Lack of Ticket Checking

[Starmill]

The more I actually think about all the journeys I make, the fares research I do for them, the hoops I try to jump through to get the tickets I want and sometimes the flak I have to put up with from staff for doing so, they aren't actually checked all that often. I don't want to get into why this might be on an individual basis, because I know that really isn't fair, so I am going to try to demonstrate this empirically over a slightly longer period of time and see if I really do have a point, in the interest of fairness.

So, journeys made today. Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly mid afternoon: barrier at Leeds. No check reached me between Leeds and Huddersfield, and I did not see the guard coming. An RPI boarded at Huddersfield asking for Huddersfield and Dewsbury tickets only but stopped and wanted to see my ticket specifically despite the fact I boarded at Leeds. Manchester Piccadilly to Mauldeth Road - the guard checked almost all of the rear coach - further than usual and included me. Early evening Mauldeth Road to Manchester Piccadilly, guard did not check tickets. Manchester Picc - Buckshaw Parkway, grossly overcrowded BPN service full of Soctland passengers, the guard managed to check and upgrade First Class passengers, but nobody else. Buckshaw Parkway - Stalybridge. Crew change at Manchester Vic, no ticket checking throughout. Now into the late evening, Stalybridge to Manchester Picc, guard did not check tickets. Manchester Picc to Mauldeth Road, no check took place.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Today:


Port Sunlight-Chester: No check (even had to ask for a tricky excess to do this journey)
Chester-Shrewsbury: Brief glance at orange card-shaped object in my hand
Shrewsbury-Flint (WAG EX First class): No ticket check at all, got meal service and was dressed in tracksuit, easily could have been a chavvy scrote freeloading the FC service!
Flint-Chester: No check
Chester-Hooton: No check
Hooton-Little Sutton: No check

Was a little ****ed that I shelled out for this trip and was checked once!

 

[jon0844]

FCC had no ticket checks on either train I travelled first class on last weekend, and on the return journey plenty of people upgraded themselves (I know they did, as all of them kept going on about it!).

But as we paid just £5 each, and I knew that if they did meet any RPIs they may well have found themselves paying a LOT (they'd come from Brighton and alighted at St Pancras) I wasn't too annoyed.

I certainly never get upset on the basis that if I knew there would be no checks that I could have avoided paying for a ticket, but it does still annoy me that others so often get away without paying. I don't expect a huge fare cut if everyone did pay their way, but it would still be money that could be spent on something positive. I don't believe it would just be diverted straight to a shareholder, although would that be such a bad thing anyway if your pension policy has shares in the company?

 

[FQ]

A trip I did a while back (but not to long ago)

Leamington Spa-Birmingham Moor Street (CR): No check
Birmingham Moor Street-Smethwick Galton Bridge (LM): No check in a 2 carriage train.
Smethwick Galton Bridge-Wolverhampton (ATW): No check
Wolverhampton-Stafford (LM): Check
Stafford-Tamworth (LM): Random glance
Tamworth-Rugby (LM): No Check

 

[Clip]

Was a little ****ed that I shelled out for this trip and was checked once!

As long as you bought your ticket then thats all you have to do. You would get weally weally mad if you lived in DOO land.

Though I did manage to get all the way from Paddington to Bristol last week without it being checked on the train

 

[CC 72100]

As long as you bought your ticket then thats all you have to do. You would get weally weally mad if you lived in DOO land.

To be honest, non-barriered stations in DOO land must be the perfect recipe for fare evasion. I've seen it in the Parisian suburbs, it's a 'battle' which is well and truly lost.

 

[PhilipRhayader]

Though I did manage to get all the way from Paddington to Bristol last week without it being checked on the train

All the way from Plymouth to north of Sheffield, may have been just north of Leeds, before checking last week. Left from Redruth and changed at Plymouth - found train was cut from at least seven carriages to four so pretty full. Change of crew at Birmingham and it was announced there would be a full ticket check but train was absolutely heaving through to Sheffield so very difficult for anyone to move!

So a good 300 miles with no check.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

As long as you bought your ticket then thats all you have to do. You would get weally weally mad if you lived in DOO land.

Though I did manage to get all the way from Paddington to Bristol last week without it being checked on the train

I'm more bothered the fact that there are people who aren't paying for train fares and they are given chance to when nobody bothers checking.

