Why do some people get frustrated when their ticket doesn't get checked when travelling by train?

[startingaparty]

I can't understand it. It's always a faff if ticket's are checked on the trains: take out phone, open app on phone, find ticket. "Railcard, please". Close ticket app. Find app with railcard. Open railcard app, etc.

I'm sure said individuals don't show the same level of frustration when, upon leaving a supermarket, they're not asked to produce their receipt. Make it make sense!

 

[43066]

I can't understand it. It's always a faff if ticket's are checked on the trains: take out phone, open app on phone, find ticket. "Railcard, please". Close ticket app. Find app with railcard. Open railcard app, etc.

I'm sure said individuals don't show the same level of frustration when, upon leaving a supermarket, they're not asked to produce their receipt. Make it make sense!

I imagine it’s because they feel like mugs for paying through the nose when they could have got away with bunking the fare.

 

[zwk500]

Partly it's a 'well I needn't have bothered paying' element if you're not checked, which at a Supermarket isn't really relevant because you've had to pay at the till. I suspect part of it may also be people like getting a stamp or mark to show they've used the ticket, either for personal preference or a potential delay repay claim.

 

[Buzby]

Because at the supermarket, it’ll only happen once. On a train journey it can happen multiple times and usual after a station that had a crew change…..

 

[dk1]

What ever happened to honesty?

 

[The exile]

The other source of frustration, which is at least linked to honesty, is “why is no one checking that everyone else has bought a ticket, like I have”.

 

[Lockwood]

My frustration is being woken on the train by the guard, fetching out my wallet, getting the ticket out and being told "thanks, that's fine" before the ticket is even halfway exposed.

It's great that I have such a trustworthy face and all that, but if you're going to wake me up to check my ticket, check it - otherwise, let me catch up on that sleep debt

 

[12LDA28C]

I can't understand it. It's always a faff if ticket's are checked on the trains: take out phone, open app on phone, find ticket. "Railcard, please". Close ticket app. Find app with railcard. Open railcard app, etc.

I'm sure said individuals don't show the same level of frustration when, upon leaving a supermarket, they're not asked to produce their receipt. Make it make sense!

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

 

[trainophile]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

You can't say that on here!

 

[The exile]

My frustration is being woken on the train by the guard, fetching out my wallet, getting the ticket out and being told "thanks, that's fine" before the ticket is even halfway exposed.

It's great that I have such a trustworthy face and all that, but if you're going to wake me up to check my ticket, check it - otherwise, let me catch up on that sleep debt

Can sympathise with that one.

 

[ivorytoast28]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

Unless you have a railcard that you can only buy an electronic version of (and subsequently never loads on a rail journey with no signal)

 

[12LDA28C]

Unless you have a railcard that you can only buy an electronic version of (and subsequently never loads on a rail journey with no signal)

Then I guess you reap what you sow... isn't technology wonderful?

You can't say that on here!

Too simple or 'old-fashioned', no doubt!

 

[ivorytoast28]

Then I guess you reap what you sow... isn't technology wonderful?

And by "you" I assume you mean the tocs? A 26-30 railcard is not available as a physical product. I wish it was

 

[Dr Hoo]

Some passengers may want to interact with the ‘guard’ in relation to booked assistance, possible upgrade to First, confirming anticipated connections or whatever.

We are constantly reminded on other threads that the hypothetical RailUK Forums Reference Passenger doesn’t possess a mobile phone or other means of checking things.

 

[43066]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

Then again I regularly show my physical RST season ticket smart card to tube staff during LU ticket acceptance (backed up with a TOC photo ID) and get accused of fare dodging because they’re ignorant as to what it is.

More than one blazing row has ensued, and more than one complaint has gone in!

 

[12LDA28C]

Then again I regularly show my physical RST season ticket smart card to tube staff during LU ticket acceptance (backed up with a TOC photo ID) and get accused of fare dodging because they’re ignorant as to what it is.

More than one blazing row has ensued, and more than one complaint has gone in!

Clearly a lack of training!

 

[GardenRail]

Because there's always that feeling that one could have saved £124.70 or whatever if it's not checked, I guess. If it's checked, it sort of validates spending one's wages on something that could otherwise have been spent on something else.

 

[Trainman40083]

My frustration is being woken on the train by the guard, fetching out my wallet, getting the ticket out and being told "thanks, that's fine" before the ticket is even halfway exposed.

It's great that I have such a trustworthy face and all that, but if you're going to wake me up to check my ticket, check it - otherwise, let me catch up on that sleep debt

I would suggest your initial reaction would show at experienced guard that you have a valid ticket. Some faff about, and you know there is no ticket. "Oh I've left it on the platform".

 

[12LDA28C]

Because there's always that feeling that one could have saved £124.70 or whatever if it's not checked, I guess. If it's checked, it sort of validates spending one's wages on something that could otherwise have been spent on something else.

And that's surely the issue. People who think like that appear to believe that the railway should be free and begrudge paying for a ticket. It shouldn't be a case of the cost of the fare 'could have been spent on something else' if there had been no ticket check, that's a warped view. Do people feel the same way when they go to a concert or a sporting event and have their ticket checked? What makes the Railway so different that the default position is that it's free and a ticket check is the only justification for deigning to pay for the service?

 

[Master29]

I imagine it’s because they feel like mugs for paying through the nose when they could have got away with bunking the fare.

This exactly. Why else would you be pxssed about this. Human nature.

