Piccadilly Circus London - Freedom Pass Confiscated

[CoconutKinder]

Hi guys,

Recently stumbled upon this forum and read a few threads about similar events to mine but just wondering would you be able to shed some light on this matter.

I have recently received in the post a letter requesting for my events regarding the use of my mother's freedom pass and whether I deny or accept committing an offence. The pass was detained at Piccadilly Circus where the officer took my details and informed me that I would be receiving a letter in the next coming days. I asked the officer to let me tap in on my contactless card so I can continue on with my journey.

Background is that I have used the freedom pass on quite a few occasions (not sure how many) over the course of 3 months to travel to and back from work and some leisure trips around London. Careless and stupid and I regret doing this but it has happened. Definitely a stern wake up call that no one should be doing this.

I of course will not be doing this no longer and swore to my self to just be respectful of our country's transportation as it's actually very good and helpful.

And now I am wondering what the best course of response is. I have 10 days for a response. I have contacted a few solicitors already and all have given me general advice without a paid consultation. I would love this to be settled outside of court but from what I am reading, TFL usually, if not ever, settles it this way. I in no way want a criminal record and will pay suitable fees which will reimburse the parties that are involved as I know it is all my doing causing this.


Any help would be greatly appreciated and if you do need any additional information I would be happy to supply if it helps.

 

[akm]

Are you the same person as https://railforums.co.uk/threads/freedom-pass-confiscated-by-piccadilly-circus-tfl-officers.229158/ ??

 

[Fawkes Cat]

As you say, our understanding is that TfL rarely settle cases like this out of court. It can't hurt to ask if they will, but don't get your hopes up. Instead, you need to think about what will happen if you are convicted - and what won't.

- you will have to pay a fine, plus court costs, plus TfL's prosecution costs, plus the fares that you should have paid. This will add up to some hundreds of pounds.
- you will not go to prison: that simply doesn't happen for not paying your underground fare
- you may have what is normally called a 'criminal record'. That means that if someone who reasonably has a right to know (an employer or someone like that) asks you you will need to tell them about the conviction. This could be a problem in that on the basis of what you have told us, you used your mother's pass several times so it's hard to argue that this was a one-off mistake. But from what we see, trying to hide this from an employer may be seen as an even worse mistake (on the one hand, you were ripping off TfL which an employer may not care about: but on the other hand by concealing the conviction form an employer you will be ripping them off, which they will object to it).

So being convicted isn't good news - but it's not the end of the world. I don't think that you will have any choice about the matter, so you will have to find a way to live with having been convicted for fare-dodging.

 

[Tubeboy]

Certainly seems to be the same person in the other thread. Their story is full of inconsistencies.

 

[Bertone]

Are you the same person as https://railforums.co.uk/threads/freedom-pass-confiscated-by-piccadilly-circus-tfl-officers.229158/ ??

Looking at the previous thread postings (up to 90!), it does appear to be the same OP.
Many guys gave valid and considered advice before the OP admitted to being a serial offender so I can’t see the point of opening any further discussions.
Sorry to be so blunt.

 

[CoconutKinder]

Are you the same person as https://railforums.co.uk/threads/freedom-pass-confiscated-by-piccadilly-circus-tfl-officers.229158/ ??

I am not the same person but I have read that thread previously. Just so happens that its a similar case.

Pretty sure Piccadilly Circus is a hot spot for these situation.

 

[superkopite]

Many guys gave valid and considered advice before the OP admitted to being a serial offender so I can’t see the point of opening any further discussions.

I am not sure the OP on the other thread did ever admit to this, did they? Maybe this thread is the coming clean thread??

Either way, once you admit to being a serial offender, as the OP has done here, the username Justice4ME seems to be taking the proverbial

 

[jumble]

Hi guys,

Recently stumbled upon this forum and read a few threads about similar events to mine but just wondering would you be able to shed some light on this matter.

I have recently received in the post a letter requesting for my events regarding the use of my mother's freedom pass and whether I deny or accept committing an offence. The pass was detained at Piccadilly Circus where the officer took my details and informed me that I would be receiving a letter in the next coming days. I asked the officer to let me tap in on my contactless card so I can continue on with my journey.

