TFL - Took wrong blue discounted oyster card - please help!

[cartooncartoon]

Thank you to all who contributed to this forum.

 

I have worked my way through as many post as I can,

and it has helped me to calm down since getting cautioned by an inspector on the tube.

 

It was very distressing for me and really affected my day to day activities for the first 48 hours or so.

 

The letter that I had been expecting came today

and one thing that struck me was how it does not ask me to comment on the incident.

 

It merely asked me to fill out the form on the reverse side.

 

It reads:

1. If you deny committing an offence, please explain why.

Please note, xxx fare evasion offences are ones of strict liability.

This means that a mistake or accident is not a defence.

The fact you were on a ttt service without a valid ticket or pass is normally sufficient for a conviction.

 

2. If you accept committing an offence,

please provide any exceptional reasons,

including evidence, as to why ttt should not proceed with a prosecution.

 

The whole episode was quite distressing when the inspector came.

I wasn't expecting anything wrong and quite happily produced my card.

 

Earlier that morning, I couldn't find my normal oyster card (which has a photo)

and having emptied my bag, dug up another oyster card,

 

I then picked up a friend's card (not photocard) on the table by mistake (which I realised only on hindsight)

, which had a young person railcard loaded on it.

 

However it strangely contained also another discount, but we do not know what it was

(because my friend had asked me before what discounts are available).

 

In any case, when asked about the discounts on the card,

I panicked because it was only then I realised I took the wrong card

and I acted as if the card was my own, and told them there's a young person railcard

and possibly another thing.

 

The inspector then asked if I had any photo ID to prove the second discount,

but I didn't even know what discount was on it

 

I was even asked by a different inspector how much I paid for that card.

 

So they suspected me of fare evasion because of the second discount and then interviewed me under caution,

and I told them everything I knew about that card, but I acted as if the card belonged to me

(I still don't know why I did that).

 

I am an international and so I'm very worried about losing my visa.

My normal oyster should contain details of my travel history and the frequency of topping up,

but I'm now not even sure if I have accidentally picked up my friend's oyster card by mistake

on the days I could not find my normal oyster card (I don't travel on the tube every day).

 

My friend says he doesn't think the card is registered as he doesn't have any log in details to check that card.

 

The fact is that the card I used that day was invalid so I can't choose option 1.

 

But what should I write?

[dx100uk]

option 2

 

simply explain you made a mistake [very briefly with no unnecessary waffle!!]

 

grovel and offer to pay any reasonable admin fees and any equivalent financial sums to any fines

 

dx

[cartooncartoon]

Thank you dx100uk. Is there any need to mention my normal oyster? My worry is that of prosecution and the black mark.

[dx100uk]

it appears to me this was and they are investigating it as,

a single event of fare evasion.

 

they know who you are and can quite easily check other cards and there usage

should they wish too.

 

grovel and offer to pay any reasonable admin fees and any equivalent financial sums to any fines

in an attempt to avoid future visa and employment etc issues

as these could ruin your future.

[cartooncartoon]

Hi I have replied to their letter as advised, sending it out using their prepaid envelope, but I haven't heard anything from them since. Is it their standard practice to acknowledge that they have received my reply?

[dx100uk]

so when did you send it?

 

 

dx

[Ganymede]

Thank you to all who contributed to this forum.

 

I have worked my way through as many post as I can,

and it has helped me to calm down since getting cautioned by an inspector on the tube.

 

It was very distressing for me and really affected my day to day activities for the first 48 hours or so.

 

The letter that I had been expecting came today

and one thing that struck me was how it does not ask me to comment on the incident.

 

It merely asked me to fill out the form on the reverse side.

 

It reads:

1. If you deny committing an offence, please explain why.

Please note, xxx fare evasion offences are ones of strict liability.

This means that a mistake or accident is not a defence.

The fact you were on a ttt service without a valid ticket or pass is normally sufficient for a conviction.

 

2. If you accept committing an offence,

please provide any exceptional reasons,

including evidence, as to why ttt should not proceed with a prosecution.

 

The whole episode was quite distressing when the inspector came.

I wasn't expecting anything wrong and quite happily produced my card.

