Under 16 treatment by ticket staff

Yeah, I can sympahtise with you Joe, at your age I looked a little older than I was, and was surprised how rude and unpleasant some bus drivers were. BTW does your avatar represent an alien happy on a good drink? ;D

I've started to use my priv to prove that i'm under 16 (especially on the buses) as my oyster has bitten the dust!

Everyone's ever so much more polite...

Sam

;D *Chuckling to himself*

No, not really - I was just getting bored of having nothing there. I'm gonna get some photo's soon, so I'll put them up, but IMO, having that alien thing is better than nothing!

Hmm. The PTE here introduced a scheme whereby if you were 14-16 you'd get a photo pass which showed you were <16, if you looked like you might be over 16. Now this has been extended down to 10 year olds, who must have a pass to get child fare. Even if they are blatently only 10, jobsworth staff seem to get a kick from getting them to pay the full fare - they know the kid is entitled to the child fare but because they havn't got a pass they won't let them on. Rather than assisting people in confirming their age when its in doubt, it seems to have become a "must-have" for anyone of any age.

When I was down in London a few years ago, a guy at the ticket office demanded identification to allow me to purchase a child travelcard (because, guess what, the machines won't sell you one. How useful when the ticket office is closed.). However when I went away and came back with parents 10 minutes later, he sold me one with no problems whatsoever...

Only under certain conditions, based on household income. They also don't seem to recognise that people may be starting the same courses as everyone else but be a few days outside the year group, and hence are told to shove off.

Not quite LU, but the worst example that I've heard of this sort of thing is Arrivas bus routes around Epping. I was told that on one route, used heavily for school traffic, a child has to carry TWO photo passes. As it passes over the Essex/Herts boundary, and then back again, they have to have an Essex and Herts pass. Without these they would get charged adult fare (as if a school uniform wasn't a giveaway).

That seems a bit unfair alex! lets not forget at the end of the day it is all down to discretion, which i know a lot of station staff use. Incidentally when our ticket office is closed and the machines are playing up we let people go on the mainline route from my station without tickets.We phone the station concerned, give the customer our name and yet the staff at their destination are itching to penalty fare them etc etc

Let's be fair people, ticket sellers, revenue inspectors and gateline staff are told "these are the rules, go enforce them". I've had to deal with parents, stroppy teenagers and all that.......yes the system isn't perfect, and yes some staff are over zealous at times - but at the end of the day all staff have to abide by the conditions of carraige (bus companies do have something similar, especially on council contracted school journeys).

As has already been stated, the only gauranteed way of getting child fares, is to have the relevant photocard.

Wether that's right or wrong would probably make another thread in it's own right - but those are the rules.


On the subject of the baby having a ticket, yes they go free up to the age of five - but only if they do not occupy a seat. If said baby is in a 'car seat' for example, and that is placed on a seat, a fare is payable. Similarly a toddler/child of 2,3 or 4 years, if occupying a seat, should have a ticket. Infact when I worked in the ticket office, all ticket sellers would actively encourage people with kids under 5 to buy the family travelcard. Why shouldn't they have explioted the rules and saved a few pence?

Edit: Phil and a few others posted while I was typing - Phil is absolutely right - if you're obviously a kid, and you have no money or an invalid ticket, the instruction is better safe than sorry...........................trouble is, too many kids know that policy only too well

Yea I know. I was a bit surprised when I was told about that bus route. The fares aren't cheap in that part of the world either, someone was telling me a four mile journey cost them £4.80 I'm not sure if this is a single or return, but by bus it's still a lot. A few years ago you could get a Stagecoach bus, unlimited journeys all over the south of England for a mere £4.40

Used to get this when i was in me teens! Would be buying a ticket at a BRITISH RAIL station as it was then [!] and I'd get the ticket seller ask me abruptly "Whats your date of birth"
I'd get all sarcastic and say summat like "third of the second, Eighteen Sixty two, what'd ya think eh?"

tap tap tap on the ticket machine and I gets me CHILD ticket.

Well guys,

I was on a photography trip around December. I didn't take much money because i brought along a packed lunch. "It's cheaper you know". Anyway, i wanted a drink so i spent the pound i brought along for the purpose. Now i must of droped my ticket as i got the money out as when i got to the station it wasn't there.

Go back into mcdonalds, can't find it. So 10 mins go by and it's 5.30 on a dark cold evening in London. Phone my mum on my mobile and she said go to the ticket office and see if they can help. Phone me back straight away afterwards.

So i go up to the ticket office and explain. So he asks where i live, Upminster.
He goes blimey right, goes into his pocket punches up a single to UB and says there you go.
I say thank you i will pay you back.

Get home phone mum at work, everything is fine. Late January i go back to Charing Cross.
I don't see him, go back a lil later and there he is. I gave him the money back and thanked him.

If he hadn't done that i would probably be writing a much longer story!

James