Stopped by a revenue officer at the train station,says he suspected i was not going to buy a ticket.

[abbeyho]

I was stopped at the rail station by a revenue officer that he suspected I was not going to buy a ticket because I did not buy a direct ticket from my departure to my final destination.
My explanation is that I was coming from severn beach and the journey of the train ends at Bristol temple mead, where I will buy another ticket and connect with another train to Cardiff Central which is my final destination. I was on my phone checking the train app to know the time and platform for the next train to Cardiff Central at Bristol temple mead when one of the officers approached me and asked where am going to and if I have a ticket, I told him I was going to Cardiff Central and am coming from severn beach, and am about getting ticket also to Cardiff Central and I have a valid ticket from severn beach to Bristol temple mead which is the last stop of the train I took from severn beach. He requested for my name, address, date of birth while recording the conversation, he also stated that this is happening because he suspected I wasn't going to buy a ticket.
After the questions back and forth he gave me a travel train tickets that when a stop like that happens he is to give me travel ticket and the recording will be assessed at their office and they will get back to me through mail.
I hope i have not committed any crime as I Don't understand why the suspect charge at first when I have not boarded a train and I still have valid ticket that brought me to that station.
Am yet to receive the mail though and its been close to two weeks.
Please any candid advice on what to do.thank you

 

[AlterEgo]

Were you given any paperwork other than a "travel ticket"? Could you upload a copy of this "travel ticket" with any names redacted please?

 

[abbeyho]

I was not given any paperwork
The name of the officer i spoke with is Lawrence
Attached is the travel ticket.

 

[simonw]

I was not given any paperwork
The name of the officer i spoke with is Lawrence
Attached is the travel ticket.

Nothing seems to have been loaded.

 

[Brissle Girl]

How did you buy a ticket from Severn Beach to Temple Meads, and why did you not buy one through to your final destination? Also, at what time did you buy your ticket (ie where exactly on your journey were you at that point.)

 

[abbeyho]

How did you buy a ticket from Severn Beach to Temple Meads, and why did you not buy one through to your final destination? Also, at what time did you buy your ticket (ie where exactly on your journey were you at that point.)

I bought the ticket on the tfw app and I was at severn beach when I bought the ticket, I had not boarded the train to Bristol temple mead from seven beach when I bought the ticket, and also the train journey from severn beach ends at Bristol temple mead.

 

[Haywain]

When it is cheaper to buy a through ticket from Severn Beach to Cardiff than to buy two separate tickets you can surely see why your actions would look suspicious? Hanging about on the platform (near the barriers?) is likely to be seen as the actions of someone travelling without a ticket who is having to make a purchase to get through the barriers - that is, fare dodging.

 

[abbeyho]

When it is cheaper to buy a through ticket from Severn Beach to Cardiff than to buy two separate tickets you can surely see why your actions would look suspicious? Hanging about on the platform (near the barriers?) is likely to be seen as the actions of someone travelling without a ticket who is having to make a purchase to get through the barriers - that is, fare dodging.

I was not hanging about on the platform as the case maybe, was actually on my phone and on the app to purchase the ticket when the officer called my attention and immediately I showed him what I was doing on my phone. So I still don't understand the reason for being suspicious though.

 

[AlterEgo]

I was not hanging about on the platform as the case maybe, was actually on my phone and on the app to purchase the ticket when the officer called my attention and immediately I showed him what I was doing on my phone. So I still don't understand the reason for being suspicious though.

Where on the station were you exactly? There is no travel ticket attached to your earlier post.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

So I still don't understand the reason for being suspicious though.

One of the points that people are trying to make is that you can buy a through ticket from Severn Beach to Cardiff even though you have to get off one train at Temple Meads and then get on another. And since the through ticket is cheaper than buying a ticket from Severn Beach to Temple Meads, and then another ticket from Temple Meads to Cardiff, it looks suspicious that you were organising your travel to pay more than you have to. The railway's revenue officer may have thought that you were hoping not to have to pay for all of the journey from Temple Meads to Cardiff.

 

[Haywain]

I was not hanging about on the platform as the case maybe, was actually on my phone and on the app to purchase the ticket when the officer called my attention and immediately I showed him what I was doing on my phone. So I still don't understand the reason for being suspicious though.

