Today I was caught short faring partly because I stupidly admitted it, partly because it was inevitable. I was at the barriers and they scanned my ticket as there were rail staff doing checks instead of me scanning my barcode (this always works as my ticket is properly valid for travel just not the journey I make (I know)). I was told could not have got on from my originating station as it wasn’t validated. However the originating station on my ticket had no barriers and it could never have been scanned or “validated” I knew this but I was scared and I had never actually been to the originating station and was only 99% sure it didn’t have barriers and if the train service worker was asking why it wasn’t scanned at the originating station I assumed they knew I hadn’t scanned it there because there were definitely no barriers. Anyway I freaked out and admitted, she then cautioned me and interviewed me under oath I might have admitted some things. I knew and she stated that they were going to investigate my purchasing account anyway. Based on going through this forum the past 6 hrs, I was right in that assumption as it seems to be a matter of course. Anyway, my question is, does that really matter as I went back and checked and truly the originating station had no barriers. Would they truly serve me with an intent to prosecute as they cannot check, surely, if I had come from the originating station on cctv for all, if any, of the events in my history. I also portend that my confession was obtained under false pretences as the staff herself had no knowledge of the originating station if she was asking why it wasn’t scanned and there are no barriers. What are the chances of them succeeding in prosecuting this, would they really serve me a notice of intent to prosecute (I know they will).
More info, optional reading:
They regularly randomly have staff doing checks instead of letting the barriers work so that must be a hot route for short faring. Most times I go through these with no issue (which means some staff might know there’s no barriers at my presented originating station) on one occasion I was told to step aside and talk to an inspector, which is what happened today, that day the inspector claimed timings didn’t match which was not true bc I had the right ticket for my l journey in terms of arrival, but with the exact same line of questioning as today. I suppose she also thought something along the lines of it wasn’t scanned at originating station but didn’t get round to it or maybe other valid concerns. Anyway, I was let off on that occasion by the person that originally scanned my ticket after I had been arguing with the inspector and because I was late going somewhere & stressed my impatience. Today the lady wasn’t having it when I tried that and said they would investigate (bllshtting idk).
Anyway, I was tired of lying as I had gotten a penalty fare for the same thing
quite recently but simply because there was a check on the train before the stop of my short fare ticket and I obviously could not show a valid ticket. Which is when I found out you can’t buy a correct fare ticket on a train funny enough (even in good faith) it’s a crime to not have one on hand. Bla bla seems wishy-washy what UK countries and services you can buy a valid ticket on after boarding, but like I said after poring through these pages I realise it’s definitely overall a crime. I paid that on the spot, didn’t even have info taken. That should’ve been my big warning and lesson and lucky break I guess but greed and poverty are a terrible mix.
Anyway, it was inevitable, I travel that route too regularly the chances were so slim of me not being one day caught in some shape or form, just a matter of how and when. Honestly with the PF being quite recent and today being questioned I knew the jig had to be up some time and was secretly relieved and maybe even glad to restitute. It’s also the big scary enough wake up call I clearly needed. I’m not good at lying and stealing is not comfortable after you’ve been semi caught once.
Altogether, I got away with this with train staff thrice, one occasion I already mentioned and then once, the first time and in the early days. I presented my short ticket (I learnt the word for it today) on the train just as it pulled out of the “originating station” and the staff confronted me as they had “apparently” witnessed me being on the train longer. I kept mute in terrified shame and didn’t answer any questions & nothing came of it. She did scan the ticket & I suspect that even if I heard nothing of it I might have been flagged in some way. The ticket after all has all my information and the ticket seller could divulge more. But I never heard a word, I was quite confident in keeping mute because it was my word against hers and there was no proof of my being on the train prior as accused as the train had left the station. Except common sense and her eyes.
The third time, a staff scanned my ticket on the train I was well in the safe zone btw originating and final destination. My ticket was scanned with no incident. Which leads me back to the fact that some staff must know there are no barriers to scan/validate any ticket at the “originating” station. I do not think I got away with it per se as there was no incident and per my reasoning, then,I had done nothing “wrong” on the train. As I also mentioned I got through manual barrier checks this way on a few occasions.
