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No more bunking trains?



Just got a £10 fine on the spot for bunking Lancing - Brighton despite my protests :angry: Fed them a story about having to rush for the train at Aldrington and assumed I could pay the conductor. What a pile of plop, so if you're late for work and can't find an inspector, you get fined. Be warned.
 




Virgo's Haircut

Resident Train Guru
Jul 5, 2003
4,490
On a train...
Just get one of those "Permit to Travel" things for 5p and you're covered!

I should know, I work for South Central
 








Virgo's Haircut

Resident Train Guru
Jul 5, 2003
4,490
On a train...
DÃnN¥ §ëÃGuLL© said:

The little red machines on all of South Central's stations. It basically gives you the right to travel. You have to pay the difference if a conductor or revenue protection come along, but they can't penalty fare you. And you can put as little as 5p in to get a permit.
 
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bhaexpress

New member
Jul 7, 2003
27,627
Kent
Yep he's right. Those 'permit to travel machines are there, trouble is that they usually don't work. Happened to me when I went to meet Mrs BHA at Gatwick a few weeks ago. All machines foricated at West Worthing and no ticket office for another hour. Come ticket check tried to explain but ticket colector was probably a Pompey fan I.E. thick.

Anyway I point blank refiused to pay a penalty fare in view of the fact that there was no way I could buy a ticket from my point of departure. Eventually said muppet took the hint and sold me a ticket without a penalty fare.

However, if you travel without a ticket when a booking office is open or the ticket machine is working then you will get stuffed for a penalty fare, it's been like that since April. Telling them that you had to run for the train won't cut it as they'll tell you you should have got to the station earlier or bought a ticket and got the next train

It's annoying because I always buy a ticket and seldom get it checked. Travelling from London tp Brighton especially on Thameslink it's a racing cert they'll check your ticket, even outside of rush hour.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,575
Back in Sussex
The 'ticket to ride' theory is fatally flawed. You're stuffed if you only have notes and/or cards.

We got penalty fared on a night out in Brighton - caught the train down from Three Bridges. Arrived in what should have been plenty of time to get a ticket but that didn't take account of the twats who were in front of us also trying to buy tickets. So we went to get a tickets to ride, but I had no change at all. Jumped on the train as we didn't want to wait for the next one.

On arrival at Brighton thought we could just buy our two return tickets but no such luck - two lots of penalty fare. I was told I should have got a 'permit to travel' - I said I couldn't as the machines do not accept notes or cards. I showed the guy my wallet - cards and plenty of notes - not a single coin. I still got hit with two £10 fines for my trouble.

So there you go - discriminated against for not carrying coins. Stupid tossers.
 






bhaexpress

New member
Jul 7, 2003
27,627
Kent
Bozza, see that's the problem, if the ticket office is going you're stuffed. It really annoying when you get a bunch of tossers in front of you who don't know where they're going or what they want.

Last time I met Mrs BHA at Gatwick I discovered that the ticket machines have been changed so that they only give out 'Popular' destinations (since when has East Croydon been popular ?) Suffice to say I had to buy a ticket from the booking office which wouldn't have been a problem except that they only had TWO windows open. Hence friggin' great queue packed with people who (understandably as it's an airport) didn't know where they wanted to go. I even had the bloke in front of me (he was rather foriegn) trying to haggle over the fare he wanted ! Needless to say, at 7.55 AM the 'Travel Centre' was well and truly shut.

Sufffice to say it took me 15 minutes to get my ticket, and to cap it all, guess what ? No bloody check !!!
 
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Wilts

New member
Jul 5, 2003
1,772
Bournemouth/Reading
At Reading Station they have ticket machines for coins and cards. And if they have queues, then go to the normal ticket offices.

You can't get through the barriers without one.

If you're travelling from a station in the middle of nowhere (without a ticket machine, and you don't have any change), to Reading, you can get a ticket on the train, and if you don't, then when you get to Reading station you have to join a queue for the Excess Fares Office before you can get through the barriers.

So if the ticket man doesn't come round, go and find him on the train and pay by cash/card then. Show him/her your railcard if you have one and they give you the discount as per normal. If you have a permit to travel (i.e. you don't have enough cash for the fare), then they just take that off your bill. You don't need one though, if you are cash-less at the time.

