Interview Under Caution

[letsgoturtles]

Hi All

 

I would like to ask for some advice but would like to first hold back information which could lead to me being readily identified.

 

I've spent the past few hours searching and reading through this forum, but I can't see any threads from someone similar to me, which leads me to fear that I could be facing a substantial fine/jail time/lord knows what.

 

I was caught using a relatives photo oyster card (a retired pass). At the time I had my details taken by the ticket inspector, but at no point did he mention that I was being interviewed under caution. He asked me 5 basic questions (Did I intend to avoid paying my fare today? etc), and I answered all of them honestly.

 

Reading through the forum it seems as though I was interviewed under caution (although he did not mention the word caution), and I had to sign and date the form he completed.

 

I have now received a letter asking me to contact the revenue control inspector so that I can have an interview under caution in relation to this matter. Is this because the initial inspector did not mention I was under caution? Or is this because they want to gather as much information as possible before taking me to criminal court? Most other people are given the option of sending a letter apologising, but I have to be interviewed.

 

Note - I haven't phoned the inspector yet to arrange my availability for an interview.

[Madamfluff]

I cant answer you question but I am sure that someone will be able to offer an explanation.

 

However why do you think that you would be just able to send an apology letter for misuse of a discounted travel card. Look at at least three threads on the same page as yours including the one called freedom pass problem which deals with an incident very much like yours.

 

Travel companies take this type of fraud very seriously as the cost of these tickets come out of the public purse ( IE the tax payer) and quite rightly so.

 

The use of someone's freedom pass is not something that is accidental or unintentioned. Penalty fares do not apply in these cases. Misuse of a freedom pass is a serious issue in terms of fare evasion

 

You have not mentioned the person who actually owns the card and has the right to use it- I take it that the card was confiscated, does that mean that your relative has to pay full fare on transport without their card.

 

Depending on what you told the inspector the owner them selves could be in serious trouble if they allowed you to use the card

 

I know we are not supposed to judge on these boards (sorry mods) however freedom passes do cost of money and there may come a time when these passes are judged to be costing too much and constrictions including the age when the passes are issued and the times when they can be used are going to be used. Some bus companies are already citing the amount of 'free travel' they have to provide as an excuse to cut services. So IMO opinion if part of the cost is from fraudulent use then a strong message needs to be given to people who misuse them and a criminal record should be given as a matter of course.

 

THATS why you have to be interviewed I suspect not that somehow the ticket inspector 'made a mistake' when he interviewed you first time round

[letsgoturtles]

I cant answer you question but I am sure that someone will be able to offer an explanation.

 

However why do you think that you would be just able to send an apology letter for misuse of a discounted travel card. Look at at least three threads on the same page as yours including the one called freedom pass problem which deals with an incident very much like yours.

 

Travel companies take this type of fraud very seriously as the cost of these tickets come out of the public purse ( IE the tax payer) and quite rightly so.

 

The use of someone's freedom pass is not something that is accidental or unintentioned. Penalty fares do not apply in these cases. Misuse of a freedom pass is a serious issue in terms of fare evasion

 

You have not mentioned the person who actually owns the card and has the right to use it- I take it that the card was confiscated, does that mean that your relative has to pay full fare on transport without their card.

 

Depending on what you told the inspector the owner them selves could be in serious trouble if they allowed you to use the card

 

I know we are not supposed to judge on these boards (sorry mods) however freedom passes do cost of money and there may come a time when these passes are judged to be costing too much and constrictions including the age when the passes are issued and the times when they can be used are going to be used. Some bus companies are already citing the amount of 'free travel' they have to provide as an excuse to cut services. So IMO opinion if part of the cost is from fraudulent use then a strong message needs to be given to people who misuse them and a criminal record should be given as a matter of course.

 

THATS why you have to be interviewed I suspect not that somehow the ticket inspector 'made a mistake' when he interviewed you first time round

 

I never asked for a judgement, just some advice. I also state in my question that it's a retired pass not a freedom pass.

 

I have seen multiple threads where people have been asked to explain their actions in writing

[honeybee13]

Hi All

 

I would like to ask for some advice but would like to first hold back information which could lead to me being readily identified.

 

I've spent the past few hours searching and reading through this forum, but I can't see any threads from someone similar to me, which leads me to fear that I could be facing a substantial fine/jail time/lord knows what.

