This morning at Chichester Metro station... I got off the bus and lit a cigarette.

I seen the metro pulling into the station as I was at the bottom of the stairs so I quickly ran up them

and put my network one ticket in the machine and walked through the barriers.

I headed to the back carriage of the train so I could throw my unsmoked cigarette in the bin before I got on the train.

Someone grabbed me from behind and spun me round.

It was an inspector shouting at me...

I had my earphones in my ears so I removed them and said

‘Sorry mate, I didn’t hear you shout, I’ve got my earphones in’.

He demanded to look at my pass, so I got it out of my pocket and showed it to him.

He then snatched it out of my hand and said

‘I am going to write you a court order for smoking on the platform,

I told you to put it out but you ignored me’.

I replied that I didn’t hear him,

I had my earphones in and that I was putting the cigarette out anyway to board the train.

He said something like Tough your getting a court order.

I tried to take my pass back off him.

I grabbed it but he wouldn’t let go.

He spun round and started screaming at me to let go of him.

I only had hold of my buss pass, not him.

His eyes were huge and he was spraying me with spittle as he screamed at me.

His friend then came over and the original inspector asked for my address..

. I shrugged my shoulders so he threatened to call the police

. I thought this was absolutely stupid...

My train then left the station...

I was now late for work so stupidly called the inspector a ‘f****** P****’

to which he sarcastically replied I was being abusive as well now.

All of this because I didn’t hear the guy say anything to me because I had my headphones on and was in a rush.

I am now extremely worried that I am about to be fined £500 by court order,

which is frankly an insanely stupid amount of money for such a minor indiscretion.

I have emailed Metro and complained about the inspector and how he was behaving.

I am just wondering what may happen now?

Thanks

This morning at Chichester Metro station... I got off the bus and lit a cigarette. I seen the metro pulling into the station as I was at the bottom of the stairs so I quickly ran up them and put my network one ticket in the machine and walked through the barriers. I headed to the back carriage of the train so I could through my unsmoked cigarette in the bin before I got on the train.

 

Someone grabbed me from behind and spun me round. It was an inspector shouting at me... I had my earphones in my ears so I removed them and said ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t hear you shout, I’ve got my earphones in’. He demanded to look at my pass, so I got it out of my pocket and showed it to him. He then snatched it out of my hand and said ‘I am going to write you a court order for smoking on the platform, I told you to put it out but you ignored me’.

 

I replied that I didn’t hear him, I had my earphones in and that I was putting the cigarette out anyway to board the train. He said something like Tough your getting a court order. I tried to take my pass back off him. I grabbed it but he wouldn’t let go. He spun round and started screaming at me to let go of him.

 

I only had hold of my buss pass, not him. His eyes were huge and he was spraying me with spittle as he screamed at me. His friend then came over and the original inspector asked for my address... I shrugged my shoulders so he threatened to call the police. I thought this was absolutely stupid...

 

My train then left the station... I was now late for work so stupidly called the inspector a ‘f****** P****’ to which he sarcastically replied I was being abusive as well now. All of this because I didn’t hear the guy say anything to me because I had my headphones on and was in a rush.

 

I am now extremely worried that I am about to be fined £500 by court order, which is frankly an insanely stupid amount of money for such a minor indiscretion. I have emailed Metro and complained about the inspector and how he was behaving. I am just wondering what may happen now? Thanks

Who knows what will happen.

However, let us look at it from the staff members point of view.

"I saw a traveller with a cigarette lit.

I could have just issued a ticket but instead asked him to put it out, which he ignored.

When he finally took notice of me I asked for his pass, as I am entitled to do. Whilst examining it & recording his details he forcibly snatched it from me.

I asked him for his details (as I am entitled to do) and he declined, only providing them when I noted that I would call the police if he persisted in refusing.

He then was abusive (calling me a ‘f****** P****’).

When I noted this was abusive he stated I was being "sarcastic", but I leave it to the court to asses if describing being called a a ‘f****** P****’ is abusive or not (this being a seperate offence, and as I believe it was an accurate description of abuse, I cannot see how describing it as so is "sarcastic".

As usual, when dealing with a difficult customer, having behaved as per my training (as witnessed by my colleague) I:

a) faced physical intimidation (the snatching of the pass),

b) refusal to provide details,

c) was abused by profanity, after the original offence of

d) smoking in a non-smoking area.

Given initially I was prepared to merely offer advice to the traveller, but based on their response, this report may generate proceedings for the 4 seperate offences noted at a) to d) above .......

