• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Using trains to travel to work

Status
Not open for further replies.

Bantamzen

Established Member
Joined
4 Dec 2013
Messages
9,668
Location
Baildon, West Yorkshire
They can ask but they have no power beyond that.
They have zero power to demand ID.

Exactly this. We do not have compulsory ID schemes in this country, and the emergency powers do not require citizens to carry any form of ID with them. If the Police ask for ID and you have none, they cannot refuse you travel on that basis.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,429
Location
Yorkshire
Indeed. We need to stop worrying about ID; it's not required

It's also legitimate to travel for other reasons such as to look after an elderly or vulnerable person. This doesn't require ID either!

Just give a sensible answer and that should be the end of it. I'd be surprised if any police officer was to insist on ID; if they did then a complaint should be made. I don't think that will happen.

I'm not going to start carrying ID with me when there is no requirement for it. If the Government wants to make a proposal to require ID then it can be debated (and would be widely opposed of course) at that time but I cannot see them trying. It just isn't going to happen!
 

telstarbox

Established Member
Joined
23 Jul 2010
Messages
5,928
Location
Wennington Crossovers
I work for a small company and we don't have any work ID cards. I might have a business card on me but that isn't photo ID. I'm sure many SMEs are the same.

Mrs T works for a larger multinational and they do have ID cards, but again no photos on them.
 

Fawkes Cat

Established Member
Joined
8 May 2017
Messages
2,943
I think we're getting a little bogged down here. Let's go back to basics.

I will assume that (1) we all accept that people should only be out and about if they need to. I will further assume that (2) we accept that limiting interpersonal contact as much as possible is a good thing.

Within those assumptions, if stopped by a police officer, is there any need - either in the traditions of British law, or as it stands today. - to prove who you are? No, and because we don't all hold state-issued ID cards, it wouldn't be practical for the police to demand to see your identity papers - you quite legitimately may not have any.

But per assumption (1) we should only be out for a good reason. So if you have some sort of documentation to demonstrate this reason ('Ste Smith is caring for housebound old people') it would make sense to carry it, and something that associates that proof with you (a photo card, driving licence, credit card - whatever you have and reasonably can carry).

And there's still assumption (2). You may be clear of Covid. Are you sure the police officer is? Or maybe vice versa. Either way, you want your interaction with them to be as quick as possible. So do you want a long discussion with a potential carrier, or a quick transaction where the distance from 'Hello, hello, hello' to 'Mind how you go' is a matter of seconds?

I'm not happy about giving up rights like this (and on a personal basis I am worried about how unworried I am, but that's one for me to sort out with myself so that the response based on my values and the response based on evidence and logic match up). But in the current circumstances, where quarantining everyone from everyone else is currently the only solution available, we need to stop standing on our rights. We need to stop looking to enforce the details of the law. We need to see the big picture and do our best to minimise interaction. If you need to be out and can prove why, do the decent thing and carry that proof. If you haven't got proof, try to get it. If you can't do that, he prepared for difficult conversations - but be as nice as possible to the police when you are having those conversations.
 

111-111-1

Member
Joined
20 Jul 2019
Messages
170
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation at this time it is surely better for everyone to make life as easy as possible.

I don't normally wear my uniform travelling to work, it avoids dealing with passengers on a different company to I work (there is still the "you work for BR or the railway) but at the moment I do as it is easier for anyone to see who I work for and avoid unwanted attention and possible non distancing with the BTP.
 

Journo

Member
Joined
10 Apr 2018
Messages
15
Seen several stories like this where "key workers" have been turned away from railway stations by private security guards.

https://twitter.com/LynseyRicketts/status/1243995171450236928

In this case someone is turned away at Bradford, and Northern end up saying:

"Hi Lynsey, we have looking into this and gathered that barrier staff working for Carlisle security at Bradford Forster Square advised they were joined by an unknown travel safe officer (TSO) who appears to have taken it upon himself to question any customers (1) ^RH"

"joining for key worker documents, this is not a Northern policy and a such proof should only be shown to a police officer if requested. The TSO involved has now left the station, we are emailing the Northern management team which deal with (2) ^RH"

"the travel safe officers for the incident to be followed up. I'm really sorry about this incident and we thank you for bringing it to our attention (3/3) ^RH"

I am not suggesting national emergencies like this mean more private security people are behaving like idiots, but that is certainly what I have seen.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top