free travel from Portsmouth to Whitton

[Madamfluff]

well I could have done

 

Regular posters on here know that I have no time for fare evaders and the excuses they give but it MIGHT help the rail companies check for fare evaders if only they would bother to check tickets and have working barriers.

 

I travelled from the Island to Whitton today and the only people who actually checked my tickets were the ferry company, there were no ticket collecters on the Portsmouth train, at Clapham Junction I thought I would try and pop out for a fag, no problem as all the barriers were open, no ticket collectors on the Whitton train - and the same on the way back (except I didnt try and leave CJ )

 

 

No one checked my train tickets at all, and I know that on both Portsmouth trains the ticket collectors were there as I saw them in their little office next to first class.

 

Was today a free rail travel day or something - if so I could have saved myself and hubby about 40 quid.

[Wriggler7]

Dear Madam

 

Being a creature of early rising habits, I have similar experiences. But have you written to the various train operators, complaining?

 

CAG is a pressure group, and if members do not put pressure on service providers, nothing will change. (Or rather, it will slowly drift to worse situations than things already are)

 

Every year, railways publish 'customer satisfaction' statistics, according to which, we are all very pleased with them. Reading and hearing complaints all the time, I cannot believe that the statistics tell the truth. One explanation is that 'we' don't complain enough.

 

Another might be the clouds of herbal smoke outside my local station most mornings.

[SRPO]

Its to lull people into a false sense of security......hoping they wont buy tickets so they can dole out lots of Penalty Fares...

[sailor sam]

Sods law isn't it! I used to travel about once a month from the Isle of Wight to the midlands by train with my then young son on a family rail card which I always carried on me. However one day on the outward journey I had the miss-fortune to trip and fall over outside Portsmouth & Southsea while hurrying from the hoverbus into the station laden with a couple of cases and a child in tow. It was at this point I believe I lost the family railcard although I didn't know it at the time. I made the journey there which sometimes requires up to 4 changes. It wasn't untill I was on the final train part of the return journey (Southwest Trains) that I was asked to see my family rail card which I then discovered was missing. I explainded to the gaurd what I believe had happend but alas it didn't cut no ice so I had to pay the required normal fare. Point being, it would appear (from my experiences anyway), that the majority of gaurds don't bother checking all the travel documents. By the way, I don't use the trains any more as its cheaper for me to make the journey by car! Thats even with a family rail card and paying for the car ferry! The fares are now ridiculously too high; £140 off peak return!

 

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[Stigy]

Alot of this depends on the Guard on said trains, that coupled with it being a Sunday maybe? Certain Guards appear to adopt a can't be bothered attitude unfortunately. Clapham Junction's ticket barriers are a joke nowadays, even when staffed, as from experience it seems that the Gateline Staff just open the wide isle gate, or worse still, ignore it and talk to their freinds at the desk (when RPAs are there) and let 'customers' come and go as they please without challenging them for tickets.

 

Regarding the Windsor & Eaton train, it's highly likely that the Guard on this service wasn't a Commercial Guard, and thus can't sell tickets. That being the case it would be pointless him checking your ticket if he can't deal with you should you not have one.