Ran Away From Inspector

[Rail12]

So I got on the train and when the tfl inspector scanned my ticket it showed recently purchased to which they wanted to take my details down.

I explained that I basically bought the wrong ticket, refunded it and bought the correct ticket and showed the cancellation but the tfl worker still wanted to take my details.

So on the next stop, I ran away and left the station.

My question is that if the same inspector(s) at the same station see me again, can they pull me up for the incident even if i'll be travelling with a ticket and no issues next time?
The station I ran from is my local station so I will be going to the same station regularly hence the chances of me running into them again is likely.

Please let me know

 

[RPI]

So I got on the train and when the tfl inspector scanned my ticket it showed recently purchased to which they wanted to take my details down.

I explained that I basically bought the wrong ticket, refunded it and bought the correct ticket and showed the cancellation but the tfl worker still wanted to take my details.

So on the next stop, I ran away and left the station.

My question is that if the same inspector(s) at the same station see me again, can they pull me up for the incident even if i'll be travelling with a ticket and no issues next time?
The station I ran from is my local station so I will be going to the same station regularly hence the chances of me running into them again is likely.

Please let me know

If your ticket was scanned then they can trace you through your account or through your bank card if using a guest account.

 

[Rail12]

If your ticket was scanned then they can trace you through your account or through your bank card if using a guest account.

Yes this is also what I was worried about, would that mean waiting on a letter if they do decide to go this route?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

So I got on the train and when the tfl inspector scanned my ticket it showed recently purchased to which they wanted to take my details down.

I explained that I basically bought the wrong ticket, refunded it and bought the correct ticket and showed the cancellation but the tfl worker still wanted to take my details.

So on the next stop, I ran away and left the station.

My question is that if the same inspector(s) at the same station see me again, can they pull me up for the incident even if i'll be travelling with a ticket and no issues next time?
The station I ran from is my local station so I will be going to the same station regularly hence the chances of me running into them again is likely.

Please let me know

As you've gone out of your way to draw yourself to the inspector's attention (not just not having a valid ticket but running away as well) they'll be keeping an eye out for you. As you can't change the past, the really important thing is to now make sure that you always have the right ticket before you get on to the train or go through a barrier.

 

[Rail12]

As you've gone out of your way to draw yourself to the inspector's attention (not just not having a valid ticket but running away as well) they'll be keeping an eye out for you. As you can't change the past, the really important thing is to now make sure that you always have the right ticket before you get on to the train or go through a barrier.

Yes that is my plan, my question is, when I do go through the barrier next time (with correct ticket) can they resurface the past incident and try get details out of me or will it most likely be disbanded

 

[Sultan]

I'm not sure how much they can trace from a scan but assuming the worst the machine will now have a record of the ticket. This could then be flagged for further investigation and traced to the reseller and account associated with the purchase. Then it would be down to the account details you have stored on the account. They could then look into your purchasing history and identify further instances where the time of purchase and subsequent use (at a ticket barrier) might lead them to believe the same possibly happened. Depending on what they find, they could then flag it for further investigation and attempt to contact you, should they have details from the account. If they don't have details, it will sit in their pending file, awaiting the next time they can identify the account as yours. Additionally, by running away, they may decide to review CCTV and identify you that way - if only for the next time.

Your best bet would be to ensure that you purchase a valid ticket for your entre journey before you board the train in future. You only need to be caught once for them to charge you a penalty fare or issue you with a travel irregularity report which you will be invited to respond to, and may contain any previous 'dubious' journeys.

And if you are approached in the coming days and they suggest you are the person seen running away at 'X' station from a ticket inspection, you might be advised to come clean with them rather than deny it - your choice - but denying something that could be proved will not go down well if you are seeking an out of court settlement.

Keep your head down, abide by the rules, and you might be ok this time.

Good luck

 

[AndroidBango]

Yes that is my plan, my question is, when I do go through the barrier next time (with correct ticket) can they resurface the past incident and try get details out of me or will it most likely be disbanded

Yes, they can.

 

[Mike395]

It's worth noting that TfL (if it was, indeed, a TfL inspector rather than one representing a railway company) take a *very* dim view of people running away from their inspectors whilst under investigation. You definitely want to keep a low profile and ensure you're buying the correct ticket, before boarding, every time from now on.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Yes that is my plan, my question is, when I do go through the barrier next time (with correct ticket) can they resurface the past incident and try get details out of me or will it most likely be disbanded

Change your email address, change your billing address, change the name that you use for tickets, change your method of payment, change your ticketing website (NB many share the same underpinning) and you may avoid a trace on future purchases.

