I recall standing in a 1st class area once and the ticket man came along and pinged everyone sitting down?! bizarre unwritten rules i reckon?

so you purchase authority to travel in 1st class? That would really annoy you if you bought the ticket to find all seats taken?!

So, after seeing a recent 1st class scenario play out on here, my question is: Can you stand in the 1st Class area if the train is busy? I assume you can stand but not sit - unless you have stupidly paid for a 1st class seat?! It did make me chuckle once seeing a passenger argue with the Inspector when being charged for sitting on one without a ticket.... his response was 'I will happily pay for the 1st class seat if you can explain what warrents this to be 1st Class?!'...

I wonder if the fee is high due to all the 'admin work its taken to resend letters'? Tough call here in my books? Do you want the problem to go away right now? If so..pay it and recoup the money by eating baked beans for a while sitting in the dark? OR Do you want to see where a fight takes you?

Hello Annon-mum. This is a very similar situation to what my wife went through a while back with me and my monthly pass. FCC or SWT though. She was a wreck for a week or two and then after days of web trawling we decidied to shake out of it and move forward. These guys on here are the best advice givers and dont charge anything. So we listened to what was said on here and realised - we were not going to die, we were not going to go to prison (although technically possible) so just took what ever was going to happen on the chin and we would react and deal with it IF anything happened? So, please dont let it take over your life. My wife took my pass for a day trip and was caught. We waited for the formal letter which also asks for your own version of accounts (2 weeks) then replied back. The best bit of advice i was given was to get hold of the presecution dept number once you have a case number and call it all day everyday till someone picks up.. If they are happy to avoid court then you must make them an offer - and dont be silly and offer the price of the ticket.. think about admin fee's etc.. and offer something that you are happy with that can make this mess go away... be polite and beg.. sounds brutal but thats what worked for us? Hope this helps? My Best. Noveum.

a fair point there.... These are publically funded passes... so its not a case of mr X purchased a monthly and let her wife use it for a day then gets caught?.. publically funded passes will be seen differently.. hold tight and try not to let it worry you too much.

Find the prosecution department number and ring it untill someone picks up..night and day keep calling it. Have you written already to plead with them? Best of luck - keep us posted.

no other questions from me. I have been through the mill and just happy to sit back and offer advice from past experience. thanks.

Did anything come of this thread? what was the outcome?

providing you gave the correct details when asked....and the letters are not sat at 'Mr smiths house in Burnely'?! ...I think you may have slipped through the net!

I really hope you take this to court and win. It would change a lot for the service we get. Thinking back to those cold nights when the trains pack in we left to fend for ourselves?! Do it and win.

Think I have answered a similar question to another thread like this only just the other day. 1) wait for the letter!!!! 2) Stop saying you were unaware it was taken? She knew what she was doing ...just got caught! 3) If you have to reply with a statement be honest and up front - it saves time and avoids complicated questions later on. ...oh yes..and write off the season ticket but put in your letter 'as a way to demonstrate how sorry we are, I have not tried to get back my ticket to avoid complication'.... Concentrate on helping your wife and dont get yourself involved if you dont need to?! best, Noveum.

Hello everyone. ME again! having recently got through a similar situation with my Wife - check older posts about my wife taking my season pass on a FCC train. My only - non legal advice would be the following. STOP - Wait for the letter! Dont *bullsh1t* . My wife had her first weekend away in 8 months of our baby. Unless it was your first trip on a train ever then I have no doubt that you probably thought that by using your husband ticket you would be saving the free tickets for a time when you would really need it like when he was at work? dont want to sound harsh but I had a frank conversation with the train staff and the best advice they said was...the office in charge 'were not born on the banana boat'.. they see letters everyday. Be honest, put your hands up to being a mong and plead with them to do anything to avoid court. 2) wait for the letter.... 3) when it arrives, write your statement down as requested and be to the point. No life stories. I got the impression after talking to them at the latter stages that this is a factory conveherbelt setup and they have a lot to process. 4) get hold of the SWT prosecution dept number and call it...all day..everyday till someone picks up - but only till you have a reference number. I had my monthly pass taken from me and was told I had to write to the prosecution dept and ask for it back. I was so worried about being brought into the situation by 'facilitating ticket fraud' i decided to write it off and not bother - but we mentioned in the plead letters that i have essentially forfeited 2weeks on my monthly ticket to avoid complications. Our scenario took over a month or 6weeks to play out and i understand exactly what you are going through. My wife was a wreck for about 2weeks and then we found that the process was taking so long you just learn to accept it and see what happens - its not going to end in prison unless you have other convictions i imagine? We made an offer to avoid court. Which was the best option as a conviction would have complicated the wife's employment happy to keep an eye on the thread - the guys on this site are fantastic and take everyones advice on board. will keep an eye on this one. Best. Noveum

cheers all.

Hi all, Well we have some good news (as good as it can be?!) We got a letter today saying that 'after taking our statement and letter of plea into consideration' FCC are happy to settle out of court provided we pay the sum we offered in our letters. The wife phoned up today, paid over the phone and we can all get on with our lives! We offered £350 to avoid courts. If anyone has to go through this scenario - firstly - you silly person!! Even though we begrudge the FCC/train system..they have us by the 'short and curlies'...so cant do much about it so we should just get on with it. Tip: Get in contact with the FCC prosecution dept ASAP, be honest, admit fault and plead guilty. I get the impression the system is well set out and will win either way... Thanks for everyones assistance. Will keep an eye on this site moving forward and wish everyone luck!