Background is that I have used the freedom pass on quite a few occasions (not sure how many) over the course of 3 months to travel to and back from work and some leisure trips around London. Careless and stupid and I regret doing this but it has happened. Definitely a stern wake up call that no one should be doing this.

I of course will not be doing this no longer and swore to my self to just be respectful of our countries transportation as it's actually very good and helpful.

And now I am wondering what the best course of response is. I have 10 days for a response. I have contacted a few solicitors already and all have given me general advice without a paid consultation. I would love this to be settled outside of court but from what I am reading, TFL usually, if not ever, settles it this way. I in no way want a criminal record and will pay suitable fees which will reimburse the parties that are involved as I know it is all my doing causing this.


Any help would be greatly appreciated and if you do need any additional information I would be happy to supply if it helps.

If you want to see the usage from the last 8 weeks you can go to a tube station and view the journey history.

 

[CoconutKinder]

As you say, our understanding is that TfL rarely settle cases like this out of court. It can't hurt to ask if they will, but don't get your hopes up. Instead, you need to think about what will happen if you are convicted - and what won't.

- you will have to pay a fine, plus court costs, plus TfL's prosecution costs, plus the fares that you should have paid. This will add up to some hundreds of pounds.
- you will not go to prison: that simply doesn't happen for not paying your underground fare
- you may have what is normally called a 'criminal record'. That means that if someone who reasonably has a right to know (an employer or someone like that) asks you you will need to tell them about the conviction. This could be a problem in that on the basis of what you have told us, you used your mother's pass several times so it's hard to argue that this was a one-off mistake. But from what we see, trying to hide this from an employer may be seen as an even worse mistake (on the one hand, you were ripping off TfL which an employer may not care about: but on the other hand by concealing the conviction form an employer you will be ripping them off, which they will object to it).

So being convicted isn't good news - but it's not the end of the world. I don't think that you will have any choice about the matter, so you will have to find a way to live with having been convicted for fare-dodging.

Thanks for this response and general advice.

I do understand that there will be fees involved and I would love to settle this with just TFL instead of a court hearing as I want to avoid any sort of criminal record on my profile.

Is there any advice on what to include on my letter of events? I read this can go in either of two directions: Bylaw or Railway Act. One seems a lot more damaging than the other. I have no previous offences, this one being the first and last. I want to include that I am ashamed of that happened and that I would compensate for time spend on this case, any administration cost and any reimbursement that is necessary to get this quickly resolved without any record.

If my employer does ask, I will not hesitate and inform them about this situation. I have been employed for the last 7 years with no incident of bad character and I hope they can look at that. I do come from a field that does deal with money handling which I hope I am not penalised for as I have no intention to ever wrongly handle it.

I am not sure the OP on the other thread did ever admit to this, did they? Maybe this thread is the coming clean thread??

Either way, once you admit to being a serial offender, as the OP has done here, the username Justice4ME seems to be taking the proverbial

I can see that this is a very similar scenario but I am not the OP of the other thread.

I made this username very quickly. Ironic and really silly. Is there any way I can change this to something less "silly"? I read that I can message an admin in order to get this changed.

If you want to see the usage from the last 8 weeks you can go to a tube station and view the journey history.

Appreciate this information. I did not know about this but I'm sure that TFL would be able to check the quantity. All I know it's been quite a few times over the course of last months.

Would it be wise to enlist the help of a solicitor at this stage? Having talks with a few of them and some with free consultation has led me to believe that when the court hearing happens, it is probably the best time to get them to assist with the service. And that the letter to draft right now is one I can do myself to explain, al be it, confess on my stupid acts and how I could get it resolved outside of attending court.

I do appreciate all replies. I do know that there is a similar thread out there as I've read through all 90 comments of that one but just want to say that this is just a coincidence and that I would like good advice on how I can proceed.

 

[MikeWh]

Can an administrator close this?

As it appears to be a different case then the answer is no.

In future, please use the report button to alert the team to issues. We are far more likely to see this quicker that way.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Thanks for this response and general advice.

I do understand that there will be fees involved and I would love to settle this with just TFL instead of a court hearing as I want to avoid any sort of criminal record on my profile.