 

[AndroidBango]

Change your email address, change your billing address, change the name that you use for tickets, change your method of payment, change your ticketing website (NB many share the same underpinning) and you may avoid a trace on future purchases.

Also wear a mask? I imagine the OP's face will be remembered by this particular member of staff.

 

[Krokodil]

As this is TfL, why weren't you using contactless? Doesn't that usually offer a cheaper fare?

 

[Puffing Devil]

As this is TfL, why weren't you using contactless? Doesn't that usually offer a cheaper fare?

If the OP is evading payment, I think they are on the lowest fare.

 

[fandroid]

We don't know enough detail here to decide what, if any, offence was committed (apart perhaps from not giving name and address to the inspector) Was the inspector really from TfL? It's a bit of a weird one too if the OP could board a train with a ticket, refund it, and buy another one. We can speculate around all this but unless the OP fills in the gaps, we're mostly left in the dark

 

[mangyiscute]

We don't know enough detail here to decide what, if any, offence was committed (apart perhaps from not giving name and address to the inspector) Was the inspector really from TfL? It's a bit of a weird one too if the OP could board a train with a ticket, refund it, and buy another one. We can speculate around all this but unless the OP fills in the gaps, we're mostly left in the dark

I guess what happened is op boarded the train with an incorrect ticket, but still one that would open the barriers at the origin station, and then realized this partway through the journey and bought the correct ticket. the inspector however, noticed that the ticket had been bought after op had left the origin station which is an offence since that would mean op didn't have a valid ticket when boarding the train.
Whether it was a genuine mistake or a case of trying to doughnut (or similar) and then seeing an inspector so buying a ticket just before the inspector reaches op, we don't know.

 

[fandroid]

I guess what happened is op boarded the train with an incorrect ticket, but still one that would open the barriers at the origin station, and then realized this partway through the journey and bought the correct ticket. the inspector however, noticed that the ticket had been bought after op had left the origin station which is an offence since that would mean op didn't have a valid ticket when boarding the train.

The bizarre thing is that the original ticket may have been valid for boarding the train, just not for the destination the OP intended.

But to speculate more is pointless as we still have no details of either the tickets or the journey.

Edit: typo corrected

 

[Rail12]

Yea basically, i had a ticket which let me through the barriers, refunded it, bought a new one when inspector came and the issue was that i had just purchased it then obviously didnt provide details

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Feb 2024 ==

The bizarre thing is that the original ticket may have been valid for boarding the train, just not for the destination the OP intended.

But to speculate more is pointless as we still have no details of either the tickets or the journey.

Edit: typo corrected

Yea basically, i had a ticket which let me through the barriers, refunded it, bought a new one when inspector came and the issue was that i had just purchased it then obviously didnt provide details

 

[John R]

I guess one key question here is whether examination of the OP’s account will show that there is a pattern of similar purchases. In other words, this wasn’t a one-off mistake but a practice of regular doughnutting.

TfL are, imo, quite likely to investigate the account, given that you ran away, so if this is more than a mistake then I think it’s very likely they will come after you via your account details.

 

[Papyrus]

Be careful about the TOC picking up that you have applied for a refund on a ticket that had already been used (to let you through the barriers).

 

[Haywain]

In other words, this wasn’t a one-off mistake but a practice of regular doughnutting.

If a refund is being sought after gaining access to a station then this isn't doughnutting, which requires tickets to be purchased for both ends of the journey. It suggests that the second ticket would not have been purchased at all had the inspector not been present, so it is outright fare evasion.

 

[Papyrus]

How long after departure from the original station was the old ticket refunded and the new one purchased?

And how long after the new purchase did the inspector arrive?

 

[Sultan]

Can you refund a ticket that you have already put through a scanner (barrier, hand-held machine)? Surely that action prevents this. Although I understand that there could be a timing delay on systems being updated.

 

[AlterEgo]

Can you refund a ticket that you have already put through a scanner (barrier, hand-held machine)?

Yes. Going through a barrier is not the same as having travelled.

 

[nanstallon]

If I were the OP, I'd be catching the bus in future - at least for a couple of months or so.

 

[fandroid]

If I were the OP, I'd be catching the bus in future - at least for a couple of months or so.

Buying a bike might be safer!