At the rate of Merseyrail checks, I suppose it could come under DOO! And no I don't get weally mad either so you can tick that one off your list. :roll:

 

[Kite159]

On my Essex bash, I was checked twice on Greater Anglia services (Coming out of Colchester Town towards Colchester 'Main' and also on the 153 service out of Sudbury towards Marks Tey.

I had no ticket-checks on my little merseyrail trip a couple weeks ago, a shame as I bet they might have got confused with my Reading issues Saveaway.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Merseyrail couldn't give a toss where it was issued from. :P

 

[Tracky]

You don't buy the ticket for it to be checked. You buy the ticket to be an honest decent member of society.

 

[Kite159]

You don't buy the ticket for it to be checked. You buy the ticket to be an honest decent member of society.

Indeed

More TOCs should have penalty fare schemes so if you fail to purchase a ticket when ticket buying facilities were available you have to pay a penalty fare. Stop passengers hoping to push their luck when travelling between 2 ungated stations to get a free journey if the guard doesn't reach them.

 

[table38]

Oddly tonight on a Northern service from Manchester Piccadilly, a guy sat near me with no ticket was sold a Cheap Evening Return!

So if the worst that can happen to you is to have to buy the ticket you would have had to buy anyway, what's the point in buying a ticket!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Had my ticket checked three times in twenty minutes yesterday. I won't say where to protect the guard's ID but each time they came through they insisted on seeing everyone's ticket, every though they checked people as they boarded Still, no harm at all. Been around the East Midlands today and have to say the ticket checking from EMT's guards is excellent, on seven of eight services I used of them, I was checked within two minutes of sitting down. Top marks all round!

 

[Starmill]

I get very annoyed at the number of people who obviously do not have tickets on my line, and almost more so when people are not given an opportunity to buy one because the guards do not like leaving the cab after dark around here.

I went to Dove Holes today. No ticket check on the train from Mauldeth Road to Piccadilly and my ticket wasn't checked going to Buxton, but I was at the front of a 4 car train and there wouldn't have been any room between Manchester and Hazel Grove in any case. My ticket was checked going back to Stockport, and not on the Stockport - Manchester EMT service I used, but that is again not at all likely in this direction in my experience of those services. Going back to Mauldeth Road the guard did check tickets and only had to sell 2. But that still meant he couldn't get further than the first coach before Mauldeth Road.

The 323s are literally fare evaders heaven, there is just no way the guard can keep walking up and down them and keep to time with the doors. At least on Merseyrail although checks are infrequent there are consequences if caught. And more significatly, Alex - gates in Liverpool!

 

[Tracky]

I don't like penalty fare schemes, I don't feel they actually work.

Far too many people I suspect actually work on the basis of handing over a £20 penalty whenever they get caught on the basis that they will be caught far less often than they travel for free. Do people get prosecuted after the 20th penalty? I'm guessing not.

 

[Starmill]

Had my ticket checked three times in twenty minutes yesterday. I won't say where to protect the guard's ID but each time they came through they insisted on seeing everyone's ticket, every though they checked people as they boarded Still, no harm at all. Been around the East Midlands today and have to say the ticket checking from EMT's guards is excellent, on seven of eight services I used of them, I was checked within two minutes of sitting down. Top marks all round!

I get the distinct feeling that 'revenue culture' on local trains in EMTland is a lot stronger than it is on Northern.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Just to clear things up about what I said earlier in this thread, I am NOT a fare evader and ALWAYS pay my fare.

 

[Tracky]

Northern frequently operate trains when the guards cannot walk through, and on top of this still insist guards dispatch from the rear. Revenue is not considered.

 

[table38]

Northern frequently operate trains when the guards cannot walk through, and on top of this still insist guards dispatch from the rear. Revenue is not considered.

Maybe if Northern's average fare is only £2-something, it's a lot easier just to have an occasional RPI blitz and catch one guy and sting them for an £80 penalty fare, rather then check hundreds of pax just to sell another 40 tickets?

 

[Clip]

I'm more bothered the fact that there are people who aren't paying for train fares and they are given chance to when nobody bothers checking.

At the rate of Merseyrail checks, I suppose it could come under DOO! And no I don't get weally mad either so you can tick that one off your list. :roll:

nobody bothers or they were busy doing something else that you didnt see(dont answer, we have been on this topic too many times).

And I didnt say you get wealy mad, I said get weally weally mad. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Just to clear things up about what I said earlier in this thread, I am NOT a fare evader and ALWAYS pay my fare.

