When can you decline to show a ticket?

[D6968]

Yes. A ticket must be shown on request to any authorised member of staff at any time until you leave railway property at the destination.



Quite a good trick for catching out illegitimate use of child fares is "Well, you're on a child ticket and you're buying alcohol. One of those two things is illegal. Which one is it? Would you like to buy an adult ticket/pay a PF now, or shall I let the Police know you've been attempting to buy alcohol underage?"

Asking to see a ticket isn’t going to identify an enthusiast. It was only ever a small minority of enthusiasts who used to travel without tickets. The same people who 30 years later still boast about it as though it was some kind of achievement to be proud of.

Yes but this wasn’t someone trying to fare dodge, or doing anything dodgy, (buy illicit booze) being raucous, (no failing or bellowing) it was just a simple case of tickets being shown earlier in the journey then the the trolly bloke asking ‘Can I see your ticket?’ and the return from the customer being along the lines of, ‘Why is that any of your business?, Your not the TM, you know what, forget it’
It’s something that’s always stuck in my memory, as it just seems rather strange. Maybe a case of wrong person, wrong day?

 

[johntea]

On the flip side of the trolley, I've actually been offered to be served before by a couple with either just a standard ticket full stop (declassification) or when I've chosen to sit in there using a standard ticket for a Weekend First upgrade (which used to be perfectly valid on several TOCs, the guard would sell the upgrade as they were passing through and sometimes you found they just never made it through so you basically ended up getting the 'perks' of first class for free, although obviously rather more limited on a weekend service!)

 

[Deafdoggie]

That is correct,and at my age I won’t be chasing anyone. In some ways it’s like supermarkets,how often have you heard the alarm by the doors sound and notice just a casual glance from till staff. If a security guard is around they might investigate or give chase.

The alarm going off isn't a sign someone has stolen something. Stopping someone for that could get the supermarket worker in trouble. They will usually glance to see if the customer comes back to ask for the tag to be removed. At that point they can ask to see the receipt. If they don't come back, the customer gets a free tag stuck on the item!

 

[Tallguy]

Has anyone been asked to show a ticket when they are just changing trains, not leaving or entering the station?

Yes, numerous times on the London Underground. Usually at the big interchange stations at the end of a long passageway with a bend in it….

 

[BJames]

Highbury and Islington had a revenue block back in 2013-2014, I think, between the Overground and Victoria line/GN platforms.

Seven Sisters also often had this (although not recently that I've noticed) when coming up to the Overground from the Victoria line. Caught a lot of people out who chanced it as quite a few ungated on this line.

 

[cuccir]

The Railway Byelaws apply to

the use and working of, and travel on or by means of, railway assets, the maintenance of order on railway assets and the conduct of all persons while on railway assets

And they define 'railway' and 'railway assets' as

“railway” means the railway assets of, or under the management of, an Operator;

“railway assets” means any (a) train; (b) network; (c) station; (d) light maintenance depot; and any associated track, buildings and equipment;

This is a slightly different definition than "railway property". In some cases it will narrow the definition - for example, it would be hard to see how the Byelaws could apply on a station approach road, even if that land was owned by the railway company. But in other cases were stations are located on sites owned by non-railway people, it extendes the definition to anywhere on that site which the TOC operates.

 

[js1000]

Can you still be asked to show a ticket (and be prosecuted for failing to show a ticket) after you've gone through the ticket barrier? I don't have a particular incident in mind, just a recent post where the OP said they went through the barriers and were asked to come back because their friend didn't have a ticket.

I recall a few years ago Northern staff at Manchester Piccadilly use to wait at the bottom of the lift to platforms 13/14 from Fairfield Street. They deliberately used to do it to try and snare passengers who had not paid. In reality though once you had left the lift you were on the public footpath and arguably free to ignore any request to show up a ticket. Staff now (probably more sensibly) conduct revenue checks at the top of the lift before they have the opportunity to leave the station.

 

[plugwash]

I saw someone in northern uniform standing outside the lift in fairfield street last time I passed through the station. I dunno if they were checking tickets though or just having a fag break.

 

[spag23]

Allow me to go back to a joyous moment in 1958. Aged eight, my fellow spotters and I arrived at Kentish Town ticket hall, only to be confronted with a new notice: "We have stopped selling platform tickets to trainspotters". There was no explanation for this, as we had never been any trouble. My mates were about to give up the afternoon's spotting, but I came up with a solution. Ten minutes later we were on the platform, jotting away, when a furious railman came up to us. "You're not allowed platform tickets. Leave the station now" he bellowed.
"But we don't have the twopenny platform tickets", I replied, "we just bought threepenny returns to Upper Holloway".
He went even redder. "But there's no train to Upper Holloway for 45 minutes" he said.
"Yes", we said, "very infrequent service, isn't it?. Plus we'll have to wait at Upper Holloway for an hour before there's a return train".
We kept jotting numbers as he stormed off.
I still wonder if this "gripper" ever recovered from being outwitted by primary school kids.