to make complaint about ticket inspector who detained child and took their phone?

[SmellsLikeTeenSpirits]

15 yo DD bought wrong train ticket today. She got off at stop after the one she'd bought ticket for because of a last minute change of plan with her friends. So a £2.70 journey rather than a £3 one.

At the final destination her and her friend were stopped by ticket inspector. They tried to explain what had happened and pay the excess. He wasn't having any of it. I can kind of sympathise with that.

What I would like your view on / experience of is this:

He detained them for 20 minutes. DD called me and was a bit shaken. I heard him say - you can't talk to your mum now - and then her phone went off. I tried calling and she messaged saying she'd call back in 5. He took her phone off her and went through her apps to try and prove she was over 15 (she looks 16 maybe - no older). In the end he accepted that she was in fact 15 and has written on the fine notice that he verified her age through her Vinted app. DD said she felt really uncomfortable as he went through her vinted page (where she is modelling some crop tops etc) and scrolled through the pictures. I got through to her again on the phone and asked her to put him on the phone but he refused.

Eventually he gave her a fine of £52 and let her go on her way.

Is this acceptable? Am I being unreasonable if I complain. I don't feel that an adult man should be detaining 15 year olds and confiscating their phones? She had the wrong ticket - just issue the fine if you need to?? Or am i being unreasonable - not having correct ticket is a crime - suck it up - the guy was just doing his job?

I'd report this, he sounds so creepy, and also on a power trip.
Perhaps the fine is deserved (I don't think so but also he's only doing his job), but I'd appeal it because she had a ticket albeit incorrect, and he completed the fine form incorrectly (also "verified by Vinted"????!!!)

Report him he shouldn't be looking at photos on her phone

It's not TFL.

The child's version of events is full of holes.

When I was 15 and got in trouble I did everything to minimise and deflect from what I had done.

Ticket inspectors don't use vinted for age verification.

He’ll have bodycam footage so if you complain immediately they can retrieve it and investigate.

Absolutely report this incident. I can't beleive ticket inspectors are allowed to take phones from children or stop them calling a guardian

I am furious on your behalf!!! Definitely report him. There was absolutely no need to do that!!

I clicked on “show all” and she posted 8 times only. You seem determined to think the worst of this young woman.

Definitely report it and appeal the fine. Absolutely ludicrous. Not as if she climbed over a fence to avoid payment.

Please report him. This happened to my then 15 yo son. He was separated from his Y11 class on a trip and an inspector decided to take his 11-15 years old zip card because he hadn't tapped in. He tried to take his phone from him too but my son refused. Fortunately for him, British transport police were around. The officer my son spoke to went and got his card back and watched him get on the train. It happens too often. Inspectors on power trips 😡.

It's not TFL.

Nolongera
"The child's version of events is full of holes.

When I was 15 and got in trouble I did everything to minimise and deflect from what I had done.

Ticket inspectors don't use vinted for age verification."

I assumed TFL apologies but advice still applies. I was trying to be sensitive to the OP I am sure there are 2 sides to the story hence mentioning check with DD before deciding what to do. I deal with lots of these types of "challenges" and our children don't always behave as we would hope in the heat of the moment. BUT I also know that some of the TI can be heavy handed. For those saying it's only 30p .. It's a very significant loss overall which is why they enforce so strongly now and it's categorised so severely in the courts if it gets to that point. It's not a job I would want to do as it can be tough but some do handle situations badly and if that's the case it should be reported for everyone's benefit including DD of OP. Worth explaining to kids that some of the things that were seen as mischievous or a bit of fun in the past when we were kids are deemed serious these days (for good reason) and kids (and adults) can find themselves facing criminal charges if things escalate. I personally wouldn't have thought it was a big deal to jump on a train without a ticket and pay enroute or the end of the journey but from experience I know it is and it can end badly for good people. I am sure judging by the responses in this thread many others are unaware too.

Why do people on MN make judgements when they haven’t even bothered to read the post properly? It clearly says “at the final destination” which obviously means at the ticket barrier at the station and not on board the train.

If the companies don’t respond to complaints about how these inspectors are bullying children , what about writing to the transport secretary?

Maybe Labour will actually care more now they are in government?I wouldn’t think twice about filming bullying behaviour and putting it online .

Some of these men are just on a power trip and they know that young women are an easy target. I had a similar experience in my early 20s (I looked about 16 at the time!) when I accidentally got on a fast train instead of a stopping train at Liverpool Street, and the next stop was miles out of London. It was very late at night so I was panicking about how to get home when there were no more trains that night and I couldn’t afford a taxi, and I was nearly in tears by the time the ticket inspector came round. He was practically beaming with delight as he issued me with a fine and made me pay the excess fare, then watched me get off at a deserted station in the middle of nowhere at about 1am when the last train had gone. Your TI sounds like a creep to boot, and I hope you follow this up and make a complaint about him.

I would wonder if she needed to be aware of her apps over the next few weeks, in case he clocked enough details in order to access her apps. 30p? Being in intrusive at best.

The trouble is that inspectors are financially incentivised to fine as many as possible. The system is ridiculously aggressive for minor infringements. I had a similar run in (lost season ticket of over £3000 and refusal to replace, effectively fining me thousands of pounds). I sent my concerns to the chair of the transport select committee (copied in to MP), and a genuine inquiry was held. It may not help you, but it helps change the system. I suggest you do something similar.

lol good on you for believing the teen caught in trouble with a ticket inspector who twists the story to shock her Mimi. lol. Tell the girl you’re going to the police and they’ll be able to scan the phone to see when and how much time the ticket inspector was inappropriately looking at pics. And remind her false accusations are punishable.

I’d hedge a bet the story will change.

lol.

His behaviour is ridiculous , completely out of proportion to a 30p difference in the ticket price !

Are you a ticket inspector? Lol lol lol lmao.

lol

I’ve witnessed ticket inspectors abusing their power, as have other people on this thread. Of course some teenagers do exaggerate and lie if they’re worried they’ll get into trouble. However, some adults on here automatically assume the teenager has lied. Teenagers need to know they can trust adults and they need to know they’ll be heard. That’s how you help a teenager develop and ensure they are honest and transparent.

Same! I’ve witnessed it first hand too. I’d be inclined to believe my daughter over some jobsworth.