how do fare dodgers get away with it?

[miami]

We just travelled yesterday from Preston to Penrith North Lakes a journey of approx. 50 mins. No ticket check was made and when we alighted at Penrith we used the underpass which leads directly to a unmanned exit. While usually open it is currently closed with a hand written sign asking us to leave via the main entrance passed the ticket office due to fare evasion.

Fare evasion, or people with off peak return tickets from Lancaster to London, returning and exiting through this exit at Preston, which is perfectly legal, but Virgin don't like it.

Either way Virgin should man the exit and check tickets, not close the exit because they want to make more money (both legally and illegally)

 

[yorkie]

Guildford, Farncombe and Godalming have been blighted lately by the Matthews family, ...

This comment has piqued my curiosity...

These unsavoury individuals? http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/four-men-court-after-brawl-12224370

Billy Matthews, 37, of Eashing Lane, Godalming, Eli Matthews, 45, of Ladysmith Place, Bordon, Jimmy Matthews, 18, of Cobbetts Close, Normandy, and Lewis Matthews, 18, of Eashing Lane, Godalming, all faced charges of violent disorder when they appeared at Basingstoke Law Courts on Thursday (November 24).

Jimmy Matthews also faces one charge of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and one of possession of a bladed article in public, following the incident on March 20 this year.
The court heard that the blade was a Stanley knife.

Sadly our legal system isn't very good at dealing with such undesirables, so I am not surprised if they've been able to cause problems to many law-abiding people.

 

[Chrisgr31]

rs.

As a lawyer, I never took that risk for obvious reasons!

Not so obvious to some!

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...-barnett-sacked-from-profession-a3355606.html

 

[Kite159]

I wouldn't be surprised if for some local journeys on South Eastern/Southern within the London Zones between unbarriered stations, some passengers treat their contactless card as an insurance policy just in case RPIs board.

 

[tsr]

I wouldn't be surprised if for some local journeys on South Eastern/Southern within the London Zones between unbarriered stations, some passengers treat their contactless card as an insurance policy just in case RPIs board.

I've suspected this for some time. Sadly, until the card is hotlisted, it's very hard to do anything about it when checking them - no journey history or transaction information can be shown.

 

[route:oxford]

How do fare dodgers get away with it?

Almost as readily as people who are willing to pay find that the railway is unwilling or unable to take a payment.

On the last 3 occasions, travelling to Edinburgh Airport, neither the ticket machine at the station nor on board staff were able to sell me the appropriate through ticket including tram. On all 3 occasions I was advised to purchase the ticket at the EDP gateline (as I've done many times before) - only to find it was unstaffed and the barriers open.

 

[fowler9]

I can think of many services in Merseyside that are easy to bunk on but I wouldn't do it for multiple reasons. 1) I find it morally reprehensible. 2) I know I would eventually get caught and could possibly end up with a criminal record that would cost me my job. 3) The staff on my regular bus routes and railway stations that I use recognise me anyway and I wouldn't want to cause them bother. (Probably ties in with 1). 4) It could put prices up. 5) I think I get a good deal with my Trio ticket anyway. I get my monies worth out of it.

 

[theageofthetra]

These unsavoury individuals? http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/four-men-court-after-brawl-12224370

Sadly our legal system isn't very good at dealing with such undesirables, so I am not surprised if they've been able to cause problems to many law-abiding people.[/QUOT

The wheels on their house goes round and round....

 

[nanstallon]

I wouldn't be surprised if for some local journeys on South Eastern/Southern within the London Zones between unbarriered stations, some passengers treat their contactless card as an insurance policy just in case RPIs board.

In London I use my contactless credit card, but of course I do tap in as a reasonably decent although by no means perfect citizen. I wouldn't not do so anyway, because if an RPI checks tickets he/ she presumably would on being offered the card put it into a card reader which would show whether or not it had been tapped.

 

[nanstallon]

These unsavoury individuals? http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/four-men-court-after-brawl-12224370

Sadly our legal system isn't very good at dealing with such undesirables, so I am not surprised if they've been able to cause problems to many law-abiding people.

The courts are good at thumping little people who gave in to temptation, but hopelessly limpwristed at dealing with the nasty elements of society. Especially when they can play the race (gypsy/ traveller) card.

 

[nanstallon]

Not so obvious to some!

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...-barnett-sacked-from-profession-a3355606.html

Greed, isn't it? He lived in a 600K house. The actual fares were just over £5K during a two and a half year period, but the penalty fare system raised that to over £19K. I expect he's now kicking himself for not just buying a season ticket for his trips into Town like anyone else. Although there are no saints on this earth, not even in the legal trade, lawyers have to understand that a higher standard is required of them. After all, they could end up as judges later on!

