Issued with travel irregularity

[Johnkl]

First off let me say the train company are completely correct, I feel awful and this is something I will never do again.

I boarded a train from newark intending to travel to leeds with LNER. There are no barriers at newark station and my ticket was only valid from doncaster to leeds.

I boarded the train decided to wait in the toilet until arrival at doncaster. I was seen and after a few minutes and repeated knocks I came out and the train guard asked for my ticket.
I showed him the doncaster ticket and offered to pay for the rest of the journey. He asked me why I had not purchased a full ticket and in panic I explained my version of events which whilst not ridiclous he said he did not believe which is understandable.

He cautioned me, took my details, wrote down my version in a notepad then issued a travel irregularity. I asked for more information on what would happen next. He said it was a civil matter not criminal and that as I had not been abusive he expected I would have to pay 100 pounds.

From reading this forum I believe a letter will arrive asking for my version. I intend to apologise, offer admin costs and explain it will never happen again.

I know I was completely in the wrong here and that I was short faring illegally. If anyone is able to offer any further advice it would be greatly appreciated as I work in a profession where a criminal record could be damaging.

Thanks

 

[Eric]

First off let me say the train company are completely correct, I feel awful and this is something I will never do again.

I boarded a train from newark intending to travel to leeds with LNER. There are no barriers at newark station and my ticket was only valid from doncaster to leeds.

I boarded the train decided to wait in the toilet until arrival at doncaster. I was seen and after a few minutes and repeated knocks I came out and the train guard asked for my ticket.
I showed him the doncaster ticket and offered to pay for the rest of the journey. He asked me why I had not purchased a full ticket and in panic I explained my version of events which whilst not ridiclous he said he did not believe which is understandable.

He cautioned me, took my details, wrote down my version in a notepad then issued a travel irregularity. I asked for more information on what would happen next. He said it was a civil matter not criminal and that as I had not been abusive he expected I would have to pay 100 pounds.

From reading this forum I believe a letter will arrive asking for my version. I intend to apologise, offer admin costs and explain it will never happen again.

I know I was completely in the wrong here and that I was short faring illegally. If anyone is able to offer any further advice it would be greatly appreciated as I work in a profession where a criminal record could be damaging.

Thanks

If you had sat at a seat and offered to pay when the conductor arrived I think it would have been very different, but hiding in the toilets shows that you didn’t intend to pay.

I’m no expert but I think £100 would be a fair price to pay to end this matter.

Good luck.

 

[mikeg]

The only thing where he is wrong is that it is a criminal matter, though LNER may choose to pursue it as a civil matter instead if they wish.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

First off let me say the train company are completely correct, I feel awful and this is something I will never do again.

I boarded a train from newark intending to travel to leeds with LNER. There are no barriers at newark station and my ticket was only valid from doncaster to leeds.

I boarded the train decided to wait in the toilet until arrival at doncaster. I was seen and after a few minutes and repeated knocks I came out and the train guard asked for my ticket.
I showed him the doncaster ticket and offered to pay for the rest of the journey. He asked me why I had not purchased a full ticket and in panic I explained my version of events which whilst not ridiclous he said he did not believe which is understandable.

He cautioned me, took my details, wrote down my version in a notepad then issued a travel irregularity. I asked for more information on what would happen next. He said it was a civil matter not criminal and that as I had not been abusive he expected I would have to pay 100 pounds.

From reading this forum I believe a letter will arrive asking for my version. I intend to apologise, offer admin costs and explain it will never happen again.

I know I was completely in the wrong here and that I was short faring illegally. If anyone is able to offer any further advice it would be greatly appreciated as I work in a profession where a criminal record could be damaging.

Thanks

It is good that you are recognising what happened and not denying it, as some unfortunately do. I would simply suggest accepting any offer of settlement you receive, ASAP, and if a letter instead arrives asking you whether you would like to make any comments, to offer to pay "their costs" plus the fare. I would not name a specific figure. Obviously by being honest, there is no way you could later try to raise a defence to a prosecution (and we have no idea what LNER's attitude towards prosecutions is, and whether it is different to VTEC's almost inexistent history of these). So you should be aware that you are effectively "dobbing yourself" in it.