I know the biggest possibility is that I will be issued a NIP and I will settle. I am financially prepared, I think, to do this. As I say it was all inevitable, it is a slap of a wake up call and I had not done it for *terribly* long. Also lying & stealing takes its toll (I know, poor innocent me). Obviously, never doing this again, well and truly learnt my lesson & the recent PF was enough of the kick, I mended my ways for a short while but poverty. Now I will be even poorer and I’m even more scared and ashamed so penny wise, too many pounds & emotions foolish. I will not hap on about my career and potential damage, I plan to pay out. I don’t need anyone on their moral high horse offering snarky comments and judgements, I know it all and have admitted it all. Nobody needn’t reply. I just want to clarify what I said in the beginning, isn’t it ridiculous that train staff don’t know which routes have barriers and would I have surely gotten away with this on this occasion if I hadn’t confessed pre & post caution. The basis of the inspector’s initial line of inquiry was moot. Like I said this was not even the desired outcome, I would’ve been caught out in another way sooner or later, just pure stats. This way I can save up for hefty fine and settle into appropriate tfare induced poverty for the rest of the month.
More info, optional reading:
They regularly randomly have staff doing checks instead of letting the barriers work so that must be a hot route for short faring. Most times I go through these with no issue (which means some staff might know there’s no barriers at my presented originating station) on one occasion I was told to step aside and talk to an inspector, which is what happened today, that day the inspector claimed timings didn’t match which was not true bc I had the right ticket for my l journey in terms of arrival, but with the exact same line of questioning as today. I suppose she also thought something along the lines of it wasn’t scanned at originating station but didn’t get round to it or maybe other valid concerns. Anyway, I was let off on that occasion by the person that originally scanned my ticket after I had been arguing with the inspector and because I was late going somewhere & stressed my impatience. Today the lady wasn’t having it when I tried that and said they would investigate (bllshtting idk).
Anyway, I was tired of lying as I had gotten a penalty fare for the same thing
quite recently but simply because there was a check on the train before the stop of my short fare ticket and I obviously could not show a valid ticket. Which is when I found out you can’t buy a correct fare ticket on a train funny enough (even in good faith) it’s a crime to not have one on hand. Bla bla seems wishy-washy what UK countries and services you can buy a valid ticket on after boarding, but like I said after poring through these pages I realise it’s definitely overall a crime. I paid that on the spot, didn’t even have info taken. That should’ve been my big warning and lesson and lucky break I guess but greed and poverty are a terrible mix.
Anyway, it was inevitable, I travel that route too regularly the chances were so slim of me not being one day caught in some shape or form, just a matter of how and when. Honestly with the PF being quite recent and today being questioned I knew the jig had to be up some time and was secretly relieved and maybe even glad to restitute. It’s also the big scary enough wake up call I clearly needed. I’m not good at lying and stealing is not comfortable after you’ve been semi caught once.
Altogether, I got away with this with train staff thrice, one occasion I already mentioned and then once, the first time and in the early days. I presented my short ticket (I learnt the word for it today) on the train just as it pulled out of the “originating station” and the staff confronted me as they had “apparently” witnessed me being on the train longer. I kept mute in terrified shame and didn’t answer any questions & nothing came of it. She did scan the ticket & I suspect that even if I heard nothing of it I might have been flagged in some way. The ticket after all has all my information and the ticket seller could divulge more. But I never heard a word, I was quite confident in keeping mute because it was my word against hers and there was no proof of my being on the train prior as accused as the train had left the station. Except common sense and her eyes.
The third time, a staff scanned my ticket on the train I was well in the safe zone btw originating and final destination. My ticket was scanned with no incident. Which leads me back to the fact that some staff must know there are no barriers to scan/validate any ticket at the “originating” station. I do not think I got away with it per se as there was no incident and per my reasoning, then,I had done nothing “wrong” on the train. As I also mentioned I got through manual barrier checks this way on a few occasions.
I know the biggest possibility is that I will be issued a NIP and I will settle. I am financially prepared, I think, to do this. As I say it was all inevitable, it is a slap of a wake up call and I had not done it for *terribly* long. Also lying & stealing takes its toll (I know, poor innocent me). Obviously, never doing this again, well and truly learnt my lesson & the recent PF was enough of the kick, I mended my ways for a short while but poverty. Now I will be even poorer and I’m even more scared and ashamed so penny wise, too many pounds & emotions foolish. I will not hap on about my career and potential damage, I plan to pay out. I don’t need anyone on their moral high horse offering snarky comments and judgements, I know it all and have admitted it all. Nobody needn’t reply. I just want to clarify what I said in the beginning, isn’t it ridiculous that train staff don’t know which routes have barriers and would I have surely gotten away with this on this occasion if I hadn’t confessed pre & post caution. The basis of the inspector’s initial line of inquiry was moot. Like I said this was not even the desired outcome, I would’ve been caught out in another way sooner or later, just pure stats. This way I can save up for hefty fine and settle into appropriate tfare induced poverty for the rest of the month.