Is there any advice on what to include on my letter of events? I read this can go in either of two directions: Bylaw or Railway Act. One seems a lot more damaging than the other. I have no previous offences, this one being the first and last. I want to include that I am ashamed of that happened and that I would compensate for time spend on this case, any administration cost and any reimbursement that is necessary to get this quickly resolved without any record.

If my employer does ask, I will not hesitate and inform them about this situation. I have been employed for the last 7 years with no incident of bad character and I hope they can look at that. I do come from a field that does deal with money handling which I hope I am not penalised for as I have no intention to ever wrongly handle it.

I need to emphasise again that TfL do not normally settle out of court, although you've nothing to lose by trying. ut the points you're thinking of making are good ones: I think that advice was given to the person in the other 'Piccaddilly Circus thread' and you could do worse than follow that advice.

Can I just pick up on one particular point that you made: you say

I have no previous offences, this one being the first and last.

But in your original post you have told us

Background is that I have used the freedom pass on quite a few occasions (not sure how many) over the course of 3 months to travel to and back from work and some leisure trips around London.

I think that you need to understand that from TfL's point of view, an 'offence' is when you travel without the right ticket, not when you travel without the right ticket and get caught. So I don't think that it would be wise to tell them in your letter that this is your first offence and so ask for sympathy. If nothing else, remember that TfL makes a lot of use of CCTV: they may well know that you have done this on other occasions, even if they haven't told you this yet.

 

[Haywain]

If my employer does ask, I will not hesitate and inform them about this situation.

Others may suggest otherwise, but I would feel that telling them up front (if/when you are convicted) would be more appropriate.

Would it be wise to enlist the help of a solicitor at this stage?

A solicitor is unlikely to prevent you being convicted and is likely to vastly increase your costs.

 

[CoconutKinder]

I need to emphasise again that TfL do not normally settle out of court, although you've nothing to lose by trying. ut the points you're thinking of making are good ones: I think that advice was given to the person in the other 'Piccaddilly Circus thread' and you could do worse than follow that advice.

Can I just pick up on one particular point that you made: you say



But in your original post you have told us



I think that you need to understand that from TfL's point of view, an 'offence' is when you travel without the right ticket, not when you travel without the right ticket and get caught. So I don't think that it would be wise to tell them in your letter that this is your first offence and so ask for sympathy. If nothing else, remember that TfL makes a lot of use of CCTV: they may well know that you have done this on other occasions, even if they haven't told you this yet.

Gotcha, thanks for the information. I will amend my statement as I thought an offense would just be for that incident which relates to misuse.

I do know that TFL has many ways to monitor your travel and I have no intention in telling a fib. I just don't have recollection of how many use the card has on it so I can't mention it on the letter but I'm sure they can pull up the history and let me know.

I will try contact TFL about this as would love to get this resolved swiftly but from similar reads, this process could go on for around 6 months? Would it be wise to start calling TFL right now to begin talks or submit letter first writing down intentions and remorse for my actions? If I could cry into the letter probably would be a puddle there.

Others may suggest otherwise, but I would feel that telling them up front (if/when you are convicted) would be more appropriate.

A solicitor is unlikely to prevent you being convicted and is likely to vastly increase your costs.

If this does end up going down the route of a court hearing then they will need to be informed as I will need to take time off to attend (unless it miraculously lands on a day I am not in). Really hoping that it can be resolved before this stage and so I want to start as early as possible.

Appreciate the advice about the solicitor. I've heard similar things from some close lawyers friends + forums post. However the testimonies on their websites look promising to say the least if they are accurate and true.

 

[AlterEgo]

I have recently received in the post a letter requesting for my events regarding the use of my mother's freedom pass and whether I deny or accept committing an offence. The pass was detained at Piccadilly Circus where the officer took my details and informed me that I would be receiving a letter in the next coming days. I asked the officer to let me tap in on my contactless card so I can continue on with my journey.

Sounds like Piccadilly Circus caught someone else in similar circumstances. It is worth reading that thread which contains all the advice you will need as your circumstances are virtually identical.

I in no way want a criminal record and will pay suitable fees which will reimburse the parties that are involved as I know it is all my doing causing this.