Returning now to my take on things, given I can see two different takes on the same situation

A) It was unwise to abuse the staff member (which you admit doing)

B) there were two of them, and given they would both have written reports : who do you think a court would believe? Especially if you have to admit to both the cigarette and being abusive

Ci) you might have done better to deal with your behaviour first, and later complain about his behaviour. By describing him as "sarcastically" calling you abusive, when you admit to having been abusive - it looks like you don't have a reasonable view of the events

Cii) do you think his employers often get complaints about their staff from travellers being reported for consideration of prosecution? And if those travellers are both "bang to rights" and also have been abusive - how much credence would they place on any complaint in the absence of clear supporting evidence.

By the way : what do you feel you have to complain about of their behaviour?

Asking for your pass? They are entitled.

Saying they would call the police when you declined to give your details? They are entitled.

Describing him as sarcastic in saying you were abusive? Seems a fairly accurate (non-sarcastic) description based on your admission of what you said.

My advice to anyone wishing to complain about such staff would be to be incredibly polite to them, and give them no reason to take against you.

Imagine in court when asked "and what did the traveller say next?" and contrast the court's impression of two differing responses

A) "He said: 'Good Afternoon, gentlemen - how may I help you' " against the court's alternative impression to:

B) "He called me a ‘f****** P****’ " !

Oh, and the maximum fine is actually £1000, (per offence), plus costs, plus compensation, plus victim surcharge.

The maximum fine is not £500.

You sound like a XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

What you've done is also the WORST thing possible, you've had the CHEEK to write a complaint about the Inspector! You're chances of avoiding court, if it progresses that far, aren't great, as you clearly do not see the error of your ways.

Still, at least you've been kind enough to provide them with your name etc when writing to them!

There's nothing minor about what you've done - you've committed a series of criminal offences, which started as minor issues, which YOU escalated to Public Order/Threatening Behaviour offences. Could even go for common assault if he felt you were attacking him to get the pass back.

Yeah I'm not exactly swimming in glory here tbh. I ****ed up.

He was being a complete bellend and I reacted to it.

Yeah I'm not exactly swimming in glory here tbh. I ****ed up.

 

He was being a complete bellend and I reacted to it.

So, how can we help? What are you now aiming for?

If you'd come here before e-mailing we might have helped you hold back on the excesses of your email, and strike a more apologetic / concillatory tone.

You might still choose to try that, but they may find it a bit hard to believe you are apologetic if your first e-mail was "guns blazing".

I'm not sure what you are after currently, and even if I could guess I'd likely find it hard to help if you have "burned your boats" already......

Oh, and the maximum fine is actually £1000, (per offence), plus costs, plus compensation, plus victim surcharge.

 

The maximum fine is not £500.

 

You sound like a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

What you've done is also the WORST thing possible, you've had the CHEEK to write a complaint about the Inspector! You're chances of avoiding court, if it progresses that far, aren't great, as you clearly do not see the error of your ways.

 

Still, at least you've been kind enough to provide them with your name etc when writing to them!

 

There's nothing minor about what you've done - you've committed a series of criminal offences, which started as minor issues, which YOU escalated to Public Order/Threatening Behaviour offences. Could even go for common assault if he felt you were attacking him to get the pass back.

Sorry - but at the least this is very unhelpful language. This forum is not a court of law and we don't need to be judgmental in this way.

I am completely against smoking anywhere - and I think that what he did was wrong - but after that, we are here to answer his questions not to pillory him.

Sorry - but at the least this is very unhelpful language. This forum is not a court of law and we don't need to be judgmental in this way.

I am completely against smoking anywhere - and I think that what he did was wrong - but after that, we are here to answer his questions not to pillory him.

I agree to some extent that emotive language doesn't necessarily add anything, but I am a little unclear about what the OP expects from posting

To some extent I think it is inescapable that people will be judgmental in reading the original post in this thread, and whilst that is not the reason for any of us being here, neither are any of us doing the best for any OP by suggesting unrealistic expectations of the outcome.

Reading the post again, I see that the only question that the OP actually asks is "I am just wondering what may happen now?"

The OP has, by own admission, committed several anti-social offences that are captured by Byelaws, each of which may see a fine of up to £1000 on conviction.

