Tfl prosecuting me hellllppp plzzz

[wh1tel1ght]

let me get straight to the point, i am GUILTY, i bought a child travel card for 2£ and used it to get to uni cuz i had literally no money left dat week and my grant was coming in soon

anyway, dats irrelevant, the ticket inspector stoppd me (london underground) and took my details down and said a letter will be sent to me, i askd him can i just be fined please (becuase i have been fined twice before for not having any ticket on me) but he said i will send a letter to you, i got that dreaded letter yesterday and now am worrying like crazy about whats going to happen next so if any1 can plz answer som of the following questions

 

1.wil i get a criminal conviction defintly

2.i want to plead guilty and just accept the fine, how much is it, do i need a lawyer

3.what does the letter look like wuith the court summons, i mean the envelop cuz i really dont want my parents knowing , if they see a big lookign official letter they will open it?

 

plz any help wil be soo appreciated thanks in advice guys

[Wriggler7]

At this stage of process, a lot of things are not certain. Tfl may or may not prosecute. It is their choice. At this stage, you do not need a solicitor. I do recommend that you talk to your parents, part of their 'job' is guiding you through to being an independant person, and whilst I am sure they will not be 'happy', they may well have some pearls of wisdom that they can share with you.

At this stage of the matter, no 'fine' has been set, but it might be sensible to start putting money aside, it could well end up costing you somewhere around £300.00.

Afraid that you will have to wait for Tfl to write to you, and then respond to their letter. Old Codja has drafted some replies in other threads. Take a look at them, and modify one to suit your needs.

And please, when you write to Tfl, use proper English. 'Text' language might simply irritate some people.

[Old-CodJA]

Yes, the comment about use of proper English language is very important in my view. I recognise that it is a part of modern communications and language is always evolving, but 'text speak' does irritate some people when used out of place.

 

You don't say how old you are in your OP, but I am assuming that you are over 18 years of age.

 

Try something like this:

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Your Reference >

 

I write regarding the letter that I have received from you and concerning the occasion on > when I was reported for travelling on your train service from > to > without a valid rail ticket.

 

I wish to offer my unreserved apology for my actions in the hope that you will allow this matter to be resolved without court action and thereby allowing me to preserve my good name. I have not previously been prosecuted for any offence.

 

I do recognise that I have been foolish in that I purchased a child rate ticket and I know this was wrong, but I had a need to get to university on time as it is important not to miss any of my education and I did not have enough money to pay the full fare due. In my worried state of mind I thought it was better to pay what I could rather than travel without paying anything.

 

I am extremely sorry for having failed to recognise that I was wrong to pay a child fare on this occasion.

 

I understand that fare evasion is a serious problem and unfair to the vast majority of travellers who pay the correct fare every time, I hope that you will recognise that I acted with the impulsiveness of youth and not with the intention not to pay, but out of genuine need to travel and lack of funds.

 

I wish to apologise to the member of staff concerned and to the Rail Company for the extra administration work that my actions have caused.

 

I am offering to pay the full fare that is due and the reasonable costs that have been incurred by the rail company in the hope that you will allow me to make amends for this uncharacteristic act rather than go to Court action.

 

I promise never to travel on a train without a valid rail ticket in future.

 

Yours etc.

[wh1tel1ght]

thank you very much i will definetly be using old cajas draft , and yes i wil be sure not to use text language, yes i am 21 years old by the way. I really think this whole prosecution system is a farce, criminal convictions are supposed to be for criminals who commit actual crimes, not for someone who buys a cheaper ticket or jumps on a bus, anyway i will write the letter to them and hope for the best and yes my friends have been advising me to tell my parents as wel, so guess i have to bite the bullet and tell them ,

thanks guys

[Old-CodJA]

I've tried to help you with that suggested letter, but I suggest that you amend your thinking a bit too

 

Someone who buys a child ticket at the age of 21 with the intention of travelling on a train without paying the correct fare due commits a criminal act. That is the act of fare evasion.

 

If you haven't got enough money to pay for something, but take it anyway, you are stealing.

 

.

[Wriggler7]

Crime is committed by people who break criminal laws. Bunking a train fare is exactly the same as swapping labels on goods in a shop to buy an expensive shirt more cheaply. Sorry if you don't like that, but 'there it is'.

 

To get the best results for yourself from a position of being accused of a crime, you have to start to understand how a Magistrate will see the matter, and understand that a prosecutor already has a good idea of how the Magistrates will see things.

 

And for anyone who says 'nobody got hurt', here is a thought:

 

Railways get a subsidy from the tax payer. Every pound that is given to a railway could have been given to the NHS instead, to help people who are in pain and dying. If you avoid a rail fare, people do get hurt.

 

We are all aware that soldiers are getting hurt because their kit isn't the best that money can buy. Next time you gip a bit from 'the railway', perhaps think about others who give rather more than they get.

 

Old Codja and others will freely give advice, and don't mind a bit to whom, but the best advice anyone can give is 'don't do it in the first place'.

 

Thats off my chest.

[Stigy]

thank you very much i will definetly be using old cajas draft , and yes i wil be sure not to use text language, yes i am 21 years old by the way. I really think this whole prosecution system is a farce, criminal convictions are supposed to be for criminals who commit actual crimes, not for someone who buys a cheaper ticket or jumps on a bus, anyway i will write the letter to them and hope for the best and yes my friends have been advising me to tell my parents as wel, so guess i have to bite the bullet and tell them ,

thanks guys

You've already admitted that you knew you had done wrong, as you've been Penalty Fared before on two occasions, and you obviously knew you should be using an Adult Ticket at 21 years of age. Fare Evasion is an 'actual crime'. Next thing you'll be saying is that train comapnies should be out catching murderers and rapists ;(

 

Can't really add further to the sound advice already given here though, just that it would be in your interest to suggest paying any reasonable admin costs in order to stay out of court. TfL aren't obliged to accept, and may decide against settling with you given your history.