Point taken - as I said to the Customer Service Manager - I've learnt my lesson, never to travel without a ticket. But it still shook me up.

Sorry but I have to share my experience of Arrogant Rude & Petty Ticket Inspectors. In a nutshell this is what happened - I used to travel with season tickets (since 2006) and have often caught the train and renewed it at my destination, but had stopped purchasing a season ticket this September - because I was not working enough days to warrant a season ticket. I had assumed that we were still allowed to do this as no one had complained before - and on this occassion as number of people jumped on the train without either a ticket nor Excess Fare ticket. I was wrong to jump on too without a ticket - I acknowledge this was my error but the Excess Fares sent me to the ticket inspector. He also refused to let me buy a ticket - his manner was so aggressive and confrontational - and then because I refused to move he began making abusive and offensive remarks. Why couldn't he have said started out by saying - sorry but the rules are you can't travel without a ticket, and I'm afraid you have to either pay the full fare or the Railway's specified amount - whichever was the more expensive? But he didn't and why did he not confront the other people who'd got on without a ticket or Excess Fare and were purchasing tickets too? I forgot to mention after all that agro - Excess Fares was only going to charge me for my exact jourey as a signle ticket (even though it was less that the penalty fare) - even though I asked for a return. If I was trying to fare dodge - what on earth possessed them to think I'd only want to travel one way when the could see from my Photocard I always purchase seasons tickets - were they expecting me to fare dodge on my return journey? They don't even stick to their rules - as well as not even applying the rules to everyone.