Why do some people begrudge showing their ticket?

[dvboy]

Should have been charged up for a new ticket, if not TIRed!

Indeed, I was surprised he let her off the difference.

 

[elagueesti]

Should have been charged up for a new ticket, if not TIRed!

Not excusing it but the bigger issue with gold cards is that if they're put through the barrier four times a day they will not last more than a couple of months, and they can be quite a faff to have replaced.

Yes, when I had a Gold card and commuted from Worthing to Canary Wharf I usually opted to be let through manually because the ticket fades so quickly.

 

[222007]

This bugs me also but hey its part of the discription aint it? lol I actually had a lady travel from somewhere north of edinburgh the other day who said your the first person to check my ticket on this journey and ive been travelling for 5 and a half hours i said i aim to please which she chuckled at

 

[Chouette]

I only really tend to feel peeved by the ticket checks on platform 13/14 at Piccadilly. It seems to be sods law that they only want to check my ticket when I'm struggling with heavy luggage (and don't have a spare hand) or rushing for a connecting train in the main shed. And then they make me drop all my bags, unfold my railcard wallet, stand there for ages while they try to work out if it really is my photo, and then I get to spend ages picking up my luggage from the floor, which is miles harder than doing it with a train seat to help/hold onto (I have poor coordination). And all this with a trainful of passengers streaming past/knocking me off balance. I wouldn't mind so much if they'd take my railcard out my hand for me rather than give me one of those really special "How am I supposed to check that love" looks.

But of course it's a perception thing - in the cold light of day, I doubt they really do pick on me, it just feels like it sometimes

 

[work-traveller]

If you have an open return that doesn't get stamped the first time you travel with it, this offers the opportunity to travel with the outbound portion again over a 5 day period and the return portion again over the next month.

If the ticket gets stamped, then that's A-ok as the conductor - sorry - 'senior train manager' - is only doing their job. If they inspect the ticket and don't mark it, then that's a Brucie bonus. If they don't inspect anyone's ticket because they're too busy hiding in their cab, then that's just A-ok as well.

 

[maniacmartin]

A lot of staff will mark it with a pen in such a way it appears impossible to tell which date it was used

 

[craigwilson]

Absolutely! A big selling point of the train over the car is the ability to work or relax en route. By all means check our tickets at the start and end of each sector, but please leave us in peace otherwise.

On the occasions that I got the very first High Speed of the day from Margate (the 0548, formerly the 0547) the guard would often say something like "if you don't wish to be disturbed, please leave your tickets where I can easily check them and I'll take a look at them as I pass by" - so that he/she didn't have to wake folk up if they wanted a snooze.

 

[AndyLandy]

On the occasions that I got the very first High Speed of the day from Margate (the 0548, formerly the 0547) the guard would often say something like "if you don't wish to be disturbed, please leave your tickets where I can easily check them and I'll take a look at them as I pass by" - so that he/she didn't have to wake folk up if they wanted a snooze.

Exactly! If I'm napping, I leave my tickets accessible, so they can be checked without me needing to be disturbed. Never been a problem.

 

[sheff1]

I only really tend to feel peeved by the ticket checks on platform 13/14 at Piccadilly.

I know what you mean. When they first started this, I was peeved that they seemed to think that by arriving at these platforms you were in all likelihood a fare dodger, whereas if you arrived in one of the terminal platforms no one wanted to see your ticket at all. However, I soon sussed that if you held something looking like a ticket and walked purposefully past without breaking stride then they were happy.

 

[GodAtum]

Exactly! If I'm napping, I leave my tickets accessible, so they can be checked without me needing to be disturbed. Never been a problem.

I dont trust people! Anyone could easily nick it!

 

[SAPhil]

To attempt to answer the question:
1. If it's in the evening rush, I'm tired, all I want to do it sit down and stare mindlessly at a book/paper for 30 mins or so, fumbling for a ticket in a pocket under a coat (in winter anyway) is just a pain!
2. If it's in the morning rush, I haven't woken up and I'm just generally grumpy at that time!
3. Other times - fine no problem!

Hope this helps!

 

[craigwilson]

I dont trust people! Anyone could easily nick it!

At the same time, getting on an very early train, at the origin, when it's not very busy, it's slightly less likely to happen.

