Passenger with no ticket felt ‘like a criminal’ as he was ‘surrounded’
A train passenger with Tourette Syndrome said he felt "shamed" by railway staff after trying to buy a ticket at the end of his short journey. Toby Garratt claims he was "surrounded" and "treated like a criminal" at his destination station, after he asked a staff member where he could buy a ticket to cover the journey he had just travelled.
The 41-year-old, from Chepstow, said as part of his work duties he was taking a refugee to a dentist appointment. The pair caught a train from Keynsham[1] station near Bristol, to Bath[2] Spa - a journey which costs £5.30 and takes less than 10 minutes.
The charity worker said: “When we got to Keynsham station, there was no ticket office and I couldn’t see where to buy a ticket or anyone wearing a high vis jacket who I could ask. We got on the train, but did not see a conductor either.
"When we got to Bath I asked the first person I saw in a high vis jacket where to buy a ticket." He claimed "three or four" staff members then approached him and "took him to the side".
"They were surrounding me and it was really embarrassing,” he said. He added: “I don’t even need to pay for the ticket as my work does that. They treated me like a criminal, I tried to keep calm, but I was so shocked about it."
He said he tried to explain he had Tourette Syndrome, but feels like they did not believe him. Tourette Syndrome[4] is a condition of the nervous system which can cause sudden twitches or movements or verbal sounds.
Mr Garratt has a card indicating he has Tourette's, but did not have it with him at the time. