Railcards not valid during half term?

[whole diary]

[Btline]

I have just found this article online:

http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/search/4177970.Train_conductor___s_abusive_language_made_me_feel_ill/

It baffles me - is that a proper railcard or is it a season ticket?

Surely a railcard is valid until the expiry date?

Anyway - yet more bad publicity for the railway (NB: Although FGW^▸ (First Great Western) region, the staff concerned were LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise)!)

[TerminalJunkie]

It's a Scholars Season Ticket, and is only valid for travel to/from school or college in term time.

[thetrout]

From the sounds of the article it to me seems like the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) was being a little heavy handed.

Threatening a person with BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) isn't exactly fair, They could have at least been offered the opertunity to purchase a ticket, and then the student getting the college to write a letter to LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) to say they were not breaking for Half Term, hence a suitable resolution could have been arranged.

In a way the TM is lucky that the traveller didn't have a panic attack...! Stress like that can cause such things, so the situation could have turned very nasty indeed!

[vacman]

Sounds quite harsh, BUT there are two sides to a story......

[Btline]

It's a Scholars Season Ticket, and is only valid for travel to/from school or college in term time.

Well that's bad - the article says railcard. Misleading.

Whilst I think the guard was too harsh, I agree with vacman - I expect the story is an exaggeration!

[Tim]

Why are validty dates and times not just printed on the ticket?  Then it is there in black and white and there is no arugment (and if the rules are too complicated to fit onto the ticket they should be simplified).

Surely LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) could find out the name of the staff member themselves from the rota?

[Zoe]

It's a Scholars Season Ticket, and is only valid for travel to/from school or college in term time.

In 2000 I was living in Teignmouth and at college in Exeter In a half terms they had some optional sessions for the course I was on.  I had a ticket that was marked valid term time only and but I thought that as the college was open and some sessions were on that it would be valid.  The guard on the train did not agree and charged me but luckily only for a Cheap Day Return.

[Tim]

  I had a ticket that was marked valid term time only

Are the dates printe don it or just a reference to term times?  It seems a bit unfiair to expect staff to know when term times are and to get it right every time if it is the latter

[Zoe]

Are the dates printe don it or just a reference to term times?  It seems a bit unfiair to expect staff to know when term times are and to get it right every time if it is the latter

It was only a reference to term times back then, not sure if it has changed now.  I thought that as the college was open and there was a help session for the course I was on that it would be valid but as I said the guard said it was not and charged me.

[Btline]

It is harsh for an Educational Season not to be valid if you are attending an educational establishment out of term-time.

But look at it from the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) pov - if they were to relax restrictions, they would lose revenue. I think discretion should be used, and off peak tickets sold.

[G.Uard]

Yet another shockingly lax and ill written piece of provincial fish and chip wrapper.


I have had the odd minor tussle with customers myself and then been amazed to find out that I threatened to turn them off trains miles from anywhere, have them prosecuted forthwith, or even banned from trains for life.  I am not saying that this particular passenger was in the wrong, but the guilty have a way of embellishing their side of the story to fit their version of events.

Let's hear both sides to this tale before deciding

[eightf48544]

It is harsh for an Educational Season not to be valid if you are attending an educational establishment out of term-time.

But look at it from the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) pov - if they were to relax restrictions, they would lose revenue. I think discretion should be used, and off peak tickets sold.

Agreed but if they are going to be valid school time then they should be endorsed with the exact dates.

Are the dates printe don it or just a reference to term times?  It seems a bit unfiair to expect staff to know when term times are and to get it right every time if it is the latter

It was only a reference to term times back then, not sure if it has changed now.  I thought that as the college was open and there was a help session for the course I was on that it would be valid but as I said the guard said it was not and charged me.

Otherwise as Zoe says to get it right staff will have to be issued with a booklet of all the local scools and their holidays.

This seems to be a sympton of a very English (Oliver Twist)  trait of working out a complicated system to give the smallest possible concessions to the minimum number of people and not a penny (spoonful more) more.

What would be the real cost to both the education buget and the TOCs if tickets were issued valid September to July? OK some kids willl use them during the holidays but not on their  normal school trains. After all which ever way you slice it we are all paying, either the subsidy on the ticket or an by indirect subsidy to the rail industry probably both. 

[Traveller]

^I wasn^t even offered the opportunity to buy a ticket, he just told us he was contacting the rail authorities.^

In a way the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) is lucky that the traveller didn't have a panic attack...! Stress like that can cause such things, so the situation could have turned very nasty indeed!

 

Does a conductor have to offer the opportunity to buy a ticket?

The other day the boy I was sitting next to pretty much had a heart attack when he was caught, but then he was actually in the wrong.

It seems to me like the best conductors use their discretion wisely but have to be very careful with what they exactly say. If not things get exaggerated and then taken the wrong way....ending up in a newspaper.