Lost train ticket

Skillmister · 24 May 2012 at 23:20

cm1179 said:
in 1996, me and my friend paid over £60 each for a train ticket to derby so we could visit a friend.

the ****** ticket inspector didn't come around on the out or return journey. i have never held them in high regard since.

It seems to be completely random whether they come along or not. Yesterday i got checked on all 3 trains (including the 10min journey which almost never happens) and today i didn't get checked once. Admittedly the guy was about 6 seats away when i got off at manchester but i count that as not being checked

[TW]Fox · 24 May 2012 at 23:24

cm1179 said:
in 1996, me and my friend paid over £60 each for a train ticket to derby so we could visit a friend.

the ****** ticket inspector didn't come around on the out or return journey. i have never held them in high regard since.

Great

cm1179 · 24 May 2012 at 23:33

£60 was a lot of money to a 16 year old

[TW]Fox · 24 May 2012 at 23:37

What difference does it make whether they got checked? You paid to travel :confused:

King Damager · 24 May 2012 at 23:47

cm1179 said:
in 1996, me and my friend paid over £60 each for a train ticket to derby so we could visit a friend.

the ****** ticket inspector didn't come around on the out or return journey. i have never held them in high regard since.

Got a better story than that.

My gf got a ticket from Essex to Norwich to come back to Uni the other week. Went onto trainline, booked the ticket. Friday morning, goes to the station, gets on the train, travels to Norwich. Gets off at Norwich, and tries to go through the barrier. Ticket refused.... Goes over to the man at the gate. He looks at the ticket... 'Yeah this ticket is for Saturday'.... She'd booked the wrong day by mistake. The ticket gate in Essex was open, and no conductors came along the train.

I'm guessing the guy on the gate thought, as it was a Single, she'd have to drive back home to essex (or get a train), later that day, just to actually use the ticket... So it kind of made sense letting her through...

kd

chameleon · 24 May 2012 at 23:51

Well, speaking from the other side of the fence as it were, you would not believe the number of times I have heard this sort of story before. All this **** about "chance it, just go anyway" is reeeeeally bad advice. Especially on a journey with multiple changes. You might get away with it once. It not 4 times! You WILL be charged a full single fare. I have told people many times that a receipt doesn't count. It is up to yourself to look after your ticket.
If you lost your ticket to a footy match or a concert, would you try to blag your way in? Why should the railway be any different? Best bet is to try your luck at the booking office before the day of travel. They might relent and help you out. Either way, it is an expensive lesson to learn.

Oh and I'm not a complete ******* at work, if I genuinely feel someone is a hard luck case and not trying it on (which is a LOT more often than you might think!) I will cut them some slack. Doesn't mean it'll happen with the next three conductors tho.

Haggisman · 25 May 2012 at 09:34

cm1179 said:
in 1996, me and my friend paid over £60 each for a train ticket to derby so we could visit a friend.

the ****** ticket inspector didn't come around on the out or return journey. i have never held them in high regard since.

I get my season ticket checked maybe 3 times a month going to/from work every day.

Sometimes I'm tempted not to bother buying it and just risk paying the fare/penalty on the train if I do get checked!

Then I realise I'm not dirty ***** scum!

touch · 25 May 2012 at 10:10

Osian said:
Well the journey is Penzance to Stockport but with changover in Taunton, Birmingham and Nuneaton.

ThInk I'll go and ask super nicely about it at Inverness (closest) station tomorrow. Cheers

Are you cycling John O'Groats > Land's End?

Appelhanns · 25 May 2012 at 12:17

touch said:
Are you cycling John O'Groats > Land's End?

I am

just arriving in Inverness now so I'm going to pop to the station soon and put my puppy dog eyes on

touch · 25 May 2012 at 13:25

Osian said:
I am just arriving in Inverness now so I'm going to pop to the station soon and put my puppy dog eyes on

Excellent, good luck!
You should make a post about it in the road bike thread, there's a lot of us who would be interested to hear about your experiences.

mehuk · 25 May 2012 at 13:36

Cant you just sit in the bog all the way?

Dunks · 25 May 2012 at 13:42

e: ignore

Appelhanns · 25 May 2012 at 14:14

Well that went as expected

getting a ticket for the day after for £40 but it is a better journey with no changes.

I fully accept that it's my fault but is it just me that thinks this system sucks? It wouldn't take much to copy the barcode stuff that they use in concerts these days or book a ticket to a person so that you need to show ID then you could print as many tickets as you liked but only you could use it?

Appelhanns · 25 May 2012 at 14:16

touch said:
Excellent, good luck!
You should make a post about it in the road bike thread, there's a lot of us who would be interested to hear about your experiences.

I will

I have been writing a brief blog which I may post up there when I'm done as well.

Woogie · 25 May 2012 at 14:30

Yeah I wouldn't even risk it, You could try calling and asking but I wouldn't take the chance of not getting another one.

On the train back from Nottingham to London last year a guy on the train lost his ticket and produced his booking form which they refused to accept. He was then made to pay double the cost to the next station which came in at around £35 at the time and then purchase a ticket from there to London at a cost of £60 odd.... wasn't nice, I really felt for him.