What do you do if you don't get asked for a train ticket by the conductor?

[PiperChapstick]

On days where DH needs car I catch the train to work. It's 10p more for a return ticket as it is for a single (around £10). On the morning train they always ask for tickets, so I buy a return, but the evening train back the conductor NEVER comes round for some reason. Today I got a lift in to work and just got train back, so didn't actually pay for a ticket as conductor never came round. AIBU? DM says I should have chased the conductor down when the train stopped to pay for it (which is what she has done many times). WWYD?

Before anyone asks, the two trains go to same places on the same tracks (10 minute journey each way) but are run by different providers which may explain why they have different stances on asking for tickets!

Travelling on UK trains without a valid ticket is a criminal offence if ticket issuing facilities were available at your origin station. If however no facilities were available or the facility that was available (eg a ticket machine) couldn't sell the ticket you wanted then you must buy at the earliest opportunity - but are not obligated to seek out the conductor or delay your journey (by missing a conecting train to buy a ticket). If there is a queue at your first station - tough. If you are late/want to pay on board etc but facilities exist where you board you must use them.

So OP you did nothing wrong by boarding your evening train and if the conductor doesn't come round that's fine. Was the ticket office at your destination open when you got off your train? If so you should have bought a ticket after your journey, if not then realistically you're fine

If there was a staffed ticket office at your station then legally speaking you are supposed to buy a ticket even if there is a queue

although technically the guidelines are 3 minutes wait for off-peak and 5 minutes wait for peak times, not that the rail companies want you to know that.

If there is no way of buying a ticket you buy it on the train. You should seek the conductor/guard out, but it really depends on the rail company and the attitude of the guard. The guards are generally fine and will sell tickets (I think they even get commission?). The revenue inspectors assume everyone is a criminal, but if you say you got on at a station without a ticket machine they can do very little (much to their disappointment).

And I agree, why on earth can't we have tickets on smartphones like you can pay for parking by text? Or print tickets at home like you do for airlines? I was buying tickets online in the UK back in the early 2000s for trains in Germany, printing them off and taking then with me for my holidays there! It really does beggar belief that we still can't do it here. I think they're expecting everyone to eventually go down the contactless route though.

next station up the line from us installed ticket barriers at great expense, mainly (so we were told) to stop school kids traveling without tickets. Except there are so many of them getting off the two trains they generally use, that the station staff have to open the barriers to clear the crowds and not piss off the adult commuters, so they still don't stop all the non ticket buyers.

the rest of us pay so say 'thank you'.

This cracked me up. Now say thank you OP, like a good little girl! It was ever so naughty of you to not run after the ticket man like a lunatic.

Seriously though, you didn't do anything wrong. There wasn't anywhere for you to buy a ticket when you got on and you weren't given the chance when on the train.

f there is a ticket machine or manned station on your route, you'll be fined heavily if you're ever caught.
Not true in my experience, and I get the train to work every day. If you board without a ticket you can still buy one from the conductor without getting fined.
Lots of my fellow commuters regularly travel for free as they don't buy a ticket and the conductor only comes around about half of the time. I think it's morally reprehensible (I buy a season ticket) and people caught without a ticket should be fined absolutely loads.

My local station is unmanned and I just buy a ticket from the conductor when they come. I'm not going to walk up and down the train to find one either. I just buy a ticket when I reach my destination if there's a ticket office, if not, free travel. Bonus. Get in!

And some occasions the conductor has announced his ticket machine isn't working so he won't be coming round so tickets will have to be purchased at our final destinations. No problems if there's somewhere to buy them from otherwise tough!

'don't call the cops if you get burgled if this is your attitude.'

Ninny

I agree that nobody I know IRL would even worry about this for a second.