 

[cyclebytrain]

I've only ever once felt annoyed about being asked to show my ticket:

I got on the Thameslink at St. Pancras, along with a group of 4 rpi. First one asked to check tickets immediately (fine, that's what they do). As we left Elephant & Castle, the other three got up. First of them asked to see tickets -fine, it's been a few minutes since STP, I guess he wasn't paying attention.

Immediately I've put the ticket away, no. 3 comes and asks to see the ticket. I'm feeling a bit peeved at this point but get my wallet back out and hand it over. No. 4 is stood right behind him and waits until I've put the wallet away again, then... "Tickets please". I thought that was taking the ****, so told him that he could wait until after I'd finished my drink of water for me to get the ticket out again.

That's the only time I've ever felt peeved at a ticket inspection. Provided they're polite, why would you be annoyed?

 

[StoneRoad]

Talking about ticket checks, but on rail replacement services, you would not believe the number of people who get sent back to the Booking Office for a ticket - the service is not free..
....and, if someone is being especially rude when getting gripped, then they run the risk that their ticket is going to get a hole in the mag strip!

Not me, but from personal observations.......my experience is checking tickets on a hreitage railway, and we get quite a few trying to pull a fast one. But those stories are for another time......

 

[Flamingo]

I'm amazed at the number of people who express surprise at being asked to show their ticket / railcard.

I mean, it's not like it's something new that has been introduced in the past few months.

 

[michael769]

I think what must put a lot of people off is if for example at Edinburgh Waverley you find the Station "mob handed" with Revenue Staff during the two rush hours, and bereft of them first or last thing.

It seems this lack of consistency indicates they are going for "easy money"

But off peak guards have a much better chance of checking all the tickets on board, whereas at peak time even the most industrious guards will struggle to get through even half the train - so it makes sense to blockade then.

 

[IanXC]

No. 4 is stood right behind him and waits until I've put the wallet away again, then... "Tickets please".

Theres a great scene in this film, at about 0.02.15 - its clearly not a new issue for passengers!

[youtube]jj0u0jkYWHw[/youtube]

Conductor: "Tickets Please!"
Passenger: "Oh Tickets, what again?"
Conductor: "I haven't seen your ticket yet Madam"
Passenger: "Well if you haven't, everyone else on your Railway has! I've had to show it at every station we've stopped at, all the way from London"

 

[transmanche]

I mean, it's not like it's something new that has been introduced in the past few months.

Well it's becoming a rare event for anyone to ask to see my ticket on East Coast journeys between Newcastle and London - so it's more being surprised than being awkward.

In my last 15 journeys on East Coast, I've only had my ticket checked four times. 12 of those journeys have been between Newcastle and London (or vice versa).

 

[sheff1]

This thread has reminded me of an incident way back when WCML trains stopped at Motherwell. Leaving on the connecting train to Coatbridge I was one of only two people in the front coach. The guard checked tickets - fine.

After the first stop (Whifflet, less than 10 mins away, where no one got on in that coach) the guard reappeared shouting 'tickets' (note no 'please'). I took no notice expecting him to go back when he saw no new passengers, but he stopped next to me and again shouted 'tickets'. Whilst digging the ticket out, I asked him whether it was normal in Scotland to have to show one's ticket after every stop. He muttered something unintelligible and disappeared. So yes, I did begrudge showing the ticket on the second occasion.

 

[reb0118]

He muttered something unintelligible

Unintelligle like this?

Up yer Clunge! (no offence intended)

 

[dcsprior]

I'm amazed at the number of people who express surprise at being asked to show their ticket / railcard.

I mean, it's not like it's something new that has been introduced in the past few months.

No but ticket barriers are, and it can seem redundant to have both. Perhaps the solution would be to have consistency on barriers across a line - so having either:

• have no barriers at all on a line, make sure all passengers' tickets are checked by the conductor on the train
• barriers at every station on the line, meaning you don't need on-train checks

At the moment you often have tickets checked on train, presumably because of unbarriered stations, and again at the barriers. Setting aside any irritation to passengers (which I don't particularly "get", there are far more irritating things about ticket checks, especially barriers that don't let you through with a valid ticket); if paying for the technological solution doesn't save the railway paying someone to check tickets, then why bother with barriers which can delay customers at stations.