I am afraid TfL will almost certainly prosecute you for the egregious fare evasion you've committed. However, if they prosecute you under the Railway Bylaws (as they often do), these offences are not recorded on the Police National Computer. You'll still have what most people consider to be a "criminal record", that is "you went to court and were convicted of a crime" but the non-recordable nature does assist you in moving forward afterwards in nearly all lines of work.

Others may suggest otherwise, but I would feel that telling them up front (if/when you are convicted) would be more appropriate.

A solicitor is unlikely to prevent you being convicted and is likely to vastly increase your costs.

Agreed.

@Justice4Me (what a username!) Prepare for TfL to prosecute you. We rarely - if ever - see TfL settling out of court here, and certainly not for aggravated offences like stealing your mum's freedom pass and using it repeatedly to bunk fares until you're caught. You'll have to pay back whatever fares you are judged to have dodged (if they prosecute you for only one offence under the Bylaws, this figure may be very low, perhaps just a single fare!), and you'll be fined according to your income, and have to pay TfL's costs. You will not need to attend court if you plead guilty.

I personally recommend saying as little as possible to them as it will have almost no bearing on the outcome in court. Do not admit to, or wantonly tell them about, any other offences they have not confronted you with.

 

[CoconutKinder]

Sounds like Piccadilly Circus caught someone else in similar circumstances. It is worth reading that thread which contains all the advice you will need as your circumstances are virtually identical.


I am afraid TfL will almost certainly prosecute you for the egregious fare evasion you've committed. However, if they prosecute you under the Railway Bylaws (as they often do), these offences are not recorded on the Police National Computer. You'll still have what most people consider to be a "criminal record", that is "you went to court and were convicted of a crime" but the non-recordable nature does assist you in moving forward afterwards in nearly all lines of work.


Agreed.

@Justice4Me (what a username!) Prepare for TfL to prosecute you. We rarely - if ever - see TfL settling out of court here, and certainly not for aggravated offences like stealing your mum's freedom pass and using it repeatedly to bunk fares until you're caught. You'll have to pay back whatever fares you are judged to have dodged (if they prosecute you for only one offence under the Bylaws, this figure may be very low, perhaps just a single fare!), and you'll be fined according to your income, and have to pay TfL's costs. You will not need to attend court if you plead guilty.

I personally recommend saying as little as possible to them as it will have almost no bearing on the outcome in court. Do not admit to, or wantonly tell them about, any other offences they have not confronted you with.

Appreciate the response @AlterEgo

I have read your advice given on similar posts to mind and your advice has been strongly considered.

What I have currently is this draft letter which I will be sending off:

To Whom It May Concern,

I want to start off by apologising for my actions in this case. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty and I feel shameful for my moment of very poor judgement. As the only earner of my household, looking after my mother who has health conditions making her unable to work and is on universal credit, she is reliant on me for bills, food and household support. If this matter were to escalate further into court, it would compromise my work as I need to keep a clean record and therefore be devastating to my family as I am the sole provider for income.

I am extremely sorry for what the officer explained to me was not a valid proof of travel as I was using my mother’s Freedom Card. I was very compliant and answers all the officer’s questions. I then asked if the officer can let me out so I can tap in with my contactless payment card.

I wish to stretch my apologies to members of staff concerned and to TFL, I am just so sorry for the inconvenience caused to all involved. I have never been in trouble with the law in the past and I am very sorry for the situation which was caused by my actions. These actions has led me to develop anxiety and have a hard time sleeping as my poor decision caused this mishap.

I am happy to make immediate payment of the all-reasonable costs + any admin cost which may have occurred that my actions have caused and avoid a criminal record thereby allowing me to continue to my work and provide for my family.

I sincerely hope that you will accept my offer. I have now read the terms and conditions and now fully understand the conditions of the Freedom Pass. There will never be another incident involving myself with TFL.

I would appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show compassion on this matter.

Yours Faithfully,


Also would I be able to get my username changed by an admin @MikeWh? I am not sure how to request it but I would appreciate it as I don't want my username to have any judgement on anything whether its irony or funny.

 

[transportphoto]

It’s important to consider the choice of offences for TfL to consider prosecuting you for. These range from non-recordable bylaw offences, through to the Regulation of Railways Act and offences under the Fraud Act 2006 (E.g. fraud by false representation).

Remember that anything you tell TfL can be used against you in evidence - the caution “you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you fail to mention when questioned something which you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” is very relevant here.