 

I was caught using a relatives photo oyster card (a retired pass). At the time I had my details taken by the ticket inspector, but at no point did he mention that I was being interviewed under caution. He asked me 5 basic questions (Did I intend to avoid paying my fare today? etc), and I answered all of them honestly.

 

Reading through the forum it seems as though I was interviewed under caution (although he did not mention the word caution), and I had to sign and date the form he completed.

 

I have now received a letter asking me to contact the revenue control inspector so that I can have an interview under caution in relation to this matter. Is this because the initial inspector did not mention I was under caution? Or is this because they want to gather as much information as possible before taking me to criminal court? Most other people are given the option of sending a letter apologising, but I have to be interviewed.

 

Note - I haven't phoned the inspector yet to arrange my availability for an interview.

 

Hello there.

 

Hopefully the transport guys will be able to get here later to answer this for you. You're right, we don't see many interviews under caution, although I think there is someone going in for a meeting fairly soon. It may not be an IUC though, can't remember offhand.

 

I agree with madamfluff, this kind of fare evasion is never well viewed by the authorities, although prison is not normally the outcome for a first 'offence'.

 

I note that you don't want to tell us in detail what has happened, but this in itself is going to make it harder to advise you. Things will be worse for you if you used the pass for a prolonged period of time, or if it's not the first time you've done this. Remember that they can pull up an Oyster card's history for the last 8 weeks, to look at patterns of travel and this could be why they waited to decide what to do.

 

Can I ask please if you told the inspector that you intended not to pay the fare that day?

 

My best, HB

[Madamfluff]

OK only some people do misname a pensioners freedom pass as a retirement pass.

 

Dont know about tfl but with the railways there are strict t&cs regarding the use of both staff discount travel cards and retired staff discount cards. Penalties for misuse include prosecution, withdrawal of the discount card and in the case of existing employees, dismissal - so you can see how seriously they take fraud .

 

It very much looks like as you had the card and it had someone else's photo on they are going to prosecute you therefore the next step is an interview under caution unless of course as a nominated dependent of the card holder you have your own card with your own photo on and accidentley used the wrong one, if that is the case then yes an interview under caution is extreme if you can produce your own card.

 

However if thats not the case then any letter of mitigation or explanation from you is not going to cut any ice with them unless you really do have a compelling and 'legal' reason for using the card and getting the benefit from it and if you do you can explain under caution what the reason was.

[honeybee13]

From the TfL website.

 

 

• Can I get one?
  
• How much do I save?
  
• How do I apply
  
• How do I use it?
  

Can I get a Freedom Pass?

 

You can get a Freedom Pass if your only or main home is in a London borough and:

 

• You were 60 or older before 6 April 2010
  
• You turned 60 on or after 6 April 2010 and meet the new age criteria
  
• Or have an eligible disability
  

[Old-CodJA]

Hi All

 

I would like to ask for some advice but would like to first hold back information which could lead to me being readily identified.

 

I've spent the past few hours searching and reading through this forum, but I can't see any threads from someone similar to me, which leads me to fear that I could be facing a substantial fine/jail time/lord knows what.

 

I was caught using a relatives photo oyster card (a retired pass). At the time I had my details taken by the ticket inspector, but at no point did he mention that I was being interviewed under caution. He asked me 5 basic questions (Did I intend to avoid paying my fare today? etc), and I answered all of them honestly.

 

Reading through the forum it seems as though I was interviewed under caution (although he did not mention the word caution), and I had to sign and date the form he completed.

 

I have now received a letter asking me to contact the revenue control inspector so that I can have an interview under caution in relation to this matter. Is this because the initial inspector did not mention I was under caution? Or is this because they want to gather as much information as possible before taking me to criminal court? Most other people are given the option of sending a letter apologising, but I have to be interviewed.

 

Note - I haven't phoned the inspector yet to arrange my availability for an interview.

 

 

It would seem that the company have sufficient evidence to proceed on the basic offence of misuse of another person's Freedom Pass, but having checked the Oyster records for the last eight weeks this may have revealed questions about the use of that Pass that they wish to investigate further.

 

Freedom Passes are paid for from public funds for the exclusive use of deserving cases. The abuse of Freedon Passes by travellers not entitled to use them is taken very seriously as a search of other threads will reveal.