You were on the station, yes? You were "checking the train app to know the time and platform for the next train to Cardiff Central" or "on the app to purchase the ticket", yes? Having just got off a train that will look suspicious and just because the ticket you may have been buying was from Bristol to Cardiff does not make it look any less suspicious.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When it is cheaper to buy a through ticket from Severn Beach to Cardiff than to buy two separate tickets you can surely see why your actions would look suspicious? Hanging about on the platform (near the barriers?) is likely to be seen as the actions of someone travelling without a ticket who is having to make a purchase to get through the barriers - that is, fare dodging.

An awful lot of people don't know through tickets exist.

You were on the station, yes? You were "checking the train app to know the time and platform for the next train to Cardiff Central" or "on the app to purchase the ticket", yes? Having just got off a train that will look suspicious and just because the ticket you may have been buying was from Bristol to Cardiff does not make it look any less suspicious.

This really is ridiculous. I've done this absolutely loads of times. Am I now required to pass the gateline before buying my onward ticket?

My most common use case for this is buying a single to Bletchley to continue there having arrived at MKC - many long distance tickets I use often from there don't permit outward break of journey*, so if I started at MKC I often have a return from there and just need the last bit, and only buy it when I know I'll make a sensible connection (otherwise I might instead use a bus, taxi or e-scooter).

The OP has a ticket permitting them to be on the station and is in the process of buying one that permits them to board a train from it. There's absolutely no sensible case whatsoever for writing up an MG11 for that. Crikey, there are even stations with TVMs within the gateline where you can do this sort of thing not even on a phone (e.g. there's one at MKC on the bridge, or at least was, and there's one at Watford Junction mainly for people who arrived from St Albans).

* Staff often allow the start short anyway, but the way things are going I prefer not to chance it, particularly with an e-ticket.

 

[Haywain]

This really is ridiculous. I've done this absolutely loads of times. Am I now required to pass the gateline before buying my onward ticket?

No, but I'd expect you to understand why it might look suspicious.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No, but I'd expect you to understand why it might look suspicious.

I can see why it might look suspicious, but there is no sensible grounds for any action on it, other than perhaps keeping an eye on the OP to make sure they actually do buy a ticket before boarding a train (and perhaps intercept them there to check they have).

There are more legitimate reasons for doing this than not.

I suspect the reason I've never been approached for doing it is that I'm a vaguely respectable looking middle aged white bloke, and not e.g. a young person (we don't know the age of the OP but the style of writing suggests they're at the younger end of things).

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's your ticket you bought, what did the inspector give you?

(You may want to obscure the barcode and other identifiable information on that)

 

[AlterEgo]

What about the "travel ticket" the officer printed off? It's important to know what this is, as from our perspective it could be one of many things.

 

[Haywain]

I suspect the reason I've never been approached for doing it is that I'm a vaguely respectable looking middle aged white bloke, and not e.g. a young person (we don't know the age of the OP but the style of writing suggests they're at the younger end of things).

Or perhaps because of where you choose to do it. At Temple Meads the barriers are handily placed between where a train from Severn Beach is likely to arrive (platform1) and access to most of the other platforms.

 

[abbeyho]

What about the "travel ticket" the officer printed off? It's important to know what this is, as from our perspective it could be one of many things.

 

[Haywain]

As you have been issued with a ticket and, very much to your benefit, not been charged it is difficult to see what might come from this. You don't appear to have committed any offence. On that basis it would appear that "Lawrence" has actually saved you £16.60 by approaching you.

 

[30907]

As you have been issued with a ticket and, very much to your benefit, not been charged it is difficult to see what might come from this. You don't appear to have committed any offence. On that basis it would appear that "Lawrence" has actually saved you £16.60 by approaching you.

Very strange - did you receive any other paperwork at the time?

 

[abbeyho]

Very strange - did you receive any other paperwork at the time?

No, I didn't

As you have been issued with a ticket and, very much to your benefit, not been charged it is difficult to see what might come from this. You don't appear to have committed any offence. On that basis it would appear that "Lawrence" has actually saved you £16.60 by approaching you.

I hope so. Thanks, its a lesson learnt. Never knew I can't travel from one station to the other and buy my ticket to continue my journey there.