Also would I be able to get my username changed by an admin @MikeWh? I am not sure how to request it but I would appreciate it as I don't want my username to have any judgement on anything whether its irony or funny.

You’d need to contact the staff team directly, detailed here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/staff-members-and-contact-details.16232/

 

[Hadders]

TfL don’t do out of court settlements. They very best you can hope for is a warning from them but realistically I think that is unlikely given this incident isn’t a one-off.

 

[AlterEgo]

A few changes:

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your letter of [DATE].

I want to start off by apologising for my actions in this case. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty and I feel shameful for my moment of very poor judgement.
(Don't say this. You repeatedly misused the card and bunked fares many times, and even if TfL don't investigate each instance the card was tapped they know that people caught with a relative's Freedom Pass probably haven't been caught on their very first outing!)

As the only earner of my household, looking after my mother who has health conditions making her unable to work and is on universal credit, she is reliant on me for bills, food and household support. If this matter were to escalate further into court, it would compromise my work as I need to keep a clean record and therefore be devastating to my family as I am the sole provider for income.

I am extremely sorry for what the officer explained to me was not a valid proof of travel as I was (do not try to imply you were unaware using your mum's free travel pass to avoid paying was a fact that had to be explained to you!) using my mother’s Freedom Card Pass. I was very compliant and answered all the officer’s questions. I then asked if the officer can let me out so I could tap in with my contactless payment card to make payment for my journey.

I wish to stretch my apologies to members of staff concerned and to TFL, I am just so sorry for the inconvenience caused to all involved. I have never been in trouble with the law in the past and I am very sorry for the situation which was caused by my actions. These actions has led me to develop anxiety and have a hard time sleeping as my poor decision caused this mishap. (recommend you take this out, everyone says this, and whether it is true or not they are not going to care and frankly being prosecuted should make you anxious.)

I am happy to make immediate payment of the all-reasonable costs + any admin cost which may have occurred that my actions have caused and avoid a criminal record thereby allowing me to continue to my work and provide for my family. (OK fine, but note that very, very few occupations are affected by a non-recordable Bylaw conviction, which they know - so this last part of the sentence is likely superfluous)

I sincerely hope that you will accept my offer. I have now read the terms and conditions and now fully understand the conditions of the Freedom Pass. There will never be another incident involving myself with TFL. (again, don't imply you need to read the TnCs to realise you can't use your mum's free travel pass to bunk fares...)

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter, and hope you will consider avoiding the mutual inconvenience and hassle of court to settle this matter privately.

I would appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show compassion on this matter.

Yours Faithfully,




I think it is important to stress TfL will, almost certainly, prosecute you, as they do with hundreds of people every week. TfL has a political imperative to show it is tackling fare evasion hard, due to crashing revenues during the pandemic and heavy bailouts by the taxpayer. They almost always plump for a Bylaw conviction (strict liability, no intent need be proven) even where there is evidence of intent and aggravating factors like a stolen pass, because that is easier to process with less admin and they still get a conviction which they can use in their PR. TfL prosecute between 20,000 and 30,000 people a year for fare evasion, so they deal with maybe 400-500 cases like yours a week.

I am not a lawyer, but I recommend people who have committed offences and who fall foul of TfL avoid cooperating with an investigation if they're guilty, and simply let them prosecute under the Bylaws, and plead guilty when summonsed. Note that avoiding cooperating and using your right not to reply to an allegation is not obstructing them and is your absolute right. This minimises the likelihood of the detection of other offences. Nonetheless, as you are sure, having read the other thread, you would like to try and see if they will settle, you should ensure the letter is truthful and honest and, importantly, realistic!

 

[skyhigh]

I would hope that this forum supported those that made an error or have had a PF issued when it shouldn’t have been.
I’m not sure if you are enthusiasts of rail and public transport or supporters of advising dishonest people

From the pinned thread in this section:

Regardless of whether the person in question admits their guilt, or believes that they are completely innocent, everyone who seeks help is entitled to receive advice.

If you don't like that, don't read this section. Simple as that.

 

[Cowley]

From the pinned thread in this section:

If you don't like that, don't read this section. Simple as that.

