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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was I unreasonable to dob someone in?

391 replies

VulvicMineralWater · 27/04/2017 11:38

NC as this might be quite outing.

I commute to work on the train. I get on at stop A and off at stop D, both of which have ticket barriers. I always buy a ticket when I travel.

Stops B and C don't have ticket barriers.

A man got on at Stop B. The inspector came around asking for anyone who got on at Stop B. The inspector was very visible and called out "Stop B passengers" loudly enough for everyone to hear. The man didn't have headphones in. Yet, the man didn't show his ticket.

So, as the inspector passed I pointed out the man and said he'd got on at Stop B. Inspector then went to check his ticket and what a surprise the man didn't have one.

The man called me an interfering bitch. Meh, yeah, that's pretty accurate but it fucks me off that people feel as though buying a ticket is optional. It's not. You're using a service, you need to pay for it.

So was I unreasonable to dob this guy in?

OP posts:
AsthmaQ · 27/04/2017 15:07

I wouldn't so fucking skint at the end of each month if people paid their fares and ticket costs were lower.

So YABU to have dobbed him in it.

MaroonPencil · 27/04/2017 15:11

Every time someone says "no-one likes a grass" or whatever i am hearing it delivered in a threatening Cockney accent. Which is entertaining.

RebeccaWithTheGoodHair · 27/04/2017 15:13

But who do you mean though kitten? the train operators or capitalist society in general?

HotelEuphoria · 27/04/2017 15:15

For those people that think it was OK to be a chancer how do you feel about people like this that chance it every day.

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2874620/City-fund-manager-dodged-43-000-trains-fares-Oyster-card-loophole-banned-working-finance.html

SallyGinnamon · 27/04/2017 15:20

Dear God. This thread is hilarious.

Of course you did the right thing. I'd have just assumed it was an accident. He intended to buy a ticket but he didn't hear because he had his headphones on.

Better you remind him than he gets a big fine for being caught without a ticket.

I'd be more FUMING that the ticket inspector didn't automatically check everyone's tickets. Lazy.

LavenderDoll · 27/04/2017 15:24

YABU and if you don't care what anyone thinks why start the thread.

Pigface1 · 27/04/2017 15:25

I pay 10% of my annual income just to get to work on the train. So do lots of other people. I don't see why anyone should get to use them for free - in the same way that I don't see why anyone should just be allowed to fill their trolley up in Tesco and push it out the front door without paying. Sone people have the idea that petty cheating's fine if you can get away with it.

And for the people making excuses for him - obviously we don't know this particular man's circumstances, but some of the most prolific fare-dodgers in recent years have been wealthy, middle-class professionals. Last year a barrister called Peter Barnett got a 16 week suspended sentence for dodging about £19,000 of train fares (and got barred from practising as a barrister). I doubt he was struggling to pay the fares. I reckon he just didn't want to.

Lweji · 27/04/2017 15:26

no one likes grass,

But, grass is lovely and green. :)

Lweji · 27/04/2017 15:27

he's probably end of the month skint.. ain't we all?

Not really.

ExConstance · 27/04/2017 15:29

YANBU I would have dobbed him in, and told him where to go if he was rude to me. Why should the rest of us sit by and let others get away without paying?

ExConstance · 27/04/2017 15:31

And another thing. Travelling to a midlands city last weekend I had not got m reading glasses out and flashed a ticket from last week's trip to leeds with a nectar card at the inspector instead of my correct ticket and senior rail card. He didn't notice, and was at the end of the carriage before I did ( when I was putting them back in my purse)

YouOKHun · 27/04/2017 15:31

foodtime Biscuit

MyfanwyMontez · 27/04/2017 15:33

You were being unreasonable. .Seems like you took pleasure in making someone's life a little awkward and maybe embarrassing in front of others on the train. And now you are bragging about your little victory against this person you knew nothing about. Maybe he was deaf. Maybe he had worries on his mind.
Even if everyone paid their fare, this would not stop rail companies putting prices up anyway.They will always factor some margin for theft. As an aside, I think the rail companies are the bloody criminals charging the prices they do for what is a pretty piss poor service ( where I live anyway).

bananacake1 · 27/04/2017 15:35

YABU

bananacake1 · 27/04/2017 15:36

scratch that! YA N BU

amusedbush · 27/04/2017 15:36

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

picklemepopcorn · 27/04/2017 15:38

If everyone on MN everyone thinks it's fine to use services without paying, and several threads give that impression, how are services going to keep running?

If I'd have been there, I'd have been glad you spoke up, OP. I hate seeing unfairness. People who don't pay are being unfair to the people who keep the system operating.

A couple of years ago, a bloke lost his professional status in the financial sector for fair dodging for many years. He was on an enormous wage.

Headofthehive55 · 27/04/2017 15:44

myfanwy and if everyone stopped paying what margin would they factor in then?

Increasinglymiddleaged · 27/04/2017 15:53

how are services going to keep running?

Well it's about 10K for a season ticket from here to london (under 100 miles) so I reckon they'll manage somehow with the yearly RPI fare increases.

Lweji · 27/04/2017 15:57

Well it's about 10K for a season ticket from here to london (under 100 miles) so I reckon they'll manage somehow with the yearly RPI fare increases

And if everyone stopped buying season tickets too?

Increasinglymiddleaged · 27/04/2017 16:01

Maybe the trains would be re nationalised and the fares made reasonable.

LemonCurdles · 27/04/2017 16:03

So was I unreasonable to dob this guy in?

I give zero fucks what people think of me

Zero fucking point in asking what mnetters think then Hmm

I wonder what you have done to repay the cost of wasting the fire services valuable time and money and endangering lives? seeing as you're such a upstanding citizen OP. Zero?

MyfanwyMontez · 27/04/2017 16:03

That doesn't make sense. If no one is paying it doesn't matter what they factor does it?

Lweji · 27/04/2017 16:03

I'm all for that. In fact, I might channel my inner revolutionary and start a don't pay your ticket movement at my own main transport provider.

wowfudge · 27/04/2017 16:03

YWNBU OP. Not paying for a ticket and trying to get away with not paying is dishonest. It's theft. I don't get the indignation about pointing him out. I would have wanted to say something to him and not just laughed. His attitude to being caught out said it all: he was arrogant and thought he was being clever. Not as clever as he thought though.