 

Earlier that morning, I couldn't find my normal oyster card (which has a photo)

and having emptied my bag, dug up another oyster card,

 

I then picked up a friend's card (not photocard) on the table by mistake (which I realised only on hindsight)

, which had a young person railcard loaded on it.

 

However it strangely contained also another discount, but we do not know what it was

(because my friend had asked me before what discounts are available).

 

In any case, when asked about the discounts on the card,

I panicked because it was only then I realised I took the wrong card

and I acted as if the card was my own, and told them there's a young person railcard

and possibly another thing.

 

The inspector then asked if I had any photo ID to prove the second discount,

but I didn't even know what discount was on it

 

I was even asked by a different inspector how much I paid for that card.

 

So they suspected me of fare evasion because of the second discount and then interviewed me under caution,

and I told them everything I knew about that card, but I acted as if the card belonged to me

(I still don't know why I did that).

 

I am an international and so I'm very worried about losing my visa.

My normal oyster should contain details of my travel history and the frequency of topping up,

but I'm now not even sure if I have accidentally picked up my friend's oyster card by mistake

on the days I could not find my normal oyster card (I don't travel on the tube every day).

 

My friend says he doesn't think the card is registered as he doesn't have any log in details to check that card.

 

The fact is that the card I used that day was invalid so I can't choose option 1.

 

But what should I write?

 

It's amazing how often this happens...

[cartooncartoon]

Letter was dated 16 March. Posted out 17 March I believe.

[dx100uk]

i'd be inclined to ring them

unless the more knowledgeable ones think otherwise

 

 

dx

[Old-CodJA]

What date did you travel when you were reported?

 

Your first post was 09th March and by then you had already received correspondence from TfL.

 

If they intend to prosecute TfL have up to 6 months to deal with these matters, I usually recommend NOT reminding them that they haven't written to you, but waiting for them to contact you and then responding as appropriate.

 

I prefer to recall my late father's advice, 'There's little point in poking a Wasp's nest unless you want to get stung.'

[cartooncartoon]

Thanks for your reply. It was 2 March.

[honeybee13]

Thanks for your reply. It was 2 March.

 

Have you heard anything else, CC?

 

HB

[cartooncartoon]

Not at all. There's not even a letter acknowledging my response.

[cartooncartoon]

I received a letter yesterday titled 'Single Justice Procedure Notice'.

 

I feel really devastated.

 

The charge reads that I 'did enter a compulsory ticket area without having with you a valid ticket.

Contrary to Byelaw 17(1) of the Transport for London Railway Byelaws

Made under paragraph 26 of Schedule 11 to the Greater London Authority Act 1999

and confirmed under section 67 of the Transport Act 1962. .'

 

I left all the grammatical mistakes as they are.

 

It also says that this charge has been authorized by a solicitor.

 

What should I do?

There seems to be no acknowledgement of the letter that I sent last time.

 

It says at the back that they are willing to settle out of Court

only when I can demonstrate 'sufficient mitigating circumstances'.

 

What should I do?

[honeybee13]

Hello again.

 

Are you able to give us an idea of what you said when you wrote please? Have you already said anything in mitigation?

 

HB

[cartooncartoon]

I wrote something like this:

 

I have read up on the terms of carriage since the incident and I now understand that it is my responsibility to ensure that I have a valid ticket for my travel.

 

It was really not my intention to have an invalid ticket but on the day of the incident

I was unable to find the primary oyster card which I use.

 

After emptying my bag in the student room and creating a mess,

I thought I found my spare Pay-As-You-Go oyster card as it looks blue on the front.

It was only later when the inspector checked my card that I realised I have picked up a friend's card by mistake

and in a panic, acted as if it was mine.

 

I recognise the gravity of failing to produce a ticket and to prevent such mistakes from happening again,

I will switch to contactless in the near future.

 

As I am an international, a prosecution would severely and negatively affect my visa,

future employment and ability to continue with my voluntary work.

 

I sincerely apologize for taking up your time.

I hope that you will consider my situation favourable and allow me to rectify the error

by covering any administrative costs that you have incurred as a result of my action.

[dx100uk]

I would simply resend you letter.

 

 

but add that you wish to meet the equiv sums of any fines to avoid the

probs a conviction will cause to your international status and future employment

express this was a one off mistake you regret making and will never intentionally commit again.

[rambo]

Same old same old...........