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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think he didn't need to charge me

454 replies

memorial · 06/06/2019 19:58

Yesterday I travelled from Cardiff to London for a birthday treat to see Hugh Jackman bought for me by my sister.
I bought my train tickets in advance at £50.
We had a wonderful time though the £20 train ticket back to my sister's house was galling. And again this morning back to London.
I left my sister's house in plenty of time (according to TFL planner). But of course the train was stuck at a red light for 10/15 mins and the tubes were awfully slow.
I raced into the station just to see the train doors closing. Never mind I think it's super off peak midweek I'll get the next train in half an hour.
So I do. Scan my ticket at the gates and settle down for the journey. A busy but not full train with no seat reservations.
About 10 mins in a rather brusque ticket collector comes round. I show him my ticket and he gets quite aggressive loudly telling me I need to buy a ticket. I am genuinely gobsmacked and explain what happened.
He points out (rudely and very loudly) that my ticket was an advance single and only valid on the train I missed.
I am very apologetic and say I usually buy a super off peak and didn't even realise this and again explain how I just missed the train.
He again very loudly and rudely says I can buy a ticket or get off with a fine. He really is talking to me like I am a criminal fare dodger.
So I pay another £50 close to tears. What a horrible end to a lovely birthday treat.
So while I accept that my ticket wasn't valid, did he really need to be so rude and aggressive and surely he could have used a bit of discretion. I clearly wasn't trying to take the piss.
Feeling really sad and disappointed. Have spent £140 on train tickets plus tube and feel like a naughty school child.

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 08/06/2019 10:49

We are told to use public transport because it is kinder to the planet, global warming etc but if we do venture onto public transport it creates an overly long journey, it is expensive, it is disgusting and on top of that you get shouted at if you make a mistake.

I am a bit ocd about who I share my space with on a journey, where I sit and as I probably have dyslexia I can’t be perfect or have the time to read the small print.

I’m sticking to my car

Buster72 · 08/06/2019 11:58

OP Am I being unreasonable?
MN yes, yes you are....
OP oh your all so nasty, I demand to get my own way in this tale of woe where only my version of events counts.

If you are not prepared for the answer don't ask the question ....AIBU is not a pity party....

Original poster
memorial · 08/06/2019 12:00

Well actually think there were far more agreeing with me and giving me all the sympathy I need. A definite minority did not.

OP posts:
RedPink · 08/06/2019 12:01

This thread... 😅

Why do people get so worked up about stuff like this.

youarenotkiddingme · 08/06/2019 12:02

MN have not all said YABU.

I certainly don't think she was. And certainly took time to understand why she described herself as she did.

Some people just like to take offence at anything posted in AIBU.
While others think we should all accept we are always wrong and never expect a level of sensibleness to be part of our lives.

RedPink · 08/06/2019 12:03

TBH OP I think the big problem with the thread was your thread title.

AgentJohnson · 08/06/2019 12:10

Your petulant last post isn’t helping, you aren’t entitled to discretion.

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/06/2019 12:35

Your petulant last post isn’t helping, you aren’t entitled to discretion

Even when op will get her money back and all this person has done is work himself up into a frenzy and cost the train company more time and money than he actually took.

ilovesooty · 08/06/2019 12:35

I agree with AgentJohnson

That whining rant doesn't put you in a positive light at all.

viques · 08/06/2019 12:38

I agree with Agent, if you post in AIBU and don't like the replies then coming on and having a bit of a hissy fit doesn't actually help your argument,it just makes people wonder about how calm and low voiced you were on the train.

But if most people agreed with you then that's something to take away with you, thank goodness we won't have to have a referendum about it.

Original poster
memorial · 08/06/2019 12:45

Well just shows how different people are. Not a rant or a whine or petulant. I am quite over the event but am finding this thread hysterical now (though must say some of the comments are rather deranged IMO). I thought my post was rather funny.
I'm pretty calm and rational in real life. Would make my job near impossible if I weren't and I've been doing it an awfully long time so I rather think it's you rather than me...

OP posts:
PCohle · 08/06/2019 13:09

Yes I frequently bang on about events I am quite over on Internet chat forums.

youarenotkiddingme · 08/06/2019 13:12

Thread was started days ago. Quite possible OP was over it between then and now but stays to respond to posters?

