SWT Penalty Fare Rant

[trj977]

A friend of mine, well a guy I have a pint or three with now and then, has just taken early retirement form being a "revenue assurance officer" for SWT. He regularly worked at Richmond on the barriers. Reason being, he just could not handle the grief anymore. Not only from aggressive passengers, but also the Hitler like new team members. Plus the increased chasing of monthly targets by the management team. According to him all good sense had gone out the window.

 

[hackbike 666]

I travel on the Chingford line and you could actually tell the fare dodgers who made it a bit obvious when the TTI's got on by dodging up the train and by making it pretty obvious they were "looking out".

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Just looking at it from a different angle. You know you're wife had good intentions but what if she plays that scam every day? Don't buy a ticket and when you get to the other end, if the barriers are open - free ride. If they're not, come up with an excuse about fast trains etc and offer to pay the extension. Odds on you'd maybe pay once/twice a week and ride for free the rest.
Why should SWT be expected to assess each person adn try to determine if they're genuine or a blagger?

Fair point – but she doesn’t, and I’ve never seen the barriers open/unattended at Twickenham, especially during rush hour. I’m obviously biased here, but I don’t think having a ticket for all but the last few hundred yards of your journey and then approaching a member of staff to pay (as you have done without a problem before) is in any way the same as jumping on a train, hiding from the inspector and attempting to jump the barriers, or lie about where you travelled from. It’s the lack of discretion and, more importantly, the rudeness of the little sh1te that annoys me.

I remembered another incident that happened to a friend of mine at Twickenham – on a match day. On match days, because of 80K attendance at the stadium they put in a “one way” system at the station, you basically access the London bound platform from the car park, and leave it via the normal steps. My friend, who was on her own, 7 months pregnant and with her toddler, bought a ticket, went through the barrier, down the steps as one usually would. The match was taking place a the time, so there were no crowd issues. When she got to the bottom and was literally on the platform, the member of staff on the temporary gate at the bottom (who I know hugely suspect is the same arrogant tosser, I’ll have to ask her) insisted she turn around, climb back up the steps, go back to the ticket office, walk round to the car park and enter the platform from there. There was about a dozen people on the platform and the next train that came in had fewer than 10 people in each carriage. I think 99.99% of people would have thought that letting a pregnant mum, with a toddler and a push chair through what was technically an exit, when there was absolutely zero risk, would be a time to use a little discretion or bend the rules. But I suppose we all have the misfortune of meeting the odd little cock on a power trip.

 

[mm101]

TC - the man sounds absolutely dreadful and i hope your partner will complain and appeal. My sympathies to her.

The more i see of life i realise that some just people like to argue and be a pain in the neck. Seems it's there way of getting attention and being noticed. In situations like this i rarely argue back anymore or give them the satisfaction of seeing me annoyed or angry because this is how they get their kicks and the only person it upsets is me. Be nice, ultra polite, smile sweetly,(though not sarcastically) at them and ask them if they've had a bad day - they hate it!!!

 

[skrx]

I played the system every day for a month on a Southern route (I'd have done it for longer, but after the month I didn't need to take that train any more, and I didn't think of it sooner).

I had to go from Salfords, Surrey ("permit to travel" machine only) to a station one stop from Clapham Junction. I'd buy singles online from CLJ to my home station, which were about 80p. Then I'd put 10p in the permit to travel machine -- I'd pay the fare to CLJ if I was stopped, but otherwise I got home for 90p.

For my outward journey I had an open return section of a ticket, and as there were no barriers at Salfords I could reuse it unless it was clipped :-).

(If there was a student discount on a season ticket, or if they charged off-peak fares for the almost empty trains leaving London in the morning, I'd have been less tempted to cheat the system.)

 

[Bollo]

Sounds a B'stard TC. had a quick flick through the replies and I'd have pointed you in the direction of that article about SWT's 'reputation' for revenue protection.

With one exception, I've never had any hassle with SWT employees. BUT, I've noticed a recent change in attitude amongst the station staff in particular. I think some of it is due to job losses kicking in and making people twitchy.

Also, I think SWT are getting precious about reduced fare revenue during the recession, despite holding the one of the most profitable and over-subsidised franchises in the network, and is passing its joy down to the front-line staff.

 

[hackbike 666]

I think you are right there bollo.There has been a rumour recently that they want to make 400 drivers redundant but it's only a vicious rumour.Station staff and TTI's have gone already.

 

[The Jogger]

I quite often drive the 20 mins from my village to haslemere and use swt. I find the vast majority of staff polite and friendly. You'll always get one that will refuse to bend the rules.