Student Concern

[123Explorer123]

Hi i'm a student and i travel to college by train every morning.

the trains in the morning are heaving with college students, commuteres and the rest of the general public.

i pay for a seat which i never get!

previously i have been allowed to stand infront of the first class area (behind the drivers door) so there is space to breathe and i dont miss lessons.

one morning i was told to get onto that place only to be fined as soon as i got off!

Fair enough i was stood in a place that was presented as a first class area but i was STANDING not sitting.

I appealed and i've just recieved an email saying to was declined!

How am i supposed to turn up to college on time where there is nowhere to sit or stand on the train!, surely this should be understandable.

then the guards ever since this incident have the cheek to allow students to sit in first class then when i refuse because i got fined it's a joke and they tell me its my own fault.

This has actually made me dissapointed in the way ive been treated by different people on different trains.


Is there any way i can avoid paying. i really don't have £20 to spare as my college course requires a heck of alot of money and my train pass is over £600 yearly.


Oh and reading through the email i recieved about the incident half of what was said was juxtaposing everything i wrote in the initial appeal and they spelt my name completely wrong.

Totally unjustified for that mistake

[Hungrydoug]

I can't help with the specific problem but just so you know you don't pay for a seat on the train, you're actually paying for carriage from one place to another, so whether you were sitting or standing on 1st you're still *travelling* in first.

However I sympathise with the overcrowding, can't be easy every day.

[Chris1933]

Hi explorer,

Just a thought. . . . I'm normally the first in line to start digging for tecnicalitlies(spelling i know) to get me out of a fix - however in your situ i would first consider apealing to their better nature ahmmm

You mentioned that your travel pass costs you a yearly fee of £600. .

A polite letter (biting your tounge, i know) explaining what a wonderful company/service they are and how much you are a happy paying customer finds it leaving a sour taste in your mouth at they way this situation has been handled.

getting to the point it would be worth mentioning that they can push for this £20 and loose a potential £1800 (don't know how much studying you've got left - but neither do they) or take your word that it wont happen again and you will continue to be a "happy" paying customer.

just my 2p

P.S if they continue to be a-holes dig deep and hit them with everything you've got.