[SE] Interesting way of dealing with fare evasion

[T101KLD]

I was travelling from Gothenburg to Stockholm over the weekend. Just after we left Katerineholm a PA came on saying we're making an unscheduled stop in Flen to remove a passenger without a ticket.

I've never experienced anything like this before! Felt like quite a heavy handed reaction to fare evasion. Any ideas why? Or similar experiences?

 

[DanielB]

Sometimes this is a convenient way to get rid of a passenger refusing to cooperate when caught.

Have seen this happening once in the Netherlands with an IC making an additional stop at 's Hertogenbosch East for this purpose. Calling the police to arrest them would have resulted in more delays and allowing them to get to their destination would not be a punishment anymore.
Often the staff of following trains is also informed, so they aren't able to commit the same offence again.

 

[rvdborgt]

I've also seen this at least once in the Netherlands, IIRC between Zwolle and Assen, where our train made an unscheduled stop in Meppel, accompanied by an announcement that we were stopping there to remove a fare-dodger. Needless to say, many people were looking out the window curiously after we stopped...

 

[JonasB]

I've never experienced anything like this before! Felt like quite a heavy handed reaction to fare evasion. Any ideas why? Or similar experiences?

Why not? If a person doesn't have a ticket they are not allowed to travel on the train, so stopping somewhere to remove them from the train seems reasonable.

 

[MisterT]

While not a daily occurrence, it does happen in The Netherlands, and I've made my share of unscheduled stops as well. In the past, we especially liked stopping at stations like 'Onze lieve vrouwe ter nood' or 'Heerenveen IJsstadion', which were/are event stations, with basically one train a year. Or just at a random level crossing in the middle of nowhere. But those last two were explicitly banned unfortunately, after some people started walking across the tracks to get to their destination.

If it was just fare evasion, we wouldn't do it of course. This is reserved for people that are not cooperating in any way to get their fine, and in places where there isn't any police/security available to help.

 

[Krokodil]

There's a legend from slam-door days in the south of England. Guard got the driver to stop specially at a station to drop off a fare evader. As they pulled out the man yelled "ha, I'll just get the next one. The guard waved cheerily. The station had no Sunday service, next departure would be on Monday morning.

I've dropped fare evaders off at isolated request stops. At the end of the day they got on the train in full knowledge that they didn't have so much as a tenner to get to the junction, let alone London (yes, that's where he was trying to get to). I'm not going to let adult men get away without paying just because the next train won't be for three hours.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Happened in Finland last year (maybe 2021?).

VR made an unscheduled stop for an Intercity train in Haukivuori (a closed station!!) and kicked the passenger off. Said passenger who apparently wasn't behaving that well on the train in the first place then went on to commit numerous burglaries in the town.

Upset the locals also because VR closed that station back in 2014 despite many protests, but it seems were quite happy to use the station for people without tickets. On the single tracked line between Mikkeli and Pieksämäki, Haukivuori is one of the available passing points for trains.

VR poisti liputtoman matkustajan junasta kylmälle asemalle – kyläläisillä alkoi päivien piina

Junasta poistetun miehen epäillään tunkeutuneen palvelutaloon etsimään varastettavaa.

www.is.fi

 

[Bungle158]

There's a legend from slam-door days in the south of England. Guard got the driver to stop specially at a station to drop off a fare evader. As they pulled out the man yelled "ha, I'll just get the next one. The guard waved cheerily. The station had no Sunday service, next departure would be on Monday morning.

I've dropped fare evaders off at isolated request stops. At the end of the day they got on the train in full knowledge that they didn't have so much as a tenner to get to the junction, let alone London (yes, that's where he was trying to get to). I'm not going to let adult men get away without paying just because the next train won't be for three hours.

As a former guard, I once did this to a notorious evader at Severn Tunnel Junction, last train on a Sunday night. Bristol to Taunton, which was 'scrote alley' back in my day, also had some useful 'alighting points'

 

[43096]

There's a legend from slam-door days in the south of England. Guard got the driver to stop specially at a station to drop off a fare evader. As they pulled out the man yelled "ha, I'll just get the next one. The guard waved cheerily. The station had no Sunday service, next departure would be on Monday morning.

I've dropped fare evaders off at isolated request stops. At the end of the day they got on the train in full knowledge that they didn't have so much as a tenner to get to the junction, let alone London (yes, that's where he was trying to get to). I'm not going to let adult men get away without paying just because the next train won't be for three hours.

I was once on a Great Yarmouth to Norwich train and the guard came round doing tickets on departure. A can't pay/won't pay type was given the option of going through to Norwich and be met by BTP or off at the next station. After prevarication, decided on next stop. Doors open and he doesn't get off - clearly trying it on (again). Guard was wise to it, came down and gives him the option again - so he gets off, reluctantly. The stop? Berney Arms - next train 4 hours.

 

[zero]

In 2016 I was on a Pendeltåg around the area of Västerhaninge, I can't remember exactly which stations. Someone came around checking tickets and they started talking animatedly (in Swedish) with a man who looked like he was homeless, for several minutes. The only thing I understood was "you can't buy a ticket on the train". I did see the man offering a bank card.

We arrived at the next stop and then the ticket checker plus another uniformed staff member pushed the man off the train!