Sitting in First Class fine

[themalster]

Hi guys,

This morning I was late for the train and carrying a heavy bag and just got on the train. There was nowhere to sit apart from an empty First Class carriage so, stupidly, I sat in there.

An inspector came on and took my details, read my right to remain silent etc.

How much of a fine can i expect through the post?

[tonyav]

Don't do public transport.

[rowanwitch]

Its not just a fine it will also be the full first class fare for the journey I believe

[EDDIE51]

cathfromsaron, the option to sit in first class if there were no seats in standard class stopped many years ago. You can not just move unless you see the ticket inspecter coming and get out before he sees you. Once he/she asks for your ticket it is too late , you get the penalty fare.

[Sqad]

O_G

\\\Hardly chaos Sqad\\\

I disagree....imagine the journey on which it was left to the traveler to decide if he/she would be "bumped up." At least on airlines, it is check in staff that make that decision and not the individual once they got on the plane.

[EDDIE51]

rowan it is £20 or twice the single fare for the same journey which ever is the greater but not both , I posted that in my first post.

[rowanwitch]

Sorry Eddie.. missed that... Hope themaister wasn't on a long expensive trip

[emmie]

rowan, not so, you can argue you all like with the ticket inspectors but they do not budge on this. You could argue that every economy seat was taken but that isn't the point. some people do pay lot more for first class seats, whether they are taken or not doesn't matter. I would have asked what the extra fare would cost to stay there in first class, and if it was say ten quid then it would have been worth it. The cost of going any where by train is a lottery, so many fare structures, and many restrictions and many try and dodge, not that you have done that, they are as they say are doing their job.

[FredPuli43]

You should have hoped for a friendly passenger. The King's Cross - Cambridge train is often 'standing room only' . Once, someone came into the first class section I was in, the inspector demanded a penalty and extra fare from them, and I told him that it was obvious that there were no seats and the train was overcrowded, I didn't mind, and he could, perhaps, see his way to forgetting about it. He abandoned the idea. It is within the power of 'the train manager' to let people into first class anyway.

Just imagine what the litigation could be if people in an overcrowded train were injured because of it, say in an emergency stop, or simply because of the overcrowding itself. No judge would be listening to an argument beginning "we only sell a journey, not a seat". Even Ryanair couldn't get away with that !

[RATTER15]

I actually got on a bus last week, first time iv'e used public transport in 35 years.

It appear that buses no longer have bus conductors walking around with a ticket machine, how times change!!

[themalster]

I have already admitted i was in the wrong and shouldn't have done it. But having a quiet word wouldn't have been out of the question, especially as the inspector could see it was a packed train.
Sqad, I didn't intentionally do it. I ran for the train with a heavy bag and that carriage was the closest one to the stairs as the doors started beeping.

[emmie]

Fred, having witnessed a number of incidents on the trains, it has been my experience that train ticket inspectors don't usually let off passengers from paying, even ones who have a good reason. Though i did find a rather sympathetic guy, when the train i was travelling on, shot straight through the central London stop i wanted, and i ended up miles away.
I explained to the inspector that i had been told by the clerk at the ticket desk that the train would stop there, as it didn't, had to get the train back, ended up being two hours late to meet someone.

[emmie]

see if you can find a national rail complaints site and contest it.

[dzug2]

It won't be a 'fine' you will get through the post - it will either be a request to pay the penalty fare (if the inspector thought you made an honest mistake) or a notice of intended prosecution (if the inspector thought you were deliberately avoiding paying the correct fare) - ie they will take you to court to have you fined. They may offer to settle out of court

[emmie]

Fred, but would be the point of having a first class carriage, perhaps they should dispense with them all together.

[wolf63]

themalster - you have been terribly naughty, but if this is the most serious crime that you commit this week then you aren't exactly a criminal mastermind.

:-)

[emmie]

wolf, perhaps we could get themalster a good barrister, or sqad
he seems a personable bloke.. x

[themalster]

Wolf63. I feel dirty ;-)

[wolf63]

Themalster - tsk tsk :-)

[wolf63]

em - sqad? Is that Doctor Grouchy that you are referring to?

[emmie]

Dr Grouchy marx, yes..