 

[Haywain]

Never knew I can't travel from one station to the other and buy my ticket to continue my journey there.

You can, but it is better if you do it in advance or at least not in a place where revenue protection staff are likely to be found and watching. Although you haven't answered the question about where you were at the time, I suspect that you were not that far from the gateline. However, the best advice to come from this is that is always wise to be aware of whether it is better to buy a through ticket or split the tickets at an intermediate station - in the latter case this forum is very helpful for general advice and the forum ticketing site (see "Tickets" at the top of the page) will find the best splits for you.

 

[abbeyho]

You can, but it is better if you do it in advance or at least not in a place where revenue protection staff are likely to be found and watching. Although you haven't answered the question about where you were at the time, I suspect that you were not that far from the gateline. However, the best advice to come from this is that is always wise to be aware of whether it is better to buy a through ticket or split the tickets at an intermediate station - in the latter case this forum is very helpful for general advice and the forum ticketing site (see "Tickets" at the top of the page) will find the best splits for you.

I was outside the platform where there is a vendor selling drinks. That was where the officer called my attention.

 

[Bertie the bus]

An awful lot of people don't know through tickets exist.

Can you point to anything that suggests that is true because it doesn’t seem very likely? I think the opposite is almost certainly true that most people would assume if you are travelling from A – C you need a ticket from A – C and wouldn’t think about buying or wouldn’t expect tickets from A – B and then B – C would be valid.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Can you point to anything that suggests that is true because it doesn’t seem very likely? I think the opposite is almost certainly true that most people would assume if you are travelling from A – C you need a ticket from A – C and wouldn’t think about buying or wouldn’t expect tickets from A – B and then B – C would be valid.

Whilst it's only a sample of one, when I was young and lived in Lichfield I definitely used to do this. On the very few occasions when I had to get anywhere other than Birmingham, I would always buy a ticket eg Lichfield Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street and then a separate one eg Birmingham New Street to Manchester.

Obviously, I would know better now, but as a younger man my reference point was Birmingham New Street and it was a separate journey from there, so...

 

[Llanigraham]

Can you point to anything that suggests that is true because it doesn’t seem very likely? I think the opposite is almost certainly true that most people would assume if you are travelling from A – C you need a ticket from A – C and wouldn’t think about buying or wouldn’t expect tickets from A – B and then B – C would be valid.

Agreed, especially when buying on-line, where there is a destination box, and if the journey isn't possible every system I have used tells you so.
Even more unlikely in this case is the fact that the OP admits to buying the first part of the journey from the TfW website, for a line that isn't in Wales.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Agreed, especially when buying on-line, where there is a destination box, and if the journey isn't possible every system I have used tells you so.
Even more unlikely in this case is the fact that the OP admits to buying the first part of the journey from the TfW website, for a line that isn't in Wales.

Plenty of people stick to buying from one sales site which isn't necessarily their local one. There's no particular reason to move around them.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Agreed, especially when buying on-line, where there is a destination box, and if the journey isn't possible every system I have used tells you so.
Even more unlikely in this case is the fact that the OP admits to buying the first part of the journey from the TfW website, for a line that isn't in Wales.

Why is that unlikely? Their profile says they are from Cardiff, so perfectly reasonable to be using the TfW website/app for a journey with a destination in Wales.

 

[The exile]

Can’t help feeling that either the OP has misunderstood something or that there is more to this than meets the eye. A valid ticket from anywhere to Bristol Temple Meads makes the OPs presence inside the barriers legitimate. I used platform 3 at Temple Meads not long before the excess was issued and there was no sign of a @big hit” revenue block - so unless the “officer” had checked the ticket on the inbound train, how would they know the OP had a ticket to Temple Meads - it’s not as if changing and “hanging around” there is unusual.

 

[Llanigraham]

Why is that unlikely? Their profile says they are from Cardiff, so perfectly reasonable to be using the TfW website/app for a journey with a destination in Wales.

If you buy a ticket from the TfW website, as I do regularly, it asks you to state the start station and the destination station. Since the journey being undertaken was Severn Beach to Cardiff, I find the likelihood of someone only putting Severn Beach - Temple Meads most unusual, unless they know that splitting might be worthwhile, which I don't think would apply to the OP.