FGW obvious failing

[D2022]

I've recently started commuting to Stroud every morning for work and noticed on the way home the guards either don't bother checking the tickets or in the case of yesterday, fail bigtime in the process when they actually do.

I was approached by the guard not long before Kemble, I'd seen him the the rear coach of paired 153s checking tickets so thought I'd see how attentive he was. I gave him a 2 month old ticket from Bath Spa to Westbury (not Stroud-Swindon) I had in my railcard wallet still, he clipped it after looking 'hard' at it and walked off.

I mean....seriously? What on earth?

 

[Flamingo]

Well, would you rather he kicked you off at Kemble for failing to present a valid ticket? I'm sure I can arrange it for tomorrow.

 

[Nym]

At least it's slightly better than showing a Bridlington to Hull Paragon season ticket that was out of date to get through the barriers at Leeds City, and succeeding!

PS: Don't call the colleges of those on this forum useless, see above

 

[RJ]

I really don't understand people who deliberately "test" railway staff then come online to boast about it.

There are people employed by ATOC to mystery shop staff, who then feed back to the relevant TOC.

Is it a slow summer or something?

 

[D2022]

Well, would you rather he kicked you off at Kemble for failing to present a valid ticket? I'm sure I can arrange it for tomorrow.

Well that would suck I've had dealings with that particular guard in the past when he verbally abused my girlfriend and her sister about not having their tickets out and ready when he came through (both had headphones in), he gave them some lecture about how all youngsters are cocky little S**** and how they were always fare evading (depsite never once actually doing so). He's tried chucking me off before for petty things, one of which was having muddy tyres on my bicycle! He is a lucky chappy given that we have several times reported him (to a contact I have from when I worked for FGW)

Out of the 4 train journeys I make a day, he's the only person who I've ever had a problem with. Generally the staff are friendly and helpful. One just spoils it.

 

[yorkie]

I gave him a 2 month old ticket from Bath Spa to Westbury (not Stroud-Swindon) I had in my railcard wallet still, he clipped it after looking 'hard' at it and walked off.

Not surprising. He probably called ahead to see if BTP were available at the next station. In which case, you were lucky they weren't.

It won't occur to guards that you are 'testing' them and they may well expect a confrontation, I wouldn't be surprised if the guard was to try to get some backup before dealing with the situation.

 

[455driver]

The fact you have presented an invalid ticket is an offence in itself, so if you were taken to court and fined I bet you would be moaning about that as well.

 

[Greenback]

I've recently started commuting to Stroud every morning for work and noticed on the way home the guards either don't bother checking the tickets or in the case of yesterday, fail bigtime in the process when they actually do.

Out of the 4 train journeys I make a day, he's the only person who I've ever had a problem with. Generally the staff are friendly and helpful. One just spoils it.

I am confused. In the first post it's all guards who don't check tickets (either at all or properly) and in the second post it's only one?

 

[Matt Taylor]

I've had dealings with that particular guard in the past when he verbally abused my girlfriend and her sister

So your test was nothing to do with 'getting your own back' then?

Petty, very very petty.

 

[BestWestern]

Not surprising. He probably called ahead to see if BTP were available at the next station. In which case, you were lucky they weren't.

It won't occur to guards that you are 'testing' them and they may well expect a confrontation, I wouldn't be surprised if the guard was to try to get some backup before dealing with the situation.

To be fair, BTP would be would be highly unlikely to take any action other than bollocking the guard for wasting their time! Making the call just because somebody has shown you an expired ticket, without even asking them of they have mistakenly given you the wrong one, would not go down well

In defence of the OP, it does sounds like the person concerned just didn't notice, though you would wonder how if he did indeed have a close look. But we've all done it, none of us are perfect. I don't condone people deliberately making our jobs difficult, but maybe this particular colleague has a bit of an attitude which winds people up?! We all know they're out there, albeit only a minority thankfully.

Ho hum, it's not the end of the world!

 

[yorkie]

To be fair, BTP would be would be highly unlikely to take any action other than bollocking the guard for wasting their time! Making the call just because somebody has shown you an expired ticket, without even asking them of they have mistakenly given you the wrong one, would not go down well

Yes, you're right, I completely agree! To clarify, I certainly wasn't suggesting it was a correct course of action, just a possible one.

 

[BestWestern]

Yes, you're right, I completely agree! To clarify, I certainly wasn't suggesting it was a correct course of action, just a possible one.

Of course, if the Guard thought "Oh god, it's that bloke I keep having a ding-dong with", then perhaps he might have thought the BTP would be a wise option!

 

[D2022]

I am confused. In the first post it's all guards who don't check tickets (either at all or properly) and in the second post it's only one?

I never said they all check tickets, on the kemble line very few do, I don't have a problem with them not checking, but what I'm trying to say is when they do they should be doing it properly. I've ever had my ticket checked on this commute once other than the mentioned guard, and that was by revenue protection at Swindon. They were polite and very nice to deal with. I'd never met them before and to be honest believed everything I'd heard about them (mainly negative) but they were fine.

 

[ACE1888]

2 days out 'on the four foot' in Cornwall and Devon this week, bar one miserable cow on the Truro/Falmouth line, I thought the staff were very friendly and doing a good job, like all days at work, no matter what you do for a living, you get good and bad ones:roll:

 

[NLC1072]

Or maybe the guard recognised you and let you pass thinking "oh he usually has a valid ticket I'll just let this go, he probably hasnt realised that he is holding the wrong ticket" as a good will gesture... sad to say this is what happens when you give the public any leeway, so staff will end up being very draconian when the complaint comes in against him from D2022...

 

[Flamingo]

Swindon is a barriered station, add to that the guard can see everybody getting on at the little stops and it makes for a more relaxed approach when doing revenue, as 99% will have some ticket or can be targeted individually on boarding.

 

[broadgage]

The fact you have presented an invalid ticket is an offence in itself, so if you were taken to court and fined I bet you would be moaning about that as well.

In theory, perhaps.
In practice I cant see any court convicting anyone for "accidently" showing an invalid ticket, provided of course that they also posess a valid ticket and can produce this.

How many of us with several tickets in wallet or pocket, have initialy shown the wrong one ? Is this really criminal ?

I would agree that it is a bit silly and petty to show the wrong ticket as a test, but doubt that it could result in a fine.

 

[LE Greys]

In theory, perhaps.
In practice I cant see any court convicting anyone for "accidently" showing an invalid ticket, provided of course that they also posess a valid ticket and can produce this.

How many of us with several tickets in wallet or pocket, have initialy shown the wrong one ? Is this really criminal ?

I would agree that it is a bit silly and petty to show the wrong ticket as a test, but doubt that it could result in a fine.

I've accidentally shown the wrong ticket a few times, and sometimes only noticed while putting it back in my wallet - although I usually think it's not worth the bother of informing the person who checked it. The same happens with card receipts sometimes as well. Nine times out of ten, they notice and the whole issue is resolved with a bit of embarrassed laughter and an apology.

Not quite the silliest mistake I've ever made on a train, I once tried to pay for a cup of coffee in Switzerland with the Jersey oncer I keep in there for luck!

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

In theory, perhaps.
In practice I cant see any court convicting anyone for "accidently" showing an invalid ticket, provided of course that they also posess a valid ticket and can produce this.

How many of us with several tickets in wallet or pocket, have initialy shown the wrong one ? Is this really criminal ?

Slightly OT: I put the wrong ticket into the machine at Glasgow Queen Street. Was looking for my ex-Edinburgh ticket to find a ticket I'd found on the floor earlier. (People drop a lot of tickets in Glasgow it seems with the amount I've found that actually work). I ended up putting in a local ticket instead, from a station beginning with C.

 

[Requeststop]

2 days out 'on the four foot' in Cornwall and Devon this week, bar one miserable cow on the Truro/Falmouth line, I thought the staff were very friendly and doing a good job, like all days at work, no matter what you do for a living, you get good and bad ones:roll:

In the eighties, There was a not so convincing transexual who used to travel up and down on the DMU's from Penzance/St. Erth to Plymouth for most the day as part of what was known as "public exposure experience" before the operation. Up and down the line with a gentle smile on their face, with the guards/inspectors checking all the tickets except for our transgendered friend, who, incidently sat in a window seat and never seemed to have someone willing to sit next to them.

Not FGW at that time I'd admit, and not a failing, but I'd say this; I have travelled so many times within the UK and have hardly ever had my tickets inspected on-board after the initial check.
Not on just FGW but many on mny different journeys and companies, I see conductors/guards/train managers/inspectors, at stations, get off the trains to see which coaches, if any, passengers/customers/members of the public/self-loading frieght board teh train, and then pass through the train calling for "'passengers from X, Y, Z" to either pay or have their tickets marked or inspected.

Never have I seen the train staff, ask someone to see their ticket for a second time to check if the passenger should still be on the train or should have alighted 4 or 5 stops back. Even when I have travelled first class from Paddington to St Erth and the train staff has changed at Exeter St. Davids.

I've travelled FGW from Paddington to Truro in a first class seat, on a second class ticket, with a fist full of notes ready to pay the extra supplement, and requested the trolley dolly to get the train manager to come and collect the money, only to be told not to worry about it. I got to Truro and never paid the extra for that privilege.

FGW has it's faults of course, what company in this world doesn't! Look at the banks the oil companies and the billions they make each year. To my mind, and I haven't been paid or offered special rights (FGW can contact me with a gift/pass anytime and thanks in advance) FGW have done a great job with their franchise, in spite of problems which are well aired on this site. I find the staff 99% of the time to be informed, smart and helpful. I hope they keep their Great Western franchise and that First show that winging pickle "Branson" a thing or two about operating a good franchise. He hates loosing to British Airways and is doing the same about loosing to First. I hope he keeps to his word about not trying for a rail franchise and withdraws his bid with Stagecoach for the Western franchise. (bet he doesn't)