The offensive language used and the behaviour displayed by the OPs own admission is very likely to ensure that the prosecutors office will deal with these matters robustly in an effort to re-educate and deter similar anti-social actions by others and that is exactly why such legislation is in place

The thing is though, I wasnt smoking on the platform... I had a lit ciggerette that I had ran up the stairs with and forgotten to disgard. I also was not ignoring the inspector, I simply did not hear him as I had earphones in. He took great offence to me 'ignoring' him, when I clearly just had not heard him. He seen my earphones as I turned around when he grabbed me. I had to take them out of my ears in front of his screaming face in order to hear him. He was kicking off because I was ignoring him, but the thing is, I was not ignoring him. I didnt hear him due to headphones. I immedialty disgarded my ciggereted as soon as he told me. He was extremely aggressive, shouting and grabbing my arm. I reacted. I shouldnt have, I accept this. It was stupid of me. I did not assault or threaten him. I tried to take the £100 bus pass back that he had snatched from my hands. I did not grab him, I grabbed my bus pass. He said that he would have just told me to get rid of it, but because I 'ignored' him, I am now getting a court order. Is this not massive overkill? It seems it to me. Anyway, thanks for the 'advice' people. Its much appreciated. I like the bits where you called me really nasty names. Not only was it a huge contribution to the thread, it made me realise what a ****** I am, so thanks. Upon some self reflection, I thought it prudent to cancel my initial complaint about the guy, despite him being an aggressive man who was litteraly spraying spit in my face as he shouted at me for daring to 'ignore' him (As explained, I did not ignore him). What I wanted from this thread was someone to tell me the likely outcome of this incident, but noone can. Cheers

The thing is though, I wasnt smoking on the platform... I had a lit ciggerette that I had ran up the stairs with and forgotten to disgard. I also was not ignoring the inspector, I simply did not hear him as I had earphones in. He took great offence to me 'ignoring' him, when I clearly just had not heard him. He seen my earphones as I turned around when he grabbed me. I had to take them out of my ears in front of his screaming face in order to hear him. He was kicking off because I was ignoring him, but the thing is, I was not ignoring him. I didnt hear him due to headphones. I immedialty disgarded my ciggereted as soon as he told me. He was extremely aggressive, shouting and grabbing my arm. I reacted. I shouldnt have, I accept this. It was stupid of me. I did not assault or threaten him. I tried to take the £100 bus pass back that he had snatched from my hands. I did not grab him, I grabbed my bus pass. He said that he would have just told me to get rid of it, but because I 'ignored' him, I am now getting a court order. Is this not massive overkill? It seems it to me. Anyway, thanks for the 'advice' people. Its much appreciated. I like the bits where you called me really nasty names. Not only was it a huge contribution to the thread, it made me realise what a ****** I am, so thanks. Upon some self reflection, I thought it prudent to cancel my initial complaint about the guy, despite him being an aggressive man who was litteraly spraying spit in my face as he shouted at me for daring to 'ignore' him (As explained, I did not ignore him). What I wanted from this thread was someone to tell me the likely outcome of this incident, but noone can. Cheers

The thing is though, I wasnt smoking on the platform... I had a lit ciggerette

I doubt that you are required to inhale for them to prosecute ; having a lit cigarette should suffice. A lit, unsmoked cigarette is as much of a fire hazard as a smoking cigarette butt.

I tried to take the £100 bus pass back that he had snatched from my hands. I did not grab him, I grabbed my bus pass.

Anyway, thanks for the 'advice' people

The 'advice' (see what you did there with the ' making out it wasn't advice?) was still advice. Perhaps not advice for you, since you had already "shot your bolt", but it may help others who read this thread.

Given you had already e-mailed them, it remains unclear what advice you want, as no-one can tell for sure what the TOC will do, and any advice would have to be retrospective.

I did raise the possibility you could e-mail again, but qualified that by noting that any apology might look contrived given your previous e-mail.

You also took some 'advice" (see, it was advice!) of mine, regarding seperating out any complaint against the staff from their process of deciding if they should prosecute you......

"I like the bits where you called me really nasty names.

One poster called you a 'nasty name'. I'm not sure that it was "really nasty", or (at least), not as nasty as calling someone a

‘f****** P****’

I don't think that that poster calling you a "nasty name" was helpful, but if you want comment on your actions and any outcome, don't expect it to be resounding congratulations rather than "you are likely to get prosecuted and here is why".

"What I wanted from this thread was someone to tell me the likely outcome of this incident, but noone can.

Not for sure, as we don't work for the TOC, but one or more summons for Bylaw offences seems likely, as should be clear from previous posts, both from me and from other posters.

Did you expect any different in terms of replies / likely outcome?.