Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This is really a 'what do you think I should do' rather than AIBU but...

38 replies

Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 13:21

I was on the bus yesterday (one of those bendy ones where the driver doesn't check the tickets). Inspector got on and found a gentleman (very smartly dessed) who had only a train ticket which wasn't valid for the bus. Man explained that he doesn't travel this way (don't want to say where) very often and said he was here for a meeting and that he asked at the ticket office for a ticket that would be fine for buses as well. Inspector was very nice, explained that ticket has to have a certian symbol to be valid on a bus. Anyway - he didn't give him a fine or anything just told him next time to make doubly sure of the ticket.

So - I get off the bus and go into work and he gets into the lift with me!! I checked and he has a staff pass (for our building) so what he told the inspector about coming here rarely and coming for a one off meeting wasn't true. It seems as though he's trying to save money by buying only a train ticket knowing that the inspectors rarely check tickets on the buses.

As I work in the public sector I am really shocked about this and don't know whether I should report him? I saw him today as well in the office - he avoided my eye and hurried past -so I guess he knows that I know. Any advice?

OP posts:
southeastastra · 05/03/2008 13:22

leave it alone - wouldn't worry me

MamaG · 05/03/2008 13:23

keep your nose out! How embarrassing for you if he knew it was you who had reported him

welshmum · 05/03/2008 13:25

I wouldn't shop him as I'm a live and let live kind of girl, in this situation anyway.
However I might whisper menacingly in his ear ' I know your game matey, any trouble and you're toast'

ALMummy · 05/03/2008 13:25

So what? Have you not got more important things to be worrying about? I would be slightly irritated he got away with it and probably have a giggle with my work colleagues about it and thats it.

Tickle · 05/03/2008 13:26

Next time you see him smile and ask if he thought the buses were getting more crowded these days?

Maybe it'll shame him into buying a ticket.

bluenosesaint · 05/03/2008 13:26

My advice? Do nowt ...don't quite see why you feel you need too

Original poster
Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 13:27

It doesn't bother me in the sense that someone's not paying for the bus journey as I'm sure there's lots doing that. But as a public servant I'm really shocked that a fellow public servant would do such thing.

OP posts:
hecate · 05/03/2008 13:28

Maybe he found himself with no cash and was trying to save himself some embarrassment? You have no way of knowing that he does this regularly. Perhaps it was a one-off.

Realistically, what can you do? Who would you report him to?? I doubt the bus company are going to keep an eye out for him, or chase him for back payments. If you happen to be there and it happens again and it bothers you so much, you have the option to say to the conductor that he's done this before. I wouldn't bother, tbh, but you could if you wanted to.

Or you could make a joke about it to him in the office, loudly, about him dodging fares. That would humiliate him and maybe that would stop him. Again though, I wouldn't bother because I wouldn't really care.

yorkshirepudding · 05/03/2008 13:28

Message withdrawn

OverMyDeadBody · 05/03/2008 13:28

Leave it alone and don't report him. It's his problem, not yours, there are more important things to be worrying about.

How do you know it wasn't a one-off? Maybe he had no change that day?

funnyhaha · 05/03/2008 13:29

I wouldn't say anything - not sure what your employer/the bus company could do - not really anything provable, iykwim.

He knows you know - which may be enough to make him think twice about doing it again. If you see him on the bus again, I'd make a point of sitting near him...

Hallgerda · 05/03/2008 13:29

Oooh, you're not in the Department for Transport are you?

It's not a victimless crime - fare dodgers mean the honest among us have to pay more. I'd probably go for welshmum or Tickle's approach.

mrsruffallo · 05/03/2008 13:29

I think it is really dishonest of him- I am not surprised that you are shocked!
Just say 'oh I saw you on the bus this morning' or something and then he might watch his back a bit more.
Honestly, this makes me cross-how deceitful

Original poster
Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 13:32

No plans to date him Yorkshirepudding. I obviously don't know that it's not a one off - but he'd had enough change to buy a train ticket.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 13:34

No - I'm not Department for Transport Hallgerda - that would make it really bad of him!!! I know it shouldn't bother me but I do think that public servants should be even less likely to do this sort of thing IYSWIM?

I'tt have to try Tickle's approach if I see him again!

OP posts:
Chequers · 05/03/2008 13:37

Message withdrawn

PatsyCline · 05/03/2008 13:38

Perhaps it's how he gets his thrills? He's probably seething with repressed resetnment against the Government having missed out on on a promotion in 1997 and has to somehow let it all out.

I suspect that having been caught out by you and the inspector that he will reform.

I am a bit at the fact that you would consider shopping him on the basis that he is a public servant. All the civil servants I know are drug-crazed hedonists so sneaking a free bus ride seems a bit mild.

Chequers · 05/03/2008 13:40

Message withdrawn

PatsyCline · 05/03/2008 13:42

PMSL at Chequers.

minouminou · 05/03/2008 13:49

maybe he's really skint....i've had (and i stress HAD) to pull stunts like that before
not proud of it, but needs must at times

mrsruffallo · 05/03/2008 13:54

Maybe he is just really tight and a compulsive liar

VinegarTits · 05/03/2008 13:56

How much did he save by not buying the bus ticket?

Original poster
Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 14:01

PMSL Chequers!! I am by no means innocent and have heard a lot about some antics among the Police!!! I guess I've always taken for granted the fact that other civil servants would be as concerned with financial probity (now you know I'm a civil servant using language like that) as I am!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lawrene8 · 05/03/2008 14:05

I'm not sure how much he saved Vinegar. If I was to do this I would have saved £4 (by using a daily ticket) by not paying for a ticket that covers buses as well as trains. However the further out you live then the more you would save by doing this - and I have no idea where he lives.

OP posts:
Hallgerda · 05/03/2008 14:27

I used to be a civil servant and never met any drug-crazed hedonists...

where did I go wrong?