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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Train conductor took bribe

133 replies

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:05

On a train, woman with a dog, loud, outgoing, charming, bit quirky. Guard came for tickets. She asked him if she gave him a tenner, would he let her have a ticket for a pound (Durham to London). Unbelievably, he did. She was squealing with delight, kissed him and told everyone around her. He stuffed the money in his pocket and went on his merry way. I told her I couldn't believe that had just happened. She bellowed, oh fuck it, he's on low wages, who cares. WIBU to be shocked?

OP posts:
diddl · 09/01/2017 08:39

Ooh Op, you've been had.

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:41

The difference in price between a single and return from Durham to London is a pound, if you buy the return at the same time. Apparently. So she said.

OP posts:
QueenLaBeefah · 09/01/2017 08:41

Sounds unlikely

Being a train conductor is quite a good job and they are regularly checked by mystery shoppers. Seems extremely unlikely that a conductor would risk losing his/her job for a tenner.

hmcAsWas · 09/01/2017 08:41

I'd rather come across a 'fucking dog' on the train FannyWisdom than you!

Perhaps you are telling the truth OP, but it is hard to conceive of a train conductor doing something like this (which could lead to disciplinary action) openly, with several witnesses observing what is going on...

NormaSmuff · 09/01/2017 08:42

but she gave him a tenner?
did he give her the change?

INeedNewShoes · 09/01/2017 08:42

But that £1 difference wouldn't be shown. When you buy a return ticket it shows the total price for both legs, not £135 for the outward leg and then £1 for the return.

I believe you OP, no reason not to, I'm just quite intrigued as to how the train conductor pulled it off (or made it look like he had).

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:43

How on earth have I been had? What possible benefit could she have gained from 'having' me? She was quirky and eccentric and I reckon, on the make. I bet she asked someone else to lend her money later on.

OP posts:
Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:46

I have no idea how he pulled it off and it was so blatant, that I couldn't believe he'd done it either. He did though. It wasn't the payment with change given. I did consider reporting it but then I wondered if I was BU for even considering doing so.

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 09/01/2017 08:47

Its pretty annoying given what everyone else will have paid for that journey.

The guard must be an idiot to risk his career to please one eccentric lady.

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:47

It was a bribe. Not payment for the ticket. When I said something to her, she said who cares, fuck it, he's on low wages etc etc and just laughed it off.

OP posts:
Januaryshiver · 09/01/2017 08:50

Those hand held machines definitely calculate the ticket. If he charged her a pound, he'd be paying the rest out of his own pocket.

Reckon it was a friend of his and they were having you on.

Manumission · 09/01/2017 08:51

Yes £1 difference between singles and returns seems standard but I don't know how that would help.

Do you think they knew each other? Performance something? Erm...

UnbornMortificado · 09/01/2017 08:52

I believe you.

Nowt as strange as folk.

Durham's my local train station I've seen all sorts Grin

Manumission · 09/01/2017 08:53

Did she slip him her phone number to sweeten the deal maybe?

hibouhibou · 09/01/2017 08:55

How would you know what a rescue Pom looks like? And why is that even relevant?

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:56

I really don't know how he did it on his machine. He did something. It wasn't a performance. Not a chance. He was just your bog standard train guard. Who is also clearly open to bribes!

OP posts:
hibouhibou · 09/01/2017 08:56

And trains have cameras nowadays

Manumission · 09/01/2017 08:56

I think rescue status would be established by conversation wouldn't it?

OP what have you done to all these posters to attract such scepticism? Smile

PinkSquash · 09/01/2017 08:57

Bollocks did that happen, his sales would be fucked when he come to cash up and he'd be in big shit.

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 08:57

Someone stopped to pet the dog and she told her all about him. That's her 'job' - rescuing Pomerania dogs.

OP posts:
OwlinaTree · 09/01/2017 08:58

Maybe she had the one way ticket and he changed it to a return?

PinkSquash · 09/01/2017 08:59

Even if he excessed her, it wouldn't work.

Truckingalong · 09/01/2017 09:01

I really don't know why so many are doubting me. It's quite funny really. It really really did happen. She said she'd only bought a single ticket cos she'd travelled up to buy a car, so was expecting to drive it back but she didn't like it so didn't buy it. She was one of those proper chatty people. I asked if they didn't sell cars down south but she just ignored me!

OP posts:
AmIthatbloodycold · 09/01/2017 09:01

train conductors aren't on low wages Confused

seems strange that the conductor would risk his job for a tenner

musicposy · 09/01/2017 09:02

I wonder if he was able to void someone else's one way ticket and make it a return?
Either way, I'd be pissed off if I was a passenger who'd paid full price.

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