Tfl letter

[Abcdwf123]

Hi, I was caught tailgating behind my partner at an overground station. I was stressed and rushed (which I know isn’t a good excuse). I have been sent this letter and am looking for the best way to respond. I regret my actions immensely and this would be the first time I have committed an offence. I’m just looking for advice on how to write my response and if I should include that I had paid for my travel before the incident, and that I have a travel card. I’m worried about incriminating myself further, so not sure what details I should include. I’m also a teacher, so I am hoping this would add to mitigating factors.

 

[furlong]

Mitigating factors don't always work the way people think they do! If you say you are a teacher then that may INCREASE the chance of a prosecution if someone views the matter from the perspective of the public interest rather than your personal perspective: many would say that it is in the public interest that dishonest teachers be exposed as such! Setting a good example and all that. Unfortunately for you. TfL nearly always prosecutes.
Were you interviewed at the time and did you make an admission?
What precisely do you mean by saying you have a travel card and had paid for your travel before - or previously?
On the day in question, did you have a valid ticket in your possession for the specific journey you made? What sort - paper/Oyster/capped contactless/?
Was this when you entered or left the system?

Mitigation would be if TfL lost no money by this e.g. you did have an already-paid-for ticket that you showed to whoever stopped you but you had tailgated despite that, or if your payment method capped out that day (and this was normal for you).

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Transport for London are less forgiving when it comes to this sort of thing than their National Rail counterparts. I would send a short, concise response mentioning the following points:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

I would not mention that you are a teacher as they could take the view that you should have known better.

I had paid for my travel before the incident

Do you mean you'd paid for your journey when you tailgated through the barrier or that you'd paid for previous journeys you made before you were caught.
If you did have a valid ticket then you should tell TfL this in your reply (and enclose evidence of it eg a journey history). Showing you'd paid for journeys you took in the past is unlikely to help you, they want to know about the journey on the day you were caught.

I have a travel card

What exactly do you mean by this? A Travelcard is a ticket that's valid for unlimted travel across the fare zones it been purchased for. Was the Travelcard valid for the journey you made - again if it was then tell TfL this is your reply and give details of the Travelcard. Or do you mean you possess a railcard which offers a discount on certain rail tickets (for example a 16-25 Railcard)?

Transport for London don't usually offer out of court settlements they tend to prosecute under the TfL Bylaws but might offer a final warning for more 'lower level' cases.

Here's a link to TfL's Revenue Enforcement and Prosecutions Policy which is worth reading before you send your reply.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/revenue-enforcement-and-prosecutions-policy.pdf

Feel free to post a copy of your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[NSEWonderer]

If you had a valid travel card that was valid within the travel you did then you should highlight that in your response. If its on oyster then quote the oyster number on the top right on the back of the card so they can check it.

Ideally it would show at least your travel was valid abiet you being a doughnut and tailgating for whatever reason.

 

[Abcdwf123]

Welcome to the forum!

Transport for London are less forgiving when it comes to this sort of thing than their National Rail counterparts. I would send a short, concise response mentioning the following points:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

I would not mention that you are a teacher as they could take the view that you should have known better.


Do you mean you'd paid for your journey when you tailgated through the barrier or that you'd paid for previous journeys you made before you were caught.
If you did have a valid ticket then you should tell TfL this in your reply (and enclose evidence of it eg a journey history). Showing you'd paid for journeys you took in the past is unlikely to help you, they want to know about the journey on the day you were caught.


What exactly do you mean by this? A Travelcard is a ticket that's valid for unlimted travel across the fare zones it been purchased for. Was the Travelcard valid for the journey you made - again if it was then tell TfL this is your reply and give details of the Travelcard. Or do you mean you possess a railcard which offers a discount on certain rail tickets (for example a 16-25 Railcard)?

Transport for London don't usually offer out of court settlements they tend to prosecute under the TfL Bylaws but might offer a final warning for more 'lower level' cases.

Here's a link to TfL's Revenue Enforcement and Prosecutions Policy which is worth reading before you send your reply.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/revenue-enforcement-and-prosecutions-policy.pdf

Feel free to post a copy of your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

Thank you for your response.

I believe I was interviewed under caution, so I had to give my occupation when providing my details. Which is why I thought I should mention it.

I mean I had paid for my travel for the entire day before the incident and then continued to pay for my travel after the incident.

My travel card is a monthly travel card and unfortunately not valid in the area I was caught in.

 

[Abcdwf123]

If you had a valid travel card that was valid within the travel you did then you should highlight that in your response. If its on oyster then quote the oyster number on the top right on the back of the card so they can check it.

Ideally it would show at least your travel was valid abiet you being a doughnut and tailgating for whatever reason.

