I would normally use the card twice a day,
3 times a week for every week that I have college on the National Rail.
I've been using the card since before November I believe, although I'm not entirely sure.
I've also used it on some occasions that are not related to traveling to colleges including running an errand for my family etc.
My grandma has also left the country before I started using the Freedom Pass.
A couple of weeks ago I was approached by a plain clothes inspector after touching in the barricade with my Gran's Freedom Pass at London Underground station.
He asked to see my pass, and since I was pretty much nervous I showed him my 16+ photocard,
he checked it and asked to see my other pass so I had no choice, but to show him the pass I was using.
After that he asked how old I was, I wasn't sure what to do and I was seriously "NERVOUS & SCARED!"!
So I said to him that I was 17 when in fact I turned 18 2 months ago.
He then took both the passes and ask his colleague to check the cards,
in the mean time he asked me a bunch of questions e.g. my address, name and the same question which he had already asked me
"how old are you?" and since he already asked me that same question already
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell him the truth which would be a different answer so I said that I'm 17...again.
After his colleague returned with the passes, the ticket inspector asked me mow many times I've used the card,
as i mention before I was really nervous and scared so I said twice in which he asked me for the exact date.
After jotting down a long note into his notebook, he began asking be questions again:
"Who's card is this?", "
Where are you intending to travel to?", "
Are you traveling with the intention of avoiding the travel fares?",
"Do you have money to pay for the fare?" and "
Is the card rightfully yours?", .
So I told him that it was my grandma's, Piccadilly Circus, yes, yes (although the money I have at that time was the part money
I was supposed to pay back to my friend of £120)and replied to his answer with a question
"What do you mean by if it's rightfully mine?", which he replied so I said that my grandma let me use it.
He then asked the same question and explain it again so I said no which I don't understand the reason that he has to ask me the question
seeing as it's pretty obvious it's not "mine".
After writing down a long note into his notebook again, he asked if I wants him to read what he wrote down,
I said yes and at the end he asked me if I understand and agree that everything he wrote down is true,
I replied again with a yes.
He gave my back my photocard, but kept the freedom pass. He let me out and tell me to buy a valid ticket.
Now I know it was my fault that I used the Freedom Pass in the first place and I should never have done it at all,
but at the moment I'm facing financial problems which includes owing my friends money over £300.
I have applied to a part time/weekend job so that it won't affect my studies since they are pretty bad
and I have huge amount of coursework to do at the moment, but I had to luck of getting ones.
I've a read few posts related to getting caught with freedom pass on CAG and I understand that I will be prosecuted, but I still have a bunch of questions to ask:
- Will I go to jail?
- Is it possible to ask for a community service instead as I have absolutely no money at the moment in which I could afford to pay for the fines?
- Will I get a criminal record?
- Should I write an apologetic letter to them?
- Does getting summon to court and dealing with the situation out of court make any difference?
It'd be great if I could get an answer to my problems...
Thank
Thanks.
