Hi all, Hoping someone will give me some advise. I have been summoned to court for fare evading with the intent to avoid payment. I travel almost everyday from London Waterloo to Farnborough Main Station for the past six months. On a Monday morning I was caught up in the underground with delays longer than expected and reached London Waterloo with very few minutes to spare till I miss my train, and be late to my meeting at a new job. The queues at the self service ticket machines were extremely long (although they are supposed to be 3-5mins wait). So I boarded the train without a ticket with the assumption I can buy on the train. Throughout my commute in the six months, I have bought several times from inductors on the train and each time have happily sold to me. Unfortunately this occasion I was unable to purchase on the train. So my assumption is I can buy from the excess ticket office at Farnborough Main. I couldn't find anyone on the platform to tell them I didn't have a ticket, so I went to the guard to let me through. His colleague then stopped and questioned me, why I travelled without a ticket in the first place. Although he was extremely rude and unhelpful, he interrogated me with my full intent to avoid paying a £12 fare! I explained my underground trains were delayed, and the self service machines had long queues. Therefore, assumed I could buy on the train like I usually do so I could make my meeting. He then mentioned I have been lucky in the past that guards issue me tickets on board. I have bank statements showing prior to this incident, approximately 8 a month have been issued on the train by guards. I offered to pay the full fare for a ticket and a penalty. He would not let me. He took my details and now I have been summoned to court with S.5(3)(a) of the Regulations of Railyways Act 1889 Can anyone please advise what I should do? Thank you!!!

Hi, I hope you can help. I boarded a local train to New Street without a ticket as the Blake Street ticket office was busy and the train was just arriving. There was no opportunity to buy a ticket on the train. When I arrived at New Street I alighted right by the lifts so used them to save time and avoid the crush on the stairs. When I got out of the lift there were two 'revenue protection staff' who asked for my ticket. I said that I did not have one and would like to buy one. They asked me where i was travelling from, if i had ID and means to buy a ticket etc. I did not have ID but said I wanted to buy a ticket. They said it was too late to buy one (i noticed that they had no ticket machines anyway). I produced a ten pound note and asked to buy a ticket but they said, and i quote, "We do not want your money." I asked if they would issue a penalty fare and they said "You are going to have a day in court". When I pointed out I would have been sold one at any other exit they gave the same reply about a day in court and implied use of the lifts was proof of evasion. They took my details, 'cautioned' me and took down a 'statement' in a notebook. Whenever I asked a question they threatened to get the transport police as i was not 'co-operating'. At all times i was calm and polite and i never attempted to leave. He would not let me read the 'caution' myself so i do not know if what he said was accurate. He would not let me read the 'statement' so i do not know if what he read out was what he had recorded. I signed it out of fear for him calling the transport police. I was not given a copy of my statement. I was not given any indication whatsoever about what would happen next. I believe that i am guilty of travelling without a ticket, but not guilty of fare evasion as i attempted to buy one at new street as many people do every day. I believe that I should have been sold a ticket or given a penalty fare and do not understand why I am due 'a day in court'. I am in the process of going through a divorce, suffering from financial difficulties and mental health problems. I am very stressed about going to court and getting a massive fine. What will happen next and what can I do to minimise the stress and cost what has happened? Thanks

Hello, I was recently caught in a first class part of the train with a standard class ticket and a ticket inspector booked me there and then. I didn't have my wallet with on me so I couldn't pay the remainder of the fare. Yesterday I received a court summons and a date. I'm assuming that if I show up to court and plead guilty that I'll have a criminal record? I'm extremely anxious about this for several reasons. Firstly I'm planning a big trip to the USA in September and secondly my career. I called a solicitor who said there would be a 90% chance he could make sure I didn't end up with a criminal conviction/record, but obviously it comes with a hefty price tag. Can anyone please advise me what they think I should do?