 

[nanstallon]

In terms of the specific event described, you're quite right. However if she continued with this kind of behaviour the threat to her career would be very real.

There was a solicitor struck-off recently for shop-lifting a pair of sunglasses. Quite rightly, in my view. A solicitor is an officer of the court and as such they must be beyond reproach.

Hopefully she's grown out of it.

EDIT: this is the case I was thinking about.

She had been cautioned for the offence in question and this was sufficient for her to be struck-off the roll.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.le...g-sunglasses-in-compliance-questionnaire/amp/

Mixed feelings about this one. She had taken advice (presumably anonymously) about her situation, and answered questions from her employer truthfully, disclosing the caution when they asked their staff to disclose cautions as well as convictions. They reported her to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority who struck her off. I hate the smug, self righteous attitude of the SRA and their attitude that their **** doesn't smell, but when it comes to dishonesty the standard has to be absolute. Any lawyer can later become a judge and the public must have confidence that lawyers are at least honest. I still feel sorry for her, though.

 

[pompeyfan]

These unsavoury individuals? http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/four-men-court-after-brawl-12224370

Sadly our legal system isn't very good at dealing with such undesirables, so I am not surprised if they've been able to cause problems to many law-abiding people.

I believe it's the next generation of their group. Certainly the ones causing issues are between 10 and 15.

 

[infobleep]

Well you knew this much...

...so, I'm rather confused!

The bit I did know doesn't make them a serial criminal. If it did, everyone who committed one thing that was wrong would be a serial criminal.

I didn't know that they had to have a key to make that announcement as I've never attempted to enter that booth myself or use the communication system. I've left it for the experts.

I assumed that the door must have been unlocked and they therefore were just able to walk up to the mic and make the announcement. Guards are human and can forget to lock doors.

 

[nanstallon]

I haven't read the entire thread, so apologies if this is repeating previously posted comments.

But, it does seem strange to me how (some) people's morals change depending on the scenario. If you read a lot of these posts about 'help - I've been caught by a ticket inspector', it seems people feel the railway have to make you pay, rather than 'you know you need to pay'. I was in a different Debenhams a few weeks back and I couldn't find the tills. I didn't walk out of shop and think "no one has caught me, that's okay then".

Not sure why this is? I do think the railways have to bear some of the blame with the open stations initiative in the 80's(?). And allowing people to buy tickets on board (accept that in some scenarios this is the way it work for unstaffed , no payment machine stations etc). When I see people buy tickets on, for example XC services, they've normally got on at staffed stations. I rarely heard (if fact I've never heard) a train manager say "you should have bought your ticket at the station".

Doesn't excuse people's morals though.

Why do the British need to have ticket gates at their stations, when they don't have them at many places on the Continent?

 

[Bromley boy]

Mixed feelings about this one. She had taken advice (presumably anonymously) about her situation, and answered questions from her employer truthfully, disclosing the caution when they asked their staff to disclose cautions as well as convictions. They reported her to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority who struck her off. I hate the smug, self righteous attitude of the SRA and their attitude that their **** doesn't smell, but when it comes to dishonesty the standard has to be absolute. Any lawyer can later become a judge and the public must have confidence that lawyers are at least honest. I still feel sorry for her, though.

Yes agreed. I feel sorry for her but on the other hand, as I remember from my time in the legal profession, the importance of honesty is drummed into you and she would have been fully aware of the consequences of this type of transgression.

It's ironic that if she'd lied on the compliance form and not disclosed the caution she would probably still be practicing.

 

[yorkie]

In London I use my contactless credit card, but of course I do tap in as a reasonably decent although by no means perfect citizen. I wouldn't not do so anyway, because if an RPI checks tickets he/ she presumably would on being offered the card put it into a card reader which would show whether or not it had been tapped.

No, the reader will not show that. If you have not tapped in, you'll get a maximum charge at the end of the day and of it happens too often the card will be blacklisted.

 

[Busaholic]

If you've got sufficient nerve, are amoral to a fault and prepared to lie through your teeth if challenged then you've got the ability to either be a serial faredodger or, with the right antecedents, the President of the USA.

 

[nanstallon]

Yes agreed. I feel sorry for her but on the other hand, as I remember from my time in the legal profession, the importance of honesty is drummed into you and she would have been fully aware of the consequences of this type of transgression.

It's ironic that if she'd lied on the compliance form and not disclosed the caution she would probably still be practicing.

Yes, it is that irony which makes me feel sorry for her. I agree that honesty must be paramount if you are a lawyer of any kind.