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Original poster

to make complaint about ticket inspector who detained child and took their phone?

342 replies

SmellsLikeTeenSpirits · 04/07/2024 23:45

15 yo DD bought wrong train ticket today. She got off at stop after the one she'd bought ticket for because of a last minute change of plan with her friends. So a £2.70 journey rather than a £3 one.

At the final destination her and her friend were stopped by ticket inspector. They tried to explain what had happened and pay the excess. He wasn't having any of it. I can kind of sympathise with that.

What I would like your view on / experience of is this:

He detained them for 20 minutes. DD called me and was a bit shaken. I heard him say - you can't talk to your mum now - and then her phone went off. I tried calling and she messaged saying she'd call back in 5. He took her phone off her and went through her apps to try and prove she was over 15 (she looks 16 maybe - no older). In the end he accepted that she was in fact 15 and has written on the fine notice that he verified her age through her Vinted app. DD said she felt really uncomfortable as he went through her vinted page (where she is modelling some crop tops etc) and scrolled through the pictures. I got through to her again on the phone and asked her to put him on the phone but he refused.

Eventually he gave her a fine of £52 and let her go on her way.

Is this acceptable? Am I being unreasonable if I complain. I don't feel that an adult man should be detaining 15 year olds and confiscating their phones? She had the wrong ticket - just issue the fine if you need to?? Or am i being unreasonable - not having correct ticket is a crime - suck it up - the guy was just doing his job?

OP posts:
SuncreamAndIceCream · 05/07/2024 05:06

He had no right to search her stuff or prevent her from speaking to you. He's not police.

Viviennemary · 05/07/2024 05:02

It was harsh. But on the other hand this must happen many times a day. She should have bought the correct ticket However taking a phone. Cannot see how that could be legal.

Emmanuelll · 05/07/2024 04:57

What a disgusting creep. Definitely report him!

autienotnaughty · 05/07/2024 04:53

Bet he would have behaved differently with a 6 foot bloke. I would complain and try to get fone squashed

MargotMoon · 05/07/2024 04:50

Can children be given fines?!

Feelingstrange2 · 05/07/2024 03:43

His actions were inappropriate. I would report.
I would have expected an attempt to identify someone claiming to be a minor to include allowing an adult advocate, not cutting off communication.

Completely separate issue:
If your daughter isn't happy being viewed in her crop tops then she needs to understand that anyone can view them online and understand it's still happening even if she can't see a creep doing it.

Pepperama · 05/07/2024 03:42

Police matter, as I believe that’s illegal behaviour.
Of course also a formal complaint to the company. By letter/email, explicitly asking for a response

TheaBrandt · 05/07/2024 03:37

Bet he would not treat an adult man like that. Disgusting.

HMTheQueenMuffin · 05/07/2024 03:37

Neodymium · 05/07/2024 00:14

Totally inappropriate. If that was my daughter when I heard you can’t talk to your mum and hung up I would have called the police right then. I’d still report to the police.

I agree with this.

sashh · 05/07/2024 03:32

A quick google tells me he can only detain someone who is not complying with providing a name and address and then only until the police arrive.

Bluebirdover · 05/07/2024 01:30

ExtraOnions · 05/07/2024 01:09

I was on a train once where some arsehole of a ticket inspector was bullying a young woman. She bought a “return” instead of a “day return” or something. She didn’t have the cash for a new ticket, he wouldn’t let her mum pay the fare over the phone, he would let her boyfriend meet the train to pay for the ticket .. poor woman was in tears, so I paid for the ticket. He was furious .. pathetic man.

Brilliant and well done you!

ExtraOnions · 05/07/2024 01:09

I was on a train once where some arsehole of a ticket inspector was bullying a young woman. She bought a “return” instead of a “day return” or something. She didn’t have the cash for a new ticket, he wouldn’t let her mum pay the fare over the phone, he would let her boyfriend meet the train to pay for the ticket .. poor woman was in tears, so I paid for the ticket. He was furious .. pathetic man.

ForCheekyOpalAnt · 05/07/2024 01:08

What a jobsworth and a creep. I would definitely be reporting.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 05/07/2024 01:07

Do you not have to be 18 to have a vinted account?

ethelredonagoodday · 05/07/2024 01:06

Totally unacceptable.

Bluebirdover · 05/07/2024 01:04

kittensinthekitchen · 05/07/2024 00:19

So did the train and all the passengers just sit for 20 minutes whilst he scrolled through her phone?

Are you sure you are hearing the whole truth about what happened?

  1. The OP states that the DD had got off the train? It's very clear in the OP.
  1. What train was held up? They weren't on the train.
  1. Ticket inspectors are often at actual stations.

So, I think the DD is telling the truth?

Jeschara · 05/07/2024 00:55

Shocking, please report him. Total overreaction.

AngeloMysterioso · 05/07/2024 00:52

IANAL but I’m pretty certain ticket inspectors do not have the legal authority to prevent anyone from making phone calls, and certainly not to confiscate a person’s phone and snoop through it. Even more so for a child.

OliviaFlaversham · 05/07/2024 00:51

Even the police aren’t allowed to take your phone and search it without documents or consent to. And no consent if in fear.

HollyKnight · 05/07/2024 00:39

Going forward, make sure she has some form of ID on her. This is only £15. And teach your underaged daughter not to post photos of herself on the internet. There is no need to be model crop tops to be able to sell them on Vinted.

I'm surprised the guy even knew how to navigate Vinted to find someone's age. I don't see how that is proof. My date of birth isn't even on mine.

EBearhug · 05/07/2024 00:36

It would be one thing if she had opened an app to prove her age, but him going through her phone is totally out of order. Definitely complain.

EmeraldRoulette · 05/07/2024 00:29

Absolutely complain and vociferously.

He is an outright bully. All he needed to do was issue the fine. that behaviour is really creepy and alarming.

Proudmummy67 · 05/07/2024 00:29

That's disgusting. How dare he treat and speak to her like that. Definitely report him.

TedRunBye · 05/07/2024 00:24

Man who impersonated police officer in Wiltshire sentenced - BBC News

This kind of horrible shit happens too often...as a petite female I've frequently been stopped by "security" guards, or men allegedly in positions of authority just looking to cause trouble

(possibly planning worse - I am fairly articulate and well spoken and sometimes I get the impression they are "testing" boundaries to see if I am someone isolated and naive they can escalate things with....What would he have done if he hadn't known you were on the phone?)

Thanks for highlighting this OP.

Definitely try to have a strategy in place and also complain, publicise etc. This guy probably does this to women/people he sees as vulnerable a lot.

Chris Green's mugshot, he has a beard and balding hair.

Man who impersonated police officer in Wiltshire sentenced

Chris Green used a flashing blue light in his car to pull over a female motorist.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgrl277189do

Dibbydoos · 05/07/2024 00:21

No. He was OOO. Contact the rail company. Complain. Complain. Complain. He had no right to access her phone, may have commissioned an offence doing what he did.
If you get no joy, talk to your MP about it.

This behaviour is unacceptable. She had a right to speak to you have because she is a child.

What an arsehole. I honestly dont think this is a trao ing issue, they are really well trained. He needs sacking.

Also a £52 fine for 30p is disproportionate, get them to squash it.

This happened to me when I bought a +zones 12 rail ticket but was told I needed a +123 ticket - station on boundary of zone 2/3.

Id spent £140 for a return ticket and I said mate, i spent £140 for a ticket why would I not pay £144 instead? Its ridiculous. I'll pay the fare 2 to 3 and he agreed.