BatShite · 08/06/2019 13:26

He had maybe been confornted by a few middle class well dressed (or whatever it was that was used) people that day. It kind of sounds like you did know your ticket was no good, but tried to chance it anyway as sometimes the inspectors let you off with a decent excuse and some form of ticket, but its at their discretion I think. I have been let off once, however, the situation was a bit silly. There had been two trains to exactly the same place leaving within 2 mins of each other and we had been directed to the wrong one. He did at first say we would have to pay and get a refund later, said he was going to do something and would be back but never came back, for which I am grateful as it would have left us short on spending money. I might have been a bit angry if he had demanded the hundreds from us mind, especially given it was actually train station staff who told us to get on the wrong one after we enquired just to check we were getting it right! But in this case, it kind of sounds like you picked the cheapest ticket option, so had to get a certain train, knew that but chanced it and it went wrong. Sorry if thats not what happened.

AmberorSiena · 08/06/2019 14:08

Goodness OP. You've twisted replies and ignored aspects of your own first post, eg that you were nearly in tears at the altercation.

Lots of us agreed the ticket collector was wrong to be rude and aggressive while also thinking you were wrong to expect not to be charged, but your last few posts aren't doing you any favours.

GreytExpectations · 08/06/2019 14:11

Not a rant or a whine or petulant.

Your last post with the "list of what you learnt" was definitely petulant and immature. My assumptions of you have just been proven right.

Miniloso · 08/06/2019 14:26

Oh dear, OP... 🙉 you definitely sound a bit entitled. If your attitude on the train was similar to the one you’ve displayed here, no wonder he talked to you the way he did.

No sympathy and I hope you now bog off.

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/06/2019 14:48

Oh dear, OP... 🙉 you definitely sound a bit entitled. If your attitude on the train was similar to the one you’ve displayed here, no wonder he talked to you the way he did

If you had actually read the thread the op hadn’t said a word to him before he started shouting and has been explained the ticket actually was a valid ticket due to the delay in the previous train. So charging her again is just causing the train operator more work to refund op the money.

GreytExpectations · 08/06/2019 14:50

If you had actually read the thread the op hadn’t said a word to him before he started shouting and has been explained the ticket actually was a valid ticket due to the delay in the previous train.

As far as she says...judging by her dramatics on this thread i'm sure there is more to the story that doesnt paint her in such an "innocent" light.

Miniloso · 08/06/2019 14:51

You don’t need to say anything to have an attitude.

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/06/2019 15:01

Attitude or no attitude it doesn’t stop her being right.

youarenotkiddingme · 08/06/2019 15:09

I love how posts keep repeating it's a bit entitled of you not to expect to pay for the ticket.

Whilst people are ignoring the fact you'd paid for one. For a train just half hour departure time previously.

You'd clearly not decided to stay for a few hours somewhere and travelled peak with off peak nor tried to travel without paying fare.

Anyone with half a brain can see it's a simple case of missing the previous train.
And your explanation if delayed train would explain and justify that and was easily checked.

GreytExpectations · 08/06/2019 16:02

*Whilst people are ignoring the fact you'd paid for one. For a train just half hour departure time previously.

You'd clearly not decided to stay for a few hours somewhere and travelled peak with off peak nor tried to travel without paying fare*

She paid for a ticket for a different train, making it invalid. Just because she paid for it doesnt make it valid. How would the conductor know she didnt decide to stay longer and try her chances with a later train? Plenty of passengers try it on and lie. He doesnt know her so how would he know if she was lying or telling the truth?

GreytExpectations · 08/06/2019 16:06

Also, rereading the OP. At no point does she say the connecting train was delayed, she says the tube was slow and the train stayed at a red light. If she kept saying to the conductor she missed her original train but didnt specify that it was because of a delay than why would he think it was? Her post just reads as though she expected the conductor to read her mind and know about a delay.

Bluntness100 · 08/06/2019 16:12

Blimey that sarcastic. hysterical rant at 10.08. I'd be changing my user name after that.

All because you missed your train and hard to fork out for another ticket.

I'd hate to see how you'd react if something major happened to you.

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