Did I do the wrong thing?

[BurtTheDurt]

Last week I was on the train, it was a few stops until it terminated. A group of 3 girls got on, I’d guess they were barely into their teens. It was busy so I was stood near the door, about 8 feet away. A ticket inspector who had been making his way down asked for their tickets which they showed to him. It quickly became clear they’d been bought the tickets by an adult which means they’re cheaper but the adult wasn’t accompanying them. The inspector began really telling them off, saying they would need to get off at the next stop or give their details. I could see they were panicking and one became tearful. I decided in the moment to step forward and say I was with them and that I’d moved further up so they could chat without me overhearing. The inspector seemed a bit annoyed but moved on. The girls thanked me and I moved back to my original spot.

I mentioned this to a family member in passing when we met for lunch. They said I shouldn’t have interfered and why would I approach a group of teenage girls anyway (I’m 41F with my own teen DD if it makes any difference. I thought I was being helpful and I’d honestly hope someone else would do the same if it was my DD. Did I overstep here?

You were kind and the guard was a dick. He was going to chuck them off the train and they would likely have been stranded. You made sure that they got to their destination safely. As he should have done!

Family rail cards have a photo now and nice the ticket inspecter was an arse im surprised he didn't ask to see it

Mine has no photo, it's just got our names and a date valid to / from.

Having been on the receiving end of jobsworth ticket inspectors in my teens - including being kicked off a train late at night at a station in the middle of nowhere because I had ‘the wrong type of student ticket’ for that particular train (the correct one had been cancelled) - I think you did a lovely thing and if I was one of those girls or their mum I’d be very grateful.

Really kind and I’d do the same! Train tickets are bloody extortionate and they’re always late or cancelled! Well done!!

I know that - did you not read the quote history? I was responding to a poster who said the rail companies losing a few quid made no difference.

Enforcing the minor bureaucratic rule that travelling with a person over 18 means a ticket costs £few less is the definition of being a jobsworth.

Safety trumps profit, esp when train costs are extortionate to begin with , and there were tickets there; he was being pedantic, and doing his job to the letter. They will do anything and everything to create loopholes. It is like health insurance; they'll get you any way they can!

But surely he could tell by looking at your ticket that you were not the accompanying adult?

If you're wrong, I'd be wrong too.

I've heard of far too many occasions where an innocent mistake/oversight has left teens, particularly girls ejected from public transport in places that aren't great...either from a direct safety perspective or from a simple logistics perspective of being able to get home.

I'd rather be complicit in a small fare avoidance issue than read about a teenager who'd been kicked off the train for the sake of a £2 incorrect ticket then been mugged.

The OP says they were told they would have to give their details OR leave the train at the next stop. Why would they not give their details - so the adult who was responsible for them could sort the problem out?

The adult ticket doesn’t have any indication you’re travelling with a child, only the child’s ticket states that they are accompanied by an adult. I don’t have a railcard or anything like that as I don’t take the train that often. The only thing that wouldn’t match up would be the station it was bought at and the destination. So he either didn’t check mine too well or it really wasn’t actually a problem in the first place

Giving your details = disproportionate fine

The girls had tickets to travel from A-B, they were just missing the adult part of the group which could have been for any number of genuinely innocent reasons. They weren't trying to pull a fast one from their reactions. In exactly the same circumstances I'd have done the same - this is the specific question being asked by the OP.

I don't condone people who fare skip, and frankly I've had enough exposure to teenagers to know when they're trying it on. It's called using your judgement, I have enough empathy in me to err on the side of humanity rather than capitalism.

I think tickets are cheaper for kids when bought together with an adult ticket. At least in some areas.

I think it was a nice thing to do OP. They must have been mortified.

OP could have remonstrated with the ticket collector if she felt he was being too harsh, rather than lying to him.

Oh come on, the PP was clearly not talking about serial fare dodging, but a situation such as in the OP; the odd instance where the ticket inspector could have used a bit of judgement and discretion, a bit of “benefit of the doubt” rather than officiousness and high handedness with children.

Not Anglia but there was a big group of drunk lairy lads on the train last night ticketless. As the ticket collector came round they laughingly said they’d got on the wrong train and wee getting off the next stop. The ticket collector passed by- they definitely pick their battles.

You did a nice thing, OP, and your family
member is nuts. We live in societies, not bubbles.

Thanks all!

I was 99% sure it was a good thing but my family member (and some people in here) put a seed of doubt in my mind.

I just wanted to say to those who thought I shouldn’t have done it that if something like this happens in front of you one day you might show a little care and compassion. It will do everyone the world of good.

I voted YABU but only because you know you did absolutely nothing wrong and wanted to post this to get a massive virtual pat on the back

You’re right. People I’ve never met or will meet giving me my flowers is what I live for. Fucking hell love

I would hope something would do that for my DD. I think train companies should have to take safeguarding into account and kicking children off a train in an unfamiliar station should not be allowed.

One of my children had an awful experience on one of his first ventures onto public transport. At one point we'd thought this child would never be capable to taking public transport so it was a big step and the experience really knocked back his progress.

I once bought teenagers who were being kicked out of Macdonald's on a rotten rainy evening a round of drinks and fries so they could stay longer. They were sat quietly and I don't think a similar group of adults would have been approached the way they were.

Most people do these days though, a good deed isn’t a good dead anymore unless it gets posted on the internet somewhere and receives kudos from others.
Im not saying what you did was wrong, but this is a little ‘wide-eyed - please tell me I am a good person’ for me.
But look, only you know your intentions behind this post and if I am wrong then I apologise

We once booked a train, reserved seats. When it arrived it was missing a carriage! So there's a whole lot of people suddenly with no seats. We sat in first class as did many others. Who did the ticket inspector kick up a fuss with? Three teen girls, we told him there was no where to sit or stand else where so he shouldn't be removing anyone it's not the customers fault the entire train didn't turn up!. He mumbled something about not eating the free snacks and walked off.