TFL fined me on London Underground

[Deleted]

Hi... I've gotten a fine from an Inspector on Monday 19th July 2010.

This is my point of view.

I was traveling from Basildon Station (Essex) with a National Rail card and arrived at West Ham Station (Zone 3). I had a vaild oyster card for Zones 1 and 2, but did touch in as I was changing over from the C2C service to the District Line. I then later changed at Mile End Station for the Central line and a few moments later an inspector got on at Bethnal Green and the train left, while he was on the train he checked me oyster which showed a red signal then looked at my National Rail card and deemly started at me for a few moments, he asked me to get off at Liverpool Street which I normally do anyway.

He then said why havn't you used your oyster card? and this was my answer.. I had a National Rail card which I thought would be vaild, but he then repiled furious at me saying BUT THIS AIN'T A NATIONAL RAIL STATION THIS IS A LONDON UNDERGROUND STATION!! but I did recall saying but on the Ticket it says London Terminal even though Liverpool Street Station is a Underground station its still linked with National Rail.

After that he gave me a fine of £25 which I have to pay and I have choosen the credit card procured which I'm definite worried about. It has now been 5 days and nothing has happened.

These are the details I've got on my Costumer notice:

Notice Number
EAA: 222192

Reason Group No: AP Number:
78 01 0084

I will give out more information via Inbox or PM

I am deeply worried as I don't want TFL to be prosecuting a 17 Year Old.

Many Thanks

Chris

[Deleted]

Well, A London Terminals ticket may well be valid on the District line to Tower Hill (not too sure though) but definatly not to Liverpool Street on the Central.

If you're gonna pay the Penalty Fare, then pay it. If it goes to court, then just explain what happened.

Moral of the story - always touch in when using Oyster!

If you could have used your NR ticket to Tower Hill, then at Mile End just ask the station staff if you can touch in there.

[Deleted]

London Terminals does not mean any London terminal, but only the ones appropriate to your starting point. I think from Basildon that would include Liverpool Street via Upminster to Romford as well as Fenchurch Street.

National Rail tickets do not allow journeys via the Underground or DLR other than where routes run in parallel, essentially where you enter and exit through the same gates, or they specifically include Underground travel. This may be a zonal ticket or for travel between terminals as part of a cross-London journey. In this case the ticket will be marked with a "†" after the destination name to indicate it is valid on TfL services.

The inspector is correct in this case, you did not have a valid ticket for travel. As it was clearly a genuine mistake though I would be surprised if they would want to do anything more than charge the penalty fare. I would say to call them up, as you are worried, to check what is happening.

[john]

I had an interesting moment with this once actually. I bought a Romford to Liv St single which displayed London Terminals. When at Liv St, I got through the NR barriers, but also managed to use the same ticket to go through the barriers at the LUL station too.

Still, the Inspector was right. The NR fare you paid was only valid for Basildon to Fenchurch Street via Barking or Liverpool Street via Romford and Upminster. At West Ham you should have touched in when crossing over to the District Line or stayed on the c2c service to Fenchurch Street

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2010 12:50:10 GMT someone said:

London Terminals does not mean any London terminal, but only the ones appropriate to your starting point. I think from Basildon that would include Liverpool Street via Upminster to Romford as well as Fenchurch Street.

I would say to call them up, as you are worried, to check what is happening.

I have spoken to the advisor at Liverpool Street on Sunday 25th and he told me that they may not hand it in straight away and it may take up to 21 days .. But thanks for the info

[Deleted]

Yeah, does look like he was right to give you a fine.
But, I think the whole ticketing system for both TFL and National Rail is very confusing, and i'm regularly using the tube/NR, so it must be even worse for a less regular user.
Also, i think the inspectors maybe need to be a little more polite. People would probably be more cooperative if the situation was more calm.

E.g. I used my oyster from London Bridge to St Pancras on the Thameslink. Not many people use the oyster for this section (at least when I tried it about a year ago), and I had to speak to a staff member to let me through the gates (as they had no readers).
Anyway, ticket inspector came on, and thought I was trying to use it for free. Although I did explain what I was doing was allowed, he was still fairly rude and gave me right dirty looks!

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2010 15:22:47 GMT @truffles1234 said:

E.g. I used my oyster from London Bridge to St Pancras on the Thameslink. Not many people use the oyster for this section (at least when I tried it about a year ago), and I had to speak to a staff member to let me through the gates (as they had no readers).

That definitely used to be a horrible situation before Pay-As-You-Go was accepted on National Rail. Although the gate line at London Bridge (NR) had Oyster readers they could only validate travelcards.

The first time I used Thameslink and tried to exit the station that way I was told I would have to go all the way back up the stairs to the platforms, touch out on the on-platform reader, then when I return ask to be let through the barrier. Totally ridiculous.

Thankfully this is no longer an issue at London Bridge since Oyster began being accepted on National Rail. Though the system is still not perfect such as when you want to change to a local service with Oyster when coming from outside of London with a paper ticket. Often the only way is to leave and re-enter the station.

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2010 15:22:47 GMT @truffles1234 said:

. People would probably be more cooperative if the situation was more calm.

he was still fairly rude and gave me right dirty looks!

I'm always co-operative towards TFL Staff as if your co-operative you get to leave the situation without hassle. At that time I was a bit shaky as that was my very first fine, i've got a warning from an inspector on the 25 cause I didn't touch in on the Articulated bus not just me he took off quite a few people on that bus.

[ServerKing]

Same happened to me on a 149 - thankfully the fine was still £20 I just paid it via Postal Order. My dopey bro-in-law didn't pay, and his £1 'free ride' ballooned into £106 fine plus court costs and a trip to Brent Magistrates

Just pay it off and touch in

[DLA 365]

Jul 24, 2010 21:17:00 GMT @eastlondon92 said:

Hi... I've gotten a fine from an Inspector on Monday 19th July 2010.

This is my point of view.

I was traveling from Basildon Station (Essex) with a National Rail card and arrived at West Ham Station (Zone 3). I had a vaild oyster card for Zones 1 and 2, but did touch in as I was changing over from the C2C service to the District Line.

By 'valid', do you mean a travelcard or just sufficient prepay? If prepay is to be used, then the inspector is right to issue a penalty fare if you didn't touch in at West Ham. If there was a travelcard loaded on it, I don't see the issue

[Deleted]

Jul 29, 2010 19:46:01 GMT DLA 365 said:

Jul 24, 2010 21:17:00 GMT @eastlondon92 said:

Hi... I've gotten a fine from an Inspector on Monday 19th July 2010.

This is my point of view.

I was traveling from Basildon Station (Essex) with a National Rail card and arrived at West Ham Station (Zone 3). I had a vaild oyster card for Zones 1 and 2, but did touch in as I was changing over from the C2C service to the District Line.

By 'valid', do you mean a travelcard or just sufficient prepay? If prepay is to be used, then the inspector is right to issue a penalty fare if you didn't touch in at West Ham. If there was a travelcard loaded on it, I don't see the issue

I had a valid Oyster card for Zones 1 and 2 only but I also had money on my oyster plus a National Rail card. But I didn't touch in as you don't get a Inspector on the tuibe, often

[Swadbus]

Jul 31, 2010 14:46:06 GMT @eastlondon92 said:

Jul 29, 2010 19:46:01 GMT DLA 365 said:

But I didn't touch in as you don't get a Inspector on the tuibe, often

So you deliberately avoided paying the fare then!