 

[bb21]

barriers at every station on the line, meaning you don't need on-train checks

That's not a solution.

Barriers only and no on-train checks means doughnutting heaven.

 

[dcsprior]

That's not a solution.

Barriers only and no on-train checks means doughnutting heaven.

If there were barriers at every station on the line, could you not set them so they only let you out with a ticket which had been used to enter that day to prevent this?

Or if this still doesn't work, why bother with barriers at all?

 

[BrownE]

The attitude seems to be " You can see I have a piece of orange card, what more do you want?"

Funny you should say that. I travel with GW a fair bit, the attitude seems to be (from the staff) "You can see I'm wearing uniform, I must be staff", generally I only pick on staff who aren't wearing name badges and also don't have their ID card on, or it's clearly not the person who announced themselves at the TM at the start of the journey.

No ID card, no ticket. Simple from me, otherwise you can see my ticket without any hassle at all.

 

[swj99]

There are still many people in this country who believe that society is to a large extent based on trust, and asking them to prove they are not a fare dodger might be seen by them as a means of calling into question their honesty and integrity. Maybe it is, or maybe it isn't, but some people are sensitive, or paranoid, or have a persecution complex and are going to think the worst anyway.

 

[bb21]

If there were barriers at every station on the line, could you not set them so they only let you out with a ticket which had been used to enter that day to prevent this?

Or if this still doesn't work, why bother with barriers at all?

Barriers cannot be a substitute for on-train checks. They should only be used as something to aid revenue protection. Shame that the DfT don't seem to realise that.

I don't think such a setting would work. What if the gates are open at the origin station or if the passenger is using split tickets?

 

[wijit]

Personally (and as a non-railway worker), I love having my tickets checked. because that way I know others have, or will have to pay. It takes a second of my time and is very reassuring!

 

[dcsprior]

Barriers cannot be a substitute for on-train checks. They should only be used as something to aid revenue protection. Shame that the DfT don't seem to realise that.

I don't think such a setting would work. What if the gates are open at the origin station or if the passenger is using split tickets?

Maybe it comes down to the fact that barriers can work best on networks where barriers are in operation all day, every day, and where journeys aren't dearer than the sum of their parts... otherwise, they'll have to be duplicated by manual checks anyway and are therefore pointless.

In my head, I imagine services split into three:

• Commuter/Metro - have barriers all day at all stations. Have dedicated child/railcard gate(s) where a member of staff stands, allow only full-price adult tickets through the rest of the gates. Have severe spot-fines for anyone who somehow managed to get in without a valid ticket (400 times the cost of a single would mean that genuine customers would only have to be checked once per year, yet still mean that cheating didn't "pay")
• Rural routes, and those targetted at the day-out market - no barriers, passengers encouraged to buy on-train to compete with buses/etc for convenience
• Intercity - no barriers, and no penalty as such for buying on-train; but pre-purchase encouraged with good advance fairs, and perhaps even walk-up fares getting a 10% discount if bought before boarding

I don't think this is too different from what we have at present, but having this clear divide would make it easier for customers to understand.

Of course it could well by completely unworkable anywhere outside of my imagination

Personally (and as a non-railway worker), I love having my tickets checked. because that way I know others have, or will have to pay. It takes a second of my time and is very reassuring!

Yeah, I don't mind having my ticket checked on the train - sometimes if you're on a quiet route you even get a wee bit of a chat with the conductor. What I don't particularly like is when having had it checked on the train I then have to queue to get out through the barriers when I get out of the station.

 

[jon0844]

If there were barriers at every station on the line, could you not set them so they only let you out with a ticket which had been used to enter that day to prevent this?

Let's say you could. I get stopped and simply say I was waved through, or the gates were open.

Okay, so if there was a sting on at my false origin station then I'd be stuffed - but I could have potentially started my journey without putting my ticket through a gate.

Onboard checks are vital to work with gates, to stop this problem (as long as you come down hard on offenders so they'll never do it again - as I hope applies to the people who post on here that suddenly seem quite scared about going to court and risking a criminal record) and also people sitting in first class on a standard ticket, which must annoy those who have genuinely paid and we - as passengers - don't want to put off. Their high priced tickets help subsidise our own.

 

[rdwarr]

That's not a solution.

Barriers only and no on-train checks means doughnutting heaven.

...and we can all travel First Class