How many checks?

[whole diary]

[Commuting Bookworm]

Thanks Insprector Blakey,
It worries me on two fronts about the fact that its the same guards that don't check the tickets. The first is fare dodgers are responsable partly for fare increases. Also I have been on a train at night, when trouble has kicked off (normally with a drunk) and could have done with it being resolved by the guard, but of course they do not come out of their little cubby hole then. Some times I have wondered why they bother having CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision), it only seems to act as a warning for them to stay hidden.

I know they say report it to the police but when the trouble is in the same carraige, there is no way its possable to call the police and for the trouble maker not to know. Like I say this has happened twice to me now.

[thetrout]

I occasionally travel on National Express East Anglia or c2c services. One thing i've notice on all the times i've travelled with c2c is that there has been NO ticket checks whatsoever! I had a slight issue with a ticket machine at 4AM at Chalkwell station. I wanted a particular ticket that I looked for 10 minutes trying to find, but couldn't find it... So I was left in a position of: Do I get on the train, ticketless and risk a nasty Penalty Fare? Or do I just buy the Standard Day Single to London and then buy a Zone 1 Single...?? I opted for the latter, and during the journey I encountered no ticket checks, nor any gatelines. But what is the ruling on this if you can't buy the ticket you want, considering most services are DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard))...??

Also with NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia) - I normally travel First Class during late evenings, mainly to avoid the drunks and local pond life. But I always end up sharing the compartment with them anyway!! But they never seem from my experience to do late night ticket checks or remove said pond life from First Class... But because NXEA operate a strict Penalty Fare scheme, I don't particularly want to be in the position of sitting in First Class with a Standard ticket, then getting PF^▸ (Penalty Fare)'d!! Yes it does say on their website that Disabled Railcard holders are entitled to use their railcard on the their trains with no risk of PF's... But Virgin Trains also said that, and I ended up being collared for ^70 for a Standard Anytime Single, which supposively had a free Weekend First upgrade, but Buffet Car staff and First Class Lounge staff said NO!!