 

[Buzby]

Everyone (?) seems to overlook the fact there was/will be a gateline check - so any ‘annoyance’ must be perverse. I’d never equate no on-board check annoyance equating to saving money - as a look at the Disputes and Prosecution sub-forum clearly shows. I don’t think the OP even suggested it, just the annoyance. How about a forehead tattooed QR code for future travel that can be topped up with an app?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

I use an old phone for my railcard so I can show an e-ticket and my railcard at the same time.

 

[Master29]

Everyone (?) seems to overlook the fact there was/will be a gateline check - so any ‘annoyance’ must be perverse. I’d never equate no on-board check annoyance equating to saving money - as a look at the Disputes and Prosecution sub-forum clearly shows. I don’t think the OP even suggested it, just the annoyance. How about a forehead tattooed QR code for future travel that can be topped up with an app?

There are not necessarily gate line checks but I take the point.

 

[GardenRail]

And that's surely the issue. People who think like that appear to believe that the railway should be free and begrudge paying for a ticket. It shouldn't be a case of the cost of the fare 'could have been spent on something else' if there had been no ticket check, that's a warped view. Do people feel the same way when they go to a concert or a sporting event and have their ticket checked? What makes the Railway so different that the default position is that it's free and a ticket check is the only justification for deigning to pay for the service?

Why do they believe it should be free? I don't believe anyone seriously thinks that. But if someone pays for a ticket, I think they're more than justified in believing that it should be checked.

Not that long ago, I travelled from Wakefield Westgate to Plymouth. The gates were open at Westgate, 3 (I think) changes of crew, and not once did anyone do a check. Gates open at Plymouth.

In fact, I'm rather bemused that your instinct is to be annoyed at the public for wanting their tickets, often costing hundreds, checking, when it should be annoyance at lack of checks.

Also doing checks makes sure only paying customers are on a train, it's rather annoying having paid, and then there's some chancer clearly not going to pay.

 

[Sorcerer]

I'm sure said individuals don't show the same level of frustration when, upon leaving a supermarket, they're not asked to produce their receipt. Make it make sense!

Not comparable situations. The reality is that people will spend hundreds of pounds on tickets to travel by train. However, when your ticket isn't checked at any point during the journey you realise that the fare dodger sitting a few seats away from you has just made the same journey you did but isn't a few hundred quid down. You feel like your honesty has been wasted while the fare dodger's dishonesty was rewarded.

And that's surely the issue. People who think like that appear to believe that the railway should be free and begrudge paying for a ticket. It shouldn't be a case of the cost of the fare 'could have been spent on something else' if there had been no ticket check, that's a warped view. Do people feel the same way when they go to a concert or a sporting event and have their ticket checked? What makes the Railway so different that the default position is that it's free and a ticket check is the only justification for deigning to pay for the service?

I realise that the railway needs money beyond taxpayer subsidies in order to sustain itself, and I will always pay for a ticket because it's the right thing to do, but if someone is fare dodging and doesn't get caught because no ticket checks were in place and there were no barriers, then it's human nature to feel frustrated because you feel like you've just been mugged off for doing the right thing when you could've made the same journey for free and had some money left over.

 

[3141]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

Dead right. Exactly what I do.

And if tickets aren't checked, I don't get "frustrated", but I do think there may be people who are getting away with not paying; and the guard/whatever isn't doing something he/she is paid to do, which isn't as bad as the cheating passenger but is another form of dishonesty.

 

[12LDA28C]

Why do they believe it should be free? I don't believe anyone seriously thinks that. But if someone pays for a ticket, I think they're more than justified in believing that it should be checked.

Not that long ago, I travelled from Wakefield Westgate to Plymouth. The gates were open at Westgate, 3 (I think) changes of crew, and not once did anyone do a check. Gates open at Plymouth.

In fact, I'm rather bemused that your instinct is to be annoyed at the public for wanting their tickets, often costing hundreds, checking, when it should be annoyance at lack of checks.

Also doing checks makes sure only paying customers are on a train, it's rather annoying having paid, and then there's some chancer clearly not going to pay.

I never suggested that at all. I'm saying that if the reason those who are annoyed that their tickets aren't checked is because they could have got away without paying then that is a rather morally bankrupt viewpoint. You pay because you are making a train journey, not because you expect to get your ticket checked.

 

[Peter0124]

Show your actual physical ticket with your Railcard also displayed in your wallet at the same time. No 'faff' whatsoever.

I tend to leave my railcard in my bag unless they ask for it, out of fear I'll lose it (or the wallet). Only asked for it about 1 in 4 times roughly.

 

[LowLevel]

Many years as a guard has told me to never assume, in reference to those on about "chancers". As a human being I am as guilty as anyone for sometimes clapping eyes on someone and thinking "oh dear, here we go" - only for them to be perfectly pleasant and friendly, as well as fully kitted out with perfectly good travel documents.

My favourite example was a group of young lads in hoodies making a noise on the platform and then piling into the train. Down I went expecting trouble to find them all sitting down, minding their own business, clutching valid tickets they'd bought from the TVM and indeed then proceeding to offer me a slice of the pizza they'd brought with them.

It obviously varies to a degree depending on the setting but most people are at least what I'd call "alright".

 

[Leven Railuser]

I made a comment in the Scotrail thread. August (festival season), Edinburgh Waverley and a platform 20 (ungaited) service ran straight through to terminus (Leven) with no checks. I think only Haymarket ad Edinburgh Gateway are gaited on that line.

This is Scotrail that are supposedly hemorrhaging money and running a temporary timetable.

With it being fairly common for people to buy tickets on board up here (especially non regular travellers), there's potentially been much lost revenue there that pushes ticket prices up