Then get a ticket and hand it to the bloke by the barriers and he lets you through.

Flawless, and works every time. Just don't pay 20p to go for a piss in the neon-lit toilets when you get there :ohmy:
 




Stumpy Tim

Well-known member
If they decide to be so arsey to you, then just do it back. I used to do all I could to stop them stamping my tickets, so at the end of each month I sent all my unchecked tickets to them & claimed I didn't use them. Result - a nice monthly refund.

Thanks Connex, you shower of shite
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
You got what you deserved - buy a ticket and be honest for once, Railways are businesses not charities.

No sympathy what so ever
 


fatboy

Active member
Jul 5, 2003
13,094
Falmer
Pethick's Haircut said:
The little red machines on all of South Central's stations. It basically gives you the right to travel. You have to pay the difference if a conductor or revenue protection come along, but they can't penalty fare you. And you can put as little as 5p in to get a permit.

Permit to Travel machines ONLY work when the main ticket office is shut.

Otherwise everyone would use them and only buy a ticket if they get caught.




They are making it a lot more difficult to bunk now. But there are a few ways around it.

Saying you didn't have time to get a ticket/didn't have change etc WILL NOT get you out of paying a fine. There are signs up all over the place warning you.

If you say you got on at Moulsecoomb you can still buy a ticket on arrival at Brighton. This is because there are NO facilities at Moulsecoomb Station to buy a ticket. You may be f***ed though because sometimes there are guards at Moulsecoomb.

You can always get away with not paying the fine at Brighton Station buy giving them a card that won't work, ie a cash card, or a debit card with no money in it. They don't scan it they just write down the number.

An appeal will probably be sucessful if you know what you are arguing.

Also, the guards on the South Central trains (Eastbourne - Worthing) will still let you buy a ticket on the train if you are polite to them.
 


The Clown of Pevensey Bay

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,327
Suburbia
Beach Hut said:
Railways are businesses not charities.

Yes, but if I had the choice I would never again patronise a business that had f***ed me over quite as much as, say, Virgin Trains.

The whole railway ticket pricing/buying system is hideously complex. I always buy a ticket before getting on a train, but I really f***ing object to being told that I'm travelling at the wrong time, or that my ticket isn't valid for this service, or whatever.

Many's the time that I've arrived in London hours late, or been diverted via Ribblehead, or taken four hours to get from Birmingham to Crewe.

Eejits.
 
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The Clown of Pevensey Bay

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,327
Suburbia
The Clown of Pevensey Bay said:
Yes, but if I had the choice I would never again patronise a business that had f***ed me over quite as much as, say, Virgin Trains.

The whole railway ticket pricing/buying system is hideously complex. I always buy a ticket before getting on a train, but I really f***ing object to being told that I'm travelling at the wrong time, or that my ticket isn't valid for this service, or whatever.

Many's the time that I've arrived in London hours late, or been diverted via Ribblehead, or taken four hours to get from Birmingham to Crewe.

Eejits.
 


Gary Nelson

New member
Jul 25, 2003
1,378
Hove
fatboy said:
Permit to Travel machines ONLY work when the main ticket office is shut.

Otherwise everyone would use them and only buy a ticket if they get caught.




They are making it a lot more difficult to bunk now. But there are a few ways around it.

Saying you didn't have time to get a ticket/didn't have change etc WILL NOT get you out of paying a fine. There are signs up all over the place warning you.

If you say you got on at Moulsecoomb you can still buy a ticket on arrival at Brighton. This is because there are NO facilities at Moulsecoomb Station to buy a ticket. You may be f***ed though because sometimes there are guards at Moulsecoomb.

You can always get away with not paying the fine at Brighton Station buy giving them a card that won't work, ie a cash card, or a debit card with no money in it. They don't scan it they just write down the number.

An appeal will probably be sucessful if you know what you are arguing.

Also, the guards on the South Central trains (Eastbourne - Worthing) will still let you buy a ticket on the train if you are polite to them.


dont listen to this man. I have not been on a train once with him whereby the tivkets is valid despite paying £30 when we should have caught the 03.27 train.

Buy a ticket you tight pikey!
 



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