No one said you were but you are getting weally weally mad about it by using capitals.

 

[tsr]

I managed to do Mallaig-London Euston without a proper ticket check once. Including the Sleeper! No idea how. Though, to be fair, the guard on one of the trains recognised me as a ticket holder from previous journeys, and the Sleeper Host had already had a chat with someone local who dropped me off at the station. So I guess they put 2+2 together and correctly made 4.

EDIT: I also did Great Yarmouth-Lewisham earlier this year without a check. But I've done similar journeys with about 6 checks, including RPIs, TfL staff, the lot. So don't "try it on"...

On both journeys, I had correct tickets throughout.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

nobody bothers or they were busy doing something else that you didnt see(dont answer, we have been on this topic too many times).

And I didnt say you get wealy mad, I said get weally weally mad. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


No one said you were but you are getting weally weally mad about it by using capitals.

You're funny you are. Become a comedian.

 

[Clip]

Nah, the pay isnt that good plus you have to work nights.

If it makes you any happier though I did just get my ticket checked by one of me own staff bless him.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Why not do it in your free time or at your local at night*? I'd pay good money for that

*Or evening seeing as you don't do nights.

 

[Temple Meads]

Yesterday I travelled on plenty of FGW trains, and was checked on nearly every trip:

Exeter St Davids - Exmouth: Checked
Exmouth - Exeter St Davids: Checked
Exeter St Davids - Plymouth: Not checked (however I think the guard was checking, whilst I was in the toilet, and therefore he missed me)
Plymouth - Exeter St Thomas: Checked
Exeter St Thomas - Newton Abbot: Checked
Newton Abbot - Totnes: Not checked
Totnes - Exeter: Checked

I feel that shows a good level of dedication to revenue protection from FGW, and a good deal of those services were late evening as well..

 

[GatwickDepress]

Ore - Hastings: Not checked owing to train cancelled due to animals on the line and Mk 1 Rail Replacement Legs used instead.
Hastings - Hampden Park: Checked between St Leonards Warrior Square and Bexhill.
Hampden Park - Clapham Junction: Checked between Lewes and Plumpton
Clapham Junction - Milton Keynes Central: Checked between Imperial Wharf and West Brompton.

Can't fault Southern!

 

[higthomas]

Recently visited Preston.

On my way up;
Guildford-Waterloo, not checked but 2x ticket barriers
Euston-Manchester Piccadilly no checks, and no barriers/platform checks
Piccadilly-Preston no checks (although the train was rather full so excusable) and again no platform barrier checks.
So not one guard to be seen, an no barriers North of London

On the way back down it was a completly different story;
Preston-Bradford Interchange, check and barriers at Bradford (which like all the barriers on this journey though my ticket wasn't valid, but was let through by the attendant)
Bradford Interchange-Leeds, check
Leeds-Sheffield, check
Sheffield-St. Pancras, check and a rather crazy amount of announcements about needing an advanced ticket that was specifically valid on this service and needing to keep your ticket to open barriers, and just generally needing appropriate tickets.
Waterloo-Guildford, check

So all in all two completely contrasting situations.
Also I had thought I might have some grief using a Preston-Guildford ticket as I did, but as it was every guard was accepting, although as to barriers that was a different story.

 

[FQ]

Went to Doncaster yesterday.

Coventry-Birmingham New Street (VT 11 coach 390): No check, or platform check (as I didn't exit the station at New Street)
Birmingham New Street-Crewe (VT 9 coach 390): Check between Sandwell and Dudley and Wolverhampton
Crewe-Manchester Piccadilly (via Styal. ATW 3 car 175): Check between Crewe and Wilmslow
Manchester Piccadilly-Doncaster (TPE 3 car 185): Check between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport

And back.

Doncaster-Stockport (TPE 3 car 185): No Check
Stockport-Crewe (VT 11 car 390): No Check
Crewe-Coventry (VT 11 car 390): No Check

Pretty good on the way up but bad on the way back.

 

[bb21]

I notice that, for obvious reasons, staff tend to be less proactive in revenue duties in the evening and on late night trains.

EMT mainline services are notoriously bad at that imo. I don't think I was checked once after 2100 for the last few months. In contrast, during the day staff were far more active in that respect.

Same applies to XC, as I cannot remember the last time I was check on the 2052 or the 2222 off New Street. Sometimes there are manual barriers on the platform for the 2222 especially at weekends, but on weekdays I don't think I have ever seen that take place.