Hi all, I'm a housewife and mother of twin 2 year old children and plead for some advice from the experts in this forum! I travelled into London for the first time since the children were born recently and was a total idiot. Since my husband was staying at home looking after the children I borrowed his ticket wallet so I could use his pre-pay Oyster card when i got to London. I believe (and please correct if this is wrong) that there isn't a problem with using someone else's Oyster for just purchasing single tube tickets (there's no season ticket or anything other than cash on it). The idiotic part is that when trying to get into London, since the FCC train was pulling into the station when I was trying to buy a ticket I ran to get on it rather than finishing queueing and getting on the next train. While I was on the train a ticket inspector came round and the next idiotic thing I did was to produce my husband's ticket rather than just say that I didn't have one. From that point on things got worse, I was cautioned and as I'm a very sensitive person I completely panicked and was on the verge of having a panic attack - it was SO awful, I've done anything like this before and felt like a total criminal. I told the inspector that I had picked up the wrong ticket when I left the house at which point he checked and verified that I didn't have a season ticket of my own. At that point he confiscated my husband's season ticket and photocard and I was asked to sign a form that contained my inaccurate explanation. In fear and panic I signed rather than trying to correct anything and was told to expect a letter of prosecution. I've just received the notice of intention to prosecute from FCC. They state that they intend to take the matter to magistrates court and that I have to reply to their letter within 7 days detailing what happened from my point of view. They list the details of the alleged offence as: "18(2) failing to hand over a valid rail ticket for inspection" I have a few questions about how best to respond to this as I've never been in a position like this before and am very scared about what could happen to me: 1) From reading other threads I'm surprised that they've charged me under 18(2) which doesn't reflect fare evasion - is this true, and should I therefore respond purely admitting, apologising, and offering to reimburse for not having a valid ticket rather than referencing showing my husband's ticket? 2) My husband hasn't yet applied for a replacement season ticket, should he hold off doing this until my issue is resolved? Presumably he'll have to apply at some point to get it back or will it just be returned automatically? I've seen other threads with sample letters of reply, but I would really appreciate any help since I haven't been charged with what I was expecting and so am unsure how to proceed. I also don't have long to reply, so would be really grateful for any swift responses. Many thanks and apologies for the length of my post, I'm just so worried about it all and the thought of getting a criminal record (I'm intending to become a teaching assistant and fear this will be impossible if the prosecution goes ahead).

Hello please could anyone advise me i just got my letter forwarded to me yesterday and among the letter was a court summon from the magistrate court for falling to hand over a valid ticket for inspection. On the said day i topped up my oyster but did not realize that my oyster card have been exhausted when i got to the station(Haringey) thinking that i got money on my oyster card i tapped in but as i had headphones on did not notice it did not beep when i got to (finsbury park). i got stopped for inspection and i explained this to the officer in charge but he still issued me with a caution and that he would take it further - this information was not included in the witness statement( from ticket inspector) included in the statement from court. please what the best way forward as i work in a school and i dont want to have any criminal record on my file do i plead guilty or not guilty. do i attend court or not. who has been in the same situation to help.

Let me begin by saying what an idiot I have been. I was traveling on the train from A to C. I got on the train and requested the conductor for a ticket. His machine was not working and asked me to buy a ticket once I get off. I got off at my station and went to the counter to buy a ticket. In what can be described as a momentarily lapse of thinking, I said I got on at station B. Since station B is manned at all time, I could not have got on to the train and hence I was caught. The person at the ticket counter took a copy of my university ID card and I scribbled my address on a piece of paper. There was no RPO or any other authority involved and no cautions read out to me. All the officer at the ticket counter said was that I will be prosecuted. I am scared that this might lead to a criminal conviction and affect my future. I will not challenge any fine, but can a prosecution be brought about in this manner? Any help on this will be much appreciated.

hi, i just got caught using my girlsfriend's monthly travel card at an underground station, at a zone that the card doesn't cover. As i was attempting to leave the station i spoted an inspector and, as a panic reaction, turned the other way, and that's when other inspectors got me. They checked my details and came across the fact that, last year, on my only ever trouble with police/inspectors, i was issued a £50 penalty fare to which i successfully appealed (didn't have to pay). He was saying that the surenames didn't match and the date of birth is similar (i probably gave only my middle name at the time and the date of birth might have been written down wrong by the previous inspector). among the several questions/answers between me and the inspector, were: .is this card yours? - no .so your intentions were just leaving the station without paying? - yes .you have any money on you? - no i wasn't born in the EU although i hold a EU passport (fact that i didn't mention to the inspector). I also see the whole thing as a big mistake and certainly won't be doing it again. my main question is; what is the worst possible penalty in this case? Also, how long can it take for a letter to be issued to me - and, will i need a solicitor? any help would be very much appreciated Thanks

Hi, The other day I was caught without a ticket once I had left the train, I was cautioned and had a statement taken. If I would have stopped to get a ticket before boarding I would have missed it so thought I would get one from the conductor, who never reached me. I know that this shouldnt be done and that you should purchase from stations when available and I am not disputing the fact that Northern have a case against me. I have not yet received a letter but when I do does it always end up in court or can you settle out of court?