Hello I'm hoping I can get some advice on how to respond to this letter please
the story of how it came around was
- Me and three friends got on the train at Padgate station - as we were walking onto the train we saw there was a ticket machine (I've later found out that was put in 3 days before we traveled, there are no notices of a ticket machine and the website still claims there to be no office or machine) we genuinely didn't see it but as the train had arrived we thought as it was the slow train to Manchester we will pay when the conductor came round
- no conductor came around on the whole journey
We arrived at Piccadilly station and just completely forgot to buy a ticket, we were having a few drinks and just proceeded to leave, as our friend has a chronic back problem we left via the lift
We were met by two conductors waiting, straight away we apologized and offered to either pay there or go back into the station to pay where possible, however understandably they said no and we gave in our details. I didn't realise one of my drunk friends gave in the wrong station we traveled from so on the report it doesn't say Padgate.
I want to reply, come clean about the whole thing including that we came from Padgate - explain what happened but I'm not sure what to say, we always intended to buy a ticket we just made the mistake of not having one until it was too late.
The letter I've received is a generic 'regulations of railways act' letter asking for an explanation
I've also never had any previous conviction and I've always paid for my tickets, just a stupid 'drunken' mistake
I'm more than happy to pay the fare and any costs, I hope this is something where an out of court settlement would be possible - definitely isn't something I would make a mistake of doing again
hope I can get some advice, thank you
the story of how it came around was
- Me and three friends got on the train at Padgate station - as we were walking onto the train we saw there was a ticket machine (I've later found out that was put in 3 days before we traveled, there are no notices of a ticket machine and the website still claims there to be no office or machine) we genuinely didn't see it but as the train had arrived we thought as it was the slow train to Manchester we will pay when the conductor came round
- no conductor came around on the whole journey
We arrived at Piccadilly station and just completely forgot to buy a ticket, we were having a few drinks and just proceeded to leave, as our friend has a chronic back problem we left via the lift
We were met by two conductors waiting, straight away we apologized and offered to either pay there or go back into the station to pay where possible, however understandably they said no and we gave in our details. I didn't realise one of my drunk friends gave in the wrong station we traveled from so on the report it doesn't say Padgate.
I want to reply, come clean about the whole thing including that we came from Padgate - explain what happened but I'm not sure what to say, we always intended to buy a ticket we just made the mistake of not having one until it was too late.
The letter I've received is a generic 'regulations of railways act' letter asking for an explanation
I've also never had any previous conviction and I've always paid for my tickets, just a stupid 'drunken' mistake
I'm more than happy to pay the fare and any costs, I hope this is something where an out of court settlement would be possible - definitely isn't something I would make a mistake of doing again
hope I can get some advice, thank you
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