Exactly this.
People make mistakes, so please don’t dig them out or this section will become one that won’t be contributed to.

It’s here to provide a useful, honest and informative resource. So let’s please keep it that way.
Thanks

 

[CoconutKinder]

A few changes:

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your letter of [DATE].

I want to start off by apologising for my actions in this case. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty and I feel shameful for my moment of very poor judgement.
(Don't say this. You repeatedly misused the card and bunked fares many times, and even if TfL don't investigate each instance the card was tapped they know that people caught with a relative's Freedom Pass probably haven't been caught on their very first outing!)

As the only earner of my household, looking after my mother who has health conditions making her unable to work and is on universal credit, she is reliant on me for bills, food and household support. If this matter were to escalate further into court, it would compromise my work as I need to keep a clean record and therefore be devastating to my family as I am the sole provider for income.

I am extremely sorry for what the officer explained to me was not a valid proof of travel as I was (do not try to imply you were unaware using your mum's free travel pass to avoid paying was a fact that had to be explained to you!) using my mother’s Freedom Card Pass. I was very compliant and answered all the officer’s questions. I then asked if the officer can let me out so I could tap in with my contactless payment card to make payment for my journey.

I wish to stretch my apologies to members of staff concerned and to TFL, I am just so sorry for the inconvenience caused to all involved. I have never been in trouble with the law in the past and I am very sorry for the situation which was caused by my actions. These actions has led me to develop anxiety and have a hard time sleeping as my poor decision caused this mishap. (recommend you take this out, everyone says this, and whether it is true or not they are not going to care and frankly being prosecuted should make you anxious.)

I am happy to make immediate payment of the all-reasonable costs + any admin cost which may have occurred that my actions have caused and avoid a criminal record thereby allowing me to continue to my work and provide for my family. (OK fine, but note that very, very few occupations are affected by a non-recordable Bylaw conviction, which they know - so this last part of the sentence is likely superfluous)

I sincerely hope that you will accept my offer. I have now read the terms and conditions and now fully understand the conditions of the Freedom Pass. There will never be another incident involving myself with TFL. (again, don't imply you need to read the TnCs to realise you can't use your mum's free travel pass to bunk fares...)

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter, and hope you will consider avoiding the mutual inconvenience and hassle of court to settle this matter privately.

I would appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show compassion on this matter.

Yours Faithfully,




I think it is important to stress TfL will, almost certainly, prosecute you, as they do with hundreds of people every week. TfL has a political imperative to show it is tackling fare evasion hard, due to crashing revenues during the pandemic and heavy bailouts by the taxpayer. They almost always plump for a Bylaw conviction (strict liability, no intent need be proven) even where there is evidence of intent and aggravating factors like a stolen pass, because that is easier to process with less admin and they still get a conviction which they can use in their PR. TfL prosecute between 20,000 and 30,000 people a year for fare evasion, so they deal with maybe 400-500 cases like yours a week.

I am not a lawyer, but I recommend people who have committed offences and who fall foul of TfL avoid cooperating with an investigation if they're guilty, and simply let them prosecute under the Bylaws, and plead guilty when summonsed. Note that avoiding cooperating and using your right not to reply to an allegation is not obstructing them and is your absolute right. This minimises the likelihood of the detection of other offences. Nonetheless, as you are sure, having read the other thread, you would like to try and see if they will settle, you should ensure the letter is truthful and honest and, importantly, realistic!

Thanks for looking into the letter for me. Really appreciate the amendments and changes that was written. Will definitely look into getting them included in when I do draft up the letter.

Small question: do I have 10 days to submit a response on date recieved or when the letter was sent to me?

TfL don’t do out of court settlements. They very best you can hope for is a warning from them but realistically I think that is unlikely given this incident isn’t a one-off.

I see. As many members have state there is no harm in trying. That ideally would be the best scenario but I am holding my breath.

Just want to repent and acknowledge that this is awful action and I know that this will never happen again. Willing to make a mend with what is deemed reasonable.

 

[WesternLancer]

Small question: do I have 10 days to submit a response on date recieved or when the letter was sent to me?

Not sure but I would err on date letter sent to you to be safe if you can achieve that timescale - after all unless they sent it recorded post they have no idea when you get it/received it but would not want to entertain arguments like "well it took 20 days for the letter to get to me", which they would see as time wasting.

