THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST RIDICULOUS, COMMENT, AND BIGGEST WASTE OF TIME!!!!! (Edit) Not once have I asked for anyones sympathy. This thread has was not made for that, this thread has been made to get advice and I think unless you have any constructive advice you should... I realise I am in the wrong, and have to be punished, but I personally feel that the punishment is to severe for the crime, hence why I have come on this thread to try and fight it. I thank so many people on this thread for not being so judgmental and actually trying to help, even though it wasnt fruitful, but the fact of the matter is, this is the penalty and I am facing up to it, I am just trying to help some of those others out there who made a stupid mistake. Now I dont know who you are, or how you live your life, but I am pretty sure you are not a saint, so please refrain from judgment

Sailor Sam.... He without sin may cast the first stone!!!!

Hi, so I got into same mess as Rosa in Novemeber, and it is finally coming to a head, but I must admit it not good news. Court summons, and a conviction!!!!! What I have learnt: 1. Honesty is not the best policy - if you reveal the truth, they have more grounds to convict you on. As nice and airy fairy it is to believe that your cooperation will be taken into consideration...IT WONT. - But if you are reading this thread, you probably have already been caught, so you may have already divulged everything. 2. Using a freedom pass is not worth it!!!! It is one of the fare evasion charges that they take seriously, so all you have read about people settling out of court does not apply here, especially if you have admitted your at fault. I think unless you have serious mitigating circumstances you will not be able to do so. I dont know what the odds are for you fighting the case if you told them you did not realise your mistake, but I think if you have got a court summons, it means they are pretty sure they can convict you! 3. Mitigaing circumstances does not really include the detriment to your job etc, cos that would be everyones case. 4. Saying sorry doesnt make a difference if you have told them your intent. I mean, I guess if you have told them everything already, then it wont hurt saying sorry, but dont expect them to feel sorry for you! Im dont know if people will agree with all this, but this is what I have found. I had false hopes of calling the prosecutions manger, saying sorry, crying a bit about my job, and uni, and then him settling out of court. But believe me...that is not the case. So I just wanted people to get a realistic account. I used my dads freedom pass Got caught Admitted I knew it was wrong Admitted it was not my first time (I dont know what came over me...) Got a letter trying to explain my side of things (Do not ignore this) Read this thread (realised I was in the s**t hole) Wrote a letter back trying to shy away from any intent, however saying sorry for my mistake, and telling them the effects on my job at uni, and work, telling them I would even do community service Got a court summons Called prosecutions dept to speak to the manager, to try and settle out of court Told they had good grounds to convict me on so no chance! The rest I guess they say is history. Sorry it is bad news, but I guess it is my fault so I have to face the consequences. On the plus side, I have noticed on some applications (mainly for universities) that is asks if you have any convictions (this is impoertant and you should read the notes, because it then talks about RELEVANT convictions. but this is not classed as a relevant conviction, so I dont know if you have to divulge this...THIS IS NOT GOSPEL, just what I have noticed) Anyway sorry for banging on, hope this helps, Hope things go better for you guys than it does for me!

Hi, so I got into this mess in Novemeber, and it is finally coming to a head, but I must admit it not good news. Court summons, and a conviction!!!!! What I have learnt: 1. Honesty is not the best policy - if you reveal the truth, they have more grounds to convict you on. As nice and airy fairy it is to believe that your cooperation will be taken into consideration...IT WONT. - But if you are reading this thread, you probably have already been caught, so you may have already divulged everything. 2. Using a freedom pass is not worth it!!!! It is one of the fare evasion charges that they take seriously, so all you have read about people settling out of court does not apply here, especially if you have admitted your at fault. I think unless you have serious mitigating circumstances you will not be able to do so. I dont know what the odds are for you fighting the case if you told them you did not realise your mistake, but I think if you have got a court summons, it means they are pretty sure they can convict you! 3. Mitigaing circumstances does not really include the detriment to your job etc, cos that would be everyones case. 4. Saying sorry doesnt make a difference if you have told them your intent. I mean, I guess if you have told them everything already, then it wont hurt saying sorry, but dont expect them to feel sorry for you! Im dont know if people will agree with all this, but this is what I have found. I had false hopes of calling the prosecutions manger, saying sorry, crying a bit about my job, and uni, and then him settling out of court. But believe me...that is not the case. So I just wanted people to get a realistic account. I used my dads freedom pass Got caught Admitted I knew it was wrong Admitted it was not my first time (I dont know what came over me...) Got a letter trying to explain my side of things (Do not ignore this) Read this thread (realised I was in the s**t hole) Wrote a letter back trying to shy away from any intent, however saying sorry for my mistake, and telling them the effects on my job at uni, and work, telling them I would even do community service Got a court summons Called prosecutions dept to speak to the manager, to try and settle out of court Told they had good grounds to convict me on so no chance! The rest I guess they say is history. Sorry it is bad news, but I guess it is my fault so I have to face the consequences. On the plus side, I have noticed on some applications (mainly for universities) that is asks if you have any convictions (this is impoertant and you should read the notes, because it then talks about RELEVANT convictions. but this is not classed as a relevant conviction, so I dont know if you have to divulge this...THIS IS NOT GOSPEL, just what I have noticed) Anyway sorry for banging on, hope this helps, Hope things go better for you guys than it does for me!

