[Article] Healy Eames to appeal fine for boarding train without ticket

[Pilotman]

Its getting very close to the point where Irish Rail will have to have staff at the entrance gate of the station to meet and greet potential passengers.

Hold their hands, Guide them gently to the ticket machines or booking office and then bring them to the train. Make sure they sit down and are comfortable and then the train may leave.

Passengers are supposed to be in the stations in time to buy a ticket - if not they put up with the consequences.

Gates, at certain stations, are allegedly to be closed a few minutes before the departure of the train.

Has anyone any information on how often did this person had to buy a ticket on the train. Is it by any chance a 'habit' not to buy one in the station ???? Be interesting to find out.

This is a grown up person who knows the score. She is in a government position who should know better.

Me thinks she has done or attempted to do this before and the staff were getting fed up with it. The attitude may be 'don't you know who I am'. Don't question me mentality.

She got caught, didn't like it and screamed - tough. Pay up love - next please.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Pilotman

Its getting very close to the point where Irish Rail will have to have staff at the entrance gate of the station to meet and greet potential passengers.

Hold their hands, Guide them gently to the ticket machines or booking office and then bring them to the train. Make sure they sit down and are comfortable and then the train may leave.

Passengers are supposed to be in the stations in time to buy a ticket - if not they put up with the consequences.

Gates, at certain stations, are allegedly to be closed a few minutes before the departure of the train.

Has anyone any information on how often did this person had to buy a ticket on the train. Is it by any chance a 'habit' not to buy one in the station ???? Be interesting to find out.

This is a grown up person who knows the score. She is in a government position who should know better.

Me thinks she has done or attempted to do this before and the staff were getting fed up with it. The attitude may be 'don't you know who I am'. Don't question me mentality.

She got caught, didn't like it and screamed - tough. Pay up love - next please.

Irish Rail should consider using the following wording on their website and at stations

"If you board a train where you could have bought (or collected) a ticket at a ticket office or from a ticket machine you risk a fine should you be challenged by staff on board the train or at the point of dis-embarkation". Covers all eventualities and inconsistencies.

There is still a potential problem if a station which is supposed to be staffed is not or if ticket machines are not accessible or working. I did have a recent experience whereby I booked a ticket online for collection at a station which was unstaffed (when it should have been staffed). Evntually picked up the ticket at Heuston having completed the outward part of the journey.

[plant43]

It should be as simple as "Buy a ticket at the station or pay more for it on the train (and not be able to avail of any discounts if bought on the train)".

[Inniskeen]

So what should I have done when having arrived at the station (about 15 minutes before departure) and being unable to collect my already purchased ticket and unable to buy another ?

You cannot oblige people to have a ticket before boarding a train if it is not reasonably possible to do so.

Consistency is vital in these matters unless Irish Rail want to shell out shed loads of money compensating people.

While the Senator is probably more at fault than Irish Rail in the incident which triggered this discussion, the inconsistent approach on Irish Rail's part will probably ensure the Senator pays no fine !

[Mark Gleeson]

Buried in the rules, allows a passenger to travel with a document which is exchangeable for a ticket to travel. So if you can't collect the ticket if you have a print out of the reservation or can show it on a phone you shouldn't have problems.

On trains carrying a ticket checker or train host, they should be carrying a train manifest with all reservations listed.

The inconsistency lies with the distinction between a ticket checker and an RPU officer, ticket checkers can't issue fines.

[Pilotman]

I remember seeing in a station in England some years ago three different methods of legally travelling on a train.

1. Buying a valid ticket in the booking office - if open.

2. Buying a valid ticket from a machine at anytime - booking office open or not.

3. If the booking office was closed and the ticket machine was out of order then there was another machine which would give you a Permit to Travel ticket.

The way it worked was that you put into the machine the amount of money for the journey if you knew it or just put in any amount and get your Permit to Travel.

At your destination station you were obliged to go to the ticket collector or booking office and present the Permit and pay the difference in the fare.

If you were 'checked' on the train you could pay the travelling ticket collector too.

So really you had no excuse for not having a ticket to travel.

Yes I agree Irish Rail needs to be consistent in their approach to people buying tickets etc.

Unfortunately we have people who study the routine in stations, on trains and at destination stations and know how to avoid paying.

I recall many years ago people buying tickets in Amiens Street to Killester although they were going further afield and were aware that more than likely they won't get caught at their destination station - so they take a chance.
That applied to not just the working man but also to your bank managers etc. They were all up for free travel if they could get away with it.

The Free Travel available to the elderly and those on disability etc abuse the system every which way.

The Government won't do anything about it - there was suggestions that new passes were going to be issued but I think thats been put on hold.

These Free Travel passes need to be renewed with a certain amount of security attached, on a regular basis so that the system doesn't get abused.
I've seen some people presenting their alleged Free Passes to bus drivers and they only amount to a piece of crumpled paper.

[comcor]

I believe the free travel pass will be updated when the full PSC card rolls out. I have no idea what the timeframe is for that though.