 

[CoconutKinder]

Not sure but I would err on date letter sent to you to be safe if you can achieve that timescale - after all unless they sent it recorded post they have no idea when you get it/received it but would not want to entertain arguments like "well it took 20 days for the letter to get to me", which they would see as time wasting.

That makes total sense. Thank you.

There is absolutely no downside in sending a letter similar to the one drafted (with amendments from other users) in order to attempt an OOC settlement is there?

I of course am extremely sorry about this situation and I appreciate all advice the forums members have provided me in order to get the best case possible for me.

 

[WesternLancer]

That makes total sense. Thank you.

There is absolutely no downside in sending a letter similar to the one drafted (with amendments from other users) in order to attempt an OOC settlement is there?

I of course am extremely sorry about this situation and I appreciate all advice the forums members have provided me in order to get the best case possible for me.

I can see no downside since there is no harm in asking, just that TfL do not have a good record of agreeing, but my view would be to at least ask.

 

[CoconutKinder]

Appreciate the responses forum. Apologies it took long to come back as there was a lot going on.

I have now redrafted the letter with suggestions mentioned above.

Unfortunately, in light of this situation, I have been suffering from anxiety, stress, weight loss and insomnia now which has led me to contact my GP for emergency appointments and now are monitoring my health over the next few days/weeks. I've been prescribed some sleeping medication to ease my insomnia. I do have letters from my GP regarding my health. Would that be important to disclose in this letter?

As for the letter:

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your letter on XX XXXXX XXXX

I want to start off by sincerely apologising for my actions in this case and am extremely regretful of this situation.

As the only earner of my household, looking after my mother who has health conditions making her unable to work and is on universal credit, she is reliant on me for bills, food and household support. If this matter were to escalate further into court, it would compromise my employment as it is requiring a high level of integrity and a conviction for the criminal offence is likely to affect that future. This will be devastating to my family as I am the sole provider for income.

I am extremely sorry for using my mother’s Freedom Pass. I was very compliant and answered all the officer’s questions. I then asked if the officer can let me out so I could tap in with my contactless payment card to make payment for my journey. I have since used my contactless payment card for any subsequent journeys on Transport for London.

I wish to stretch my apologies to members of staff concerned and to TFL - I am just so sorry for the inconvenience caused to all involved. I have never been in trouble with the law in the past and will ensure that I won’t be in the future by producing a valid ticket. I am very sorry for this situation which was caused by my actions.

I am happy to make immediate payment of all-reasonable costs, outstanding fares & any admin costs, which, due to my actions, have caused, and avoid a criminal record thereby allowing me to continue to my work and provide for my family.

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter, and hope you will consider avoiding the mutual inconvenience and hassle of court to settle this matter privately.

Yours Faithfully,

If you can give it a read and let me know if there are any changes/suggestions which can be made, would greatly appreciate it.

 

[WesternLancer]

Sorry to hear this is affecting your health. Ref the draft - Just a though but I doubt court is much hassle to them so maybe amend last bit from this

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter, and hope you will consider avoiding the mutual inconvenience and hassle of court to settle this matter privately.

to, for example

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter, but hope you will be able to sympathetically consider my request to settle this matter privately without the necessity of court action.

 

[skyhigh]

Unfortunately, in light of this situation, I have been suffering from anxiety, stress, weight loss and insomnia now which has led me to contact my GP for emergency appointments and now are monitoring my health over the next few days/weeks. I've been prescribed some sleeping medication to ease my insomnia. I do have letters from my GP regarding my health. Would that be important to disclose in this letter?

Being brutally honest, they won't care - they will hear this hundreds of times a week. Having received a letter saying you've committed a criminal offence should make you anxious, to some extent. Nothing to stop you mentioning it though.

 

[diem9870]

Hey,

I'm in the exact same boat as you. Sent off my letter today.

 

[AlterEgo]

Looks like the revenue staff at Piccadilly Circus had a field day!

 

[danielcanning]

Looks like the revenue staff at Piccadilly Circus had a field day!

I’ve had my Freedom Pass checked more in the past few weeks than I have done in the past 10 years, TFL are really ramping up enforcement.