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?

[Sqad]

em

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

Why do i need a good Barrister?......;-)

I agree with you....why have First Class seats....why Private Schools.....why private Health Care.......why differing salaries?....let's ALL be the same eh?

I have no idea why no Political party had thought of that in their manifesto.......bound to get in.

[wolf63]

I saved up tokens in the Daily Mail and managed to travel first class for £20 return (Dundee to some tiny place outside Nottingham). It was great - seats bit enough for my 'curvy' backside and they fed me too. I couldn't believe how much better it was than second class.

[ojread2]

I've been on trains recently, they were packed to over flowing and the 1st class section was 'declassified' - the rush to grab a seat was horrible!

God knows why there is still 1st class. It's not sectioned away form the 'rif raf', and the only difference is you get a little piece of cotton over the headrest which is still as dirty as the normal headrests anyway

[Sqad]

oj

\\\\It's not sectioned away form the 'rif raf'\\\

No, but just far enough...;-)

[boxtops]

The first class seats on our trains are usually only about a third of one carriage, no more than 8 seats. No longer a whole carriage!

[FredPuli43]

oj, we get a better class of fare-dodger in first class !
Abolishing first class on more trains has been suggested before. (I believe there are some commuter and country trains which don't have a first class)

But I do resent paying all that extra money only to find the first class space being invaded by people who have paid only the basic fare. What makes them think there more entitled than the rest of second class (sorry 'standard class' ) ?

[Sqad]

Fred......LOL.....exactly.

[ojread2]

LOL Fred and sqad

[north star]

Not all trains and services allow a penalty fare to be issued. Cross Country trains for example do not allow such a thing.

Post a question for a more informed expert answer.

http://www.railforums...orumdisplay.php?f=105

[vulcan]

Am I wrong in thinking that years ago, possibly in the days of British rail, a passenger could just pay the difference between a first and second class ticket?
I hadn't travelled by train for many years and on my last visit to London I went to the platform and thought the train was all first class. It eventually dawned on me the name of the company was First.

[Smowball]

Lasy year I paid First Class for a long train journey. i got on the train and First Class was full - of school kids, blokes in builders boots etc, clearly just abusing the seats. I said i had paid for a ticket but everybody ignored me and I had to stand for the whole journey.

[Psybbo]

We booked first class earlier this year, the train was cancelled. There was chaos on the next train with double bookings for the seats

[craft1948]

I regularly paid for an upgrade when coming home from London to York without any problem. It was worth it to avoid the p!ssed up Geordies in secind class................

[craft1948]

^second class.

[emmie]

Sqad you don't need a barrister, i was referring to our poster themalster, thought you understood that, or are you having a funny day.

[emmie]

the trains i have used on a regular basis had inspectors checking tickets, and have seen any number of people being fined, for not having a ticket or the wrong ticket or any number of infringements they think necessary to give to the long suffering train travellers. Agree about first class, all that's different is there are 8 seats, looks just as scruffy as economy class.

[Eve]

It does seem to be discretionary on the train staff. I've seen them open first class on the mad rush to get out of London on the first off peak train from Euston to Manchester on a Friday evening (think ridiculous amounts of people literally charging the train once it's called for boarding) and the staff shouting (usually in vain) that there is another train in half an hour!

I'd avoid that train like the plague when I was commuting down there to work during the week, I would have been rubbish at the running anyhow and always had my suitcase as lived in hotels during the week, far more fun to go for some drinks around the City and get a more civilised later train.

I've also found Virgin seem to be far harsher on the penalties for ticket problems too.

Arriva seem to be more understanding. I was helping a lady who ended up on the wrong train for her booking, she was with two young children and spoke very little English and apparently had no money on her. The conductor was very good and both he and I spoke to someone she rang who spoke more English and they arranged for her to be billed for the correct ticket and gave her the form for a refund for the now redundant ticket.

If you are polite and explain and ask a lot of the staff are good at helping if you approach them first and as early as you can. Midland Mainline were great when I had a nightmare getting to St Pancras (mad journey from Covent Garden via Clapham to collect something) and literally got to the top of the platform as the train pulled out. I had a reserved ticket but the lovely staff sorted it for me to get on the next train (though they did look rather concerned as I probably looked like I was about to collapse after the run with my luggage up from Kings Cross!).

[FredPuli43]

By Jove it's true! There is a train without first class !Amazing. It runs from Preston to Blackpool. My man booked it , the fool; it's for the golf, dontchya know.First class all the way from Euston to Preston, only second class for the final leg. I mean to say, how on earth do refined people travel that way? Though I suppose no refined person ever travels from Preston to Blackpool...

My mother always called second class "third class". She would speak of 'first and third' .I think here is some strange railway reason for that viz there was a time when there was not a second class because the railway companies had an argument with the government about something or other.

[JonnyBoy12]

It will not cost you a penny. They usually just issue the death penalty for such crimes against humanity like that. That is the most vile misdeed I have ever heard of in my whole life.

Can anyone else back me up on this one?