Hi, sorry for the late response. Basically I when I first committed the offense I got letter through, asking me to explain my side of things. I sent this letter off, but have not heard anything since. I will let you know when I do. Thank you all so much for your help guys, I will keep you all posted for sure

Also thanks wriggler for your comments, you didn't anger me don't worry, just annoyed with the system at the moment. Thoroughly understand I am in the wrong, and I am not excusing my actions, but some times it's the good people in the world that get s**t on, and sometimes you just have to do what you have to do in order to get by. And now with student fees rising, for me to carry on my course is probably going yo cost me another £50,000 ontop of the £15 I have already paid ( luckily I started my course before the first top up fees were put in place) but st the end of it all there are no jobs as the government has slashed budgets everywhere and no one can afford to build. Sorry I realise all you guys are against people like me, but I just wanted to say it's not so black and white

Hi, I'm still in the early stages, so I got my initial letter asking me to give my side of the story, I have done that, just sent it off, now I just have to sit and wait. :-s I will keep you posted

Hmmm, I think this post probably angers me more. So this numpty not only tried to dodge a ticket, but also had a knife on him got a stern word from a policeman thus allowing him to go on his way and most likely to do the same thing again, whereas someone with prospects of a bright future in architecture (may or may not be talking about myself) may find that completing the last 3 years of a 7 year course that she has pulled herself apart in order to do well in may not be possible for her because 1 stupid mistake of using her mums freedom pass to go to the first interview that has come up in months, after not having a job for a year because she is searching for architecture jobs (that incidentally dont exist because the government s**t all over architects) all the while not claiming benefits. Now I thoroughly understand what I did was wrong, but I repeat...slightly disproportional I also do not believe that anyone carrying a knife should be put in jail, that would be unsustainable, but criminal charge for fare evasion...once, after a lifetime of good behaviour, whereas these people get stern words...

I would just like to point out, that at the moment the government are saying if you get found with a knife, you will walk away with a caution, however not paying your tube fare will get you a criminal conviction...highly disproportionate don't you think?

Hi thanks for the response, and sorry I am new to this, I didn't realise all the threads are kinda intertwined, plus I am doing this on my phone, so it is all very diddly. I will aim to sort it out now Anyhoo, thanks again for the response. I have tried calling tfl but they just say write a response letter. So I am just wondering what I should say in that in order to make the best case for me not to get a criminal conviction. I don't care how much I have to pay, I thoroughly understand I will definitely have to pay, which is hundred per cent fine with me, I just don't want a criminal conviction. On their policies it says something about the fact they nay not prosecute if there is a chance you will lose your job, is this right, if so, surely everyone will give that arguement. I think in my first letter, I will go along the lines of I am a good person, never done anything wrong, was really good when being questioned, even though I was scared and nervous. It will mean I can't go to university, and I will lose my job. If I am going along the lines of holding my hands up and saying I did it, should I say I had just graduated as a part 1 architect, and had been looking for a job for the past year in order to be able to go on and complete my degree, so I had been without a job for a year so I had big financial difficulties?

Hello Sorry to dreg all this up again, but I am really really worried about this. I have only just found out about these threads, so I am in the process of reading through the mammoth messages, but my time is running out as I have got the dreaded first letter. I AM SO SCARED I used my dads freedom pass and got caught I have received a letter asking me to explain myself. You seem to have come out quite well. What did you write to them in the initial letter. Do I say I am guilty and that I am sorry (although that gives them all they need to convict you) or should I tell them when I signed the statement I was scared and nervous, and it was not true, I dont know? At the time I confessed all, even to using it previously (I think that is what you did) But from research, it seems that is what they need to prove you had intent to commit fare evasion, and then can easily convict you. I am so so scared I cant get a criminal conviction...it will ruin my life, I will not be able to go back to university and complete my architecture course. Please help me Many Thanks Scared2010

Hello Sorry to dreg all this up again, but I am really really worried about this. I am in the same position as you in that I used my dads freedom pass and got caught I have received a letter asking me to explain myself. You seem to have come out quite well. What did you write to them in the initial letter. Do I say I am guilty and that I am sorry (although that gives them all they need to convict you) or should I tell them when I signed the statement I was scared and nervous, and it was not true, I dont know? At the time I confessed all, even to using it previously (I think that is what you did) But from research, it seems that is what they need to prove you had intent to commit fare evasion, and then can easily convict you. I am so so scared I cant get a criminal conviction...it will ruin my life, I will not be able to go back to university and complete my architecture course. Please help me Many Thanks Scared2010