "Customer Services" response will be to send an apology and vouchers back).

 

[steadmane]

Railcard holders are ironically penalized more in these situations - a recent journey I was sat near a group of people who were "in-a-hurry" from St. Leonards Warrior Square. Both that I could see were sold an Off-Peak Day Return, even though they got asked why not purchased at station, but the guard did not allow the Railcard of one of them to be used. A sort-of half telling off.

In short, they were sold a cheap ticket so only the Railcard holder lost out.