Thanks for your response, unfortunately this was not the case.

However, I was definitely not thinking clearly and have been wracked ever since the incident

 

[johnny_t]

How much travel had you done before the incident ? Had you gone over the TfL daily cap ?

 

[AlterEgo]

Dear Investigations Appeals and Prosecutions team,

I hope this letter finds you well.

Take this out and say "Thank you for your letter...

dated xx/xx/xx regarding the incident that took place on xx/xx/xx.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest remorse and regret for my actions on the aforementioned date and I accept that I committed an offence, and I take fullresponsibility for my actions.

This is fine so far.

I would like to convey my sincere apologies and provide some context surrounding the incident. On the day mentioned I had been relying on TfL’s services the entire day (please see attached) and in a foolish lapse of judgment, I had committed the offence between xx and xx.

(What are you planning on attaching here?)

As my partner and I were lost and late to an appointment, I was feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. As I have been diagnosed and prescribed medicine for the treatment of Anxiety (please see attached), this is a common feeling in my life and at the time in question, it impacted my ability to make a rational decision.

I'd take this out. You ducked the fare because you didn't want to pay it and TfL know that they rarely catch tailgaters first time. Anyone who has lived in London sees this behaviour all the time and I don't recommend saying you committed an offence because of "anxiety". Additionally I wouldn't advance the idea that you "commonly" feel unable to make rational decisions, as this sentence leads the reader to believe.

At the time of the offence, my partner had my phone and other personal belongings.

This is either completely irrelevant or wholly relevant, but either way, take it out. If it's irrelevant, just leave it out. If it is relevant, it invites the reader to think you had no ticket on your person, nor your phone, nor card in order to pay your fare properly - of course you tailgated - you didn't even have a means to get through the barriers on you - and doesn't lead anyone to believe this was some very random poor decision.

As we were rushed for time, I was feeling anxious, and therefore, I acted irrationally and out of character. When approached by ticketing inspector, I admitted my mistake and explained my partner and I were lost and trying to reach the Underground. I was anxious and overwhelmed by the incident, so my partner spoke on my behalf for some of the conversation. However, I fully cooperated with the inspector and I had offered to rectify my mistake by purchasing a ticket.

I deeply regret my lapse in judgment and I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience I have caused. I assure you that I have learned a valuable lesson from this incident. Therefore, it is my strong desire to rectify my behaviour and make amends for my actions. As such, I would like to pay any administrative costs and any loss of revenue incurred. I am committed to taking full responsibility for my actions.

Ok, fine, but the call to action in bold should be at the end of the letter. Always close on a call to action.

I would like to emphasise that this incident was a hugely regrettable mistake. It was, and will remain an isolated event. Since the offence, I have spent time reflecting on my actions and I am committed to ensuring this incident does not occur again. I have taken steps to address the underlying issues that led to my actions and I am at no risk of re-offending.

What steps have you taken? Earlier you mention (unwisely in my view) that you commonly feel anxious, for which you have already been prescribed medication, and this was the reason you bunked your fare.

The problem with tailgating is this. There are almost always barriers at the start and end of a journey. Someone tailgating and caught at the destination hasn't tapped in at the start (else they get a maximum fare) and someone caught at the beginning will have the intention not to tap out and tailgate at the end, too, for the same reasons. You have to do it twice and you have to intend to do it. It's an action of basic dishonesty and your letter doesn't really address this.

I have purchased a monthly travel card (xx)

The obvious question to the fraud/revenue officer reading this is "why didn't you have one before?"

Why is it only economical for you to now purchase the correct monthly Travelcard after you'd been caught tailgating?

, and will continue to be vigilant about ensuring I have the correct ticket to travel on TfL’s services and all public transport. I am commitment to personal growth that aligns with honesty and integrity. Therefore, I would be grateful if we were able to settle this matter outside of court.

Take this out, it's not doing anything in the letter.

I pride myself on my honesty and integrity, and I feel shameful for my actions and lapse in judgement. I have never previously been involved in any legal issues related to TfL services, nor have I been issued a Penalty Fare or a Formal Warning by TfL. As a regular TfL and National Rail customer, I heavily rely on your valuable services. I fully accept the gravity of my actions and I understand the implications of my actions - not only on the TfL network, but on TfL staff and the wider public. For this, I am truly sorry.

This is fine.

I highly respect the work of the TfL and British Transport Police. Moreover, I am also a witness to an ongoing case that occurred on a National Rail service, therefore, I have first-hand experience of the important work that both the TfL and the British Transport Police do.

They aren't going to care about this. Take this out. "I may have stolen from the shop but trust me I know how annoying crime is, I am a witness in an assault case" - just leave this out, it's not doing anything for you.

Furthermore, I am a teacher, I am passionate about working with young people. I am early in my career and the consequence of further prosecution will have devastating effects on my career and my ability to teach. Due to this, I wish to highlight my commitment to ensuring that this incident remains an isolated one.

I strongly recommend you do not mention your profession. I know the inspector took it down (you had no obligation to tell them), but this works against you. You are supposed to be honest by default and were caught red handed bunking the fare, but you can't just suggest to TfL they don't prosecute you because you're a teacher.

In conclusion, I am deeply sorry for my actions, and I sincerely regret the incident. I kindly request that you consider the factors mentioned above in your decision-making process regarding whether to proceed with prosecution. I am committed to making amends for my actions and to ensuring that such an incident does not occur again.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my response. I appreciate your understanding and the opportunity to express my remorse.

If you have any further questions, or need to contact me for any information regarding the incident, please feel free to call me on xxxxx xxx xxx

They won't call you - this is a criminal investigation. End with the previous sentence and add your call to action.

 

[Abcdwf123]

How much travel had you done before the incident ? Had you gone over the TfL daily cap ?

I had done under the cap. However, as my partner and I were going the same way, there is only the difference of 0.2 for the whole journey

 

[MikeWh]

I had done under the cap. However, as my partner and I were going the same way, there is only the difference of 0.2 for the whole journey. Would this be worth mentioning?

Not really. The rules say that you must touch in and out whenever using the card, even if you have already capped. You would still be in trouble if you hadn't cost them anything.

Also, it's usual in this country to refer to amounts of money as either pounds with two decimal places or just pence. So either £0.20 or 20p.

 

[Hadders]

I agree with @AlterEgo The letter is a little too long and the modifications suggested by them should shorten it a little making it more 'readable' to the person at TfL who will probably only have a couple of minutes to read it and decide how to proceed.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

As a fellow teacher I would suggest the following.

If you are member of a teaching union both NEU and NASUWT offer 30 minutes free legal advice. This should answer a lot of the questions you might have should a prosecution happen. Look on their respective websites.

If you are convicted it is important to speak to your headteacher as soon as possible. A single conviction like this is unlikely to see you receiving your P45. If, however, you fail to disclose it then it becomes a more serious matter.

 

[John R]

Also, it's usual in this country to refer to amounts of money as either pounds with two decimal places or just pence. So either £0.20 or 20p.

Except for restaurants trying to be trendy, much to my irritation every time I see it (apologies for the digression).

 

[Abcdwf123]

Take this out and say "Thank you for your letter...

This is fine so far.


(What are you planning on attaching here?)


I'd take this out. You ducked the fare because you didn't want to pay it and TfL know that they rarely catch tailgaters first time. Anyone who has lived in London sees this behaviour all the time and I don't recommend saying you committed an offence because of "anxiety". Additionally I wouldn't advance the idea that you "commonly" feel unable to make rational decisions, as this sentence leads the reader to believe.


This is either completely irrelevant or wholly relevant, but either way, take it out. If it's irrelevant, just leave it out. If it is relevant, it invites the reader to think you had no ticket on your person, nor your phone, nor card in order to pay your fare properly - of course you tailgated - you didn't even have a means to get through the barriers on you - and doesn't lead anyone to believe this was some very random poor decision.


Ok, fine, but the call to action in bold should be at the end of the letter. Always close on a call to action.


What steps have you taken? Earlier you mention (unwisely in my view) that you commonly feel anxious, for which you have already been prescribed medication, and this was the reason you bunked your fare.

The problem with tailgating is this. There are almost always barriers at the start and end of a journey. Someone tailgating and caught at the destination hasn't tapped in at the start (else they get a maximum fare) and someone caught at the beginning will have the intention not to tap out and tailgate at the end, too, for the same reasons. You have to do it twice and you have to intend to do it. It's an action of basic dishonesty and your letter doesn't really address this.


The obvious question to the fraud/revenue officer reading this is "why didn't you have one before?"

Why is it only economical for you to now purchase the correct monthly Travelcard after you'd been caught tailgating?


Take this out, it's not doing anything in the letter.


This is fine.


They aren't going to care about this. Take this out. "I may have stolen from the shop but trust me I know how annoying crime is, I am a witness in an assault case" - just leave this out, it's not doing anything for you.


I strongly recommend you do not mention your profession. I know the inspector took it down (you had no obligation to tell them), but this works against you. You are supposed to be honest by default and were caught red handed bunking the fare, but you can't just suggest to TfL they don't prosecute you because you're a teacher.


They won't call you - this is a criminal investigation. End with the previous sentence and add your call to action.

Thanks for taking the time to read it, I’ve applied your recommendations