Did I do the wrong thing?

What you did was harmless and supportive of the future those girls could become politicians and your act of kindness will be remembered

You absolutely did the right thing. My daughter (14 at the time )was travelling by train alone one day. She was originally travelling to a different station and had a ticket for that (same price). Once through the barriers the plan had to change and she had to catch the train back to near our home to get home safely. She couldn’t go back through barriers to buy a ticket and so planned to explain and purchase a new ticket if required on the train which is usually an option. A ticket inspector asked for her ticket (not the train guard who sells them) and she explained the situation and he tore into her that as she hadn’t got a valid ticket and came from a manned station she had to pay a penalty fare and demanded her details. She rang me crying saying he wanted her details and should she give them. I spoke to him and explained situation and he refused to listen and insisted on issuing the penalty even though she had a ticket same face value and had not physically been able to buy a replacement at the station. She was so upset and all around her were sticking up for her and having a go at the man but he insisted. Disgusting way to treat a child that wasn’t trying to get away with not paying just through no fault of her own needed to buy a new ticket on the train! No one could help her in that situation but I was grateful the other adults were supporting her on the train. You absolutely did the correct thing.

You did a good thing and why would your friend query your choice to approach a group of teenage girls? They must have been only 13 or so from how you describe them- quite a vulnerable group not a bunch of troublemaking neds as some people seem to view all teens these days. Good on you.

I did this myself a few weeks ago. The conductor actually asked if any adult would ‘adopt’ some teens for the journey so they’d get cheaper tickets. I said I’d easily do that but I wasn’t paying for their lunch!!!

Why are teen fares cheaper if accompanied by an adult?

Well done for stepping in - it’s what and individual should do when someone else’s error is impacting on young children. 👏

We once booked a train, reserved seats. When it arrived it was missing a carriage! So there's a whole lot of people suddenly with no seats. We sat in first class as did many others. Who did the ticket inspector kick up a fuss with? Three teen girls, we told him there was no where to sit or stand else where so he shouldn't be removing anyone it's not the customers fault the entire train didn't turn up!. He mumbled something about not eating the free snacks and walked off.

Most people do these days though, a good deed isn’t a good dead anymore unless it gets posted on the internet somewhere and receives kudos from others.
Im not saying what you did was wrong, but this is a little ‘wide-eyed - please tell me I am a good person’ for me.
But look, only you know your intentions behind this post and if I am wrong then I apologise

I once bought teenagers who were being kicked out of Macdonald's on a rotten rainy evening a round of drinks and fries so they could stay longer. They were sat quietly and I don't think a similar group of adults would have been approached the way they were.

I would hope something would do that for my DD. I think train companies should have to take safeguarding into account and kicking children off a train in an unfamiliar station should not be allowed.

One of my children had an awful experience on one of his first ventures onto public transport. At one point we'd thought this child would never be capable to taking public transport so it was a big step and the experience really knocked back his progress.

I voted YABU but only because you know you did absolutely nothing wrong and wanted to post this to get a massive virtual pat on the back

You did a nice thing, OP, and your family
member is nuts. We live in societies, not bubbles.

Not Anglia but there was a big group of drunk lairy lads on the train last night ticketless. As the ticket collector came round they laughingly said they’d got on the wrong train and wee getting off the next stop. The ticket collector passed by- they definitely pick their battles.

Oh come on, the PP was clearly not talking about serial fare dodging, but a situation such as in the OP; the odd instance where the ticket inspector could have used a bit of judgement and discretion, a bit of “benefit of the doubt” rather than officiousness and high handedness with children.

OP could have remonstrated with the ticket collector if she felt he was being too harsh, rather than lying to him.

I think tickets are cheaper for kids when bought together with an adult ticket. At least in some areas.

I think it was a nice thing to do OP. They must have been mortified.

Giving your details = disproportionate fine

The girls had tickets to travel from A-B, they were just missing the adult part of the group which could have been for any number of genuinely innocent reasons. They weren't trying to pull a fast one from their reactions. In exactly the same circumstances I'd have done the same - this is the specific question being asked by the OP.

I don't condone people who fare skip, and frankly I've had enough exposure to teenagers to know when they're trying it on. It's called using your judgement, I have enough empathy in me to err on the side of humanity rather than capitalism.

The OP says they were told they would have to give their details OR leave the train at the next stop. Why would they not give their details - so the adult who was responsible for them could sort the problem out?

If you're wrong, I'd be wrong too.

I've heard of far too many occasions where an innocent mistake/oversight has left teens, particularly girls ejected from public transport in places that aren't great...either from a direct safety perspective or from a simple logistics perspective of being able to get home.

I'd rather be complicit in a small fare avoidance issue than read about a teenager who'd been kicked off the train for the sake of a £2 incorrect ticket then been mugged.

But surely he could tell by looking at your ticket that you were not the accompanying adult?

Safety trumps profit, esp when train costs are extortionate to begin with , and there were tickets there; he was being pedantic, and doing his job to the letter. They will do anything and everything to create loopholes. It is like health insurance; they'll get you any way they can!

Enforcing the minor bureaucratic rule that travelling with a person over 18 means a ticket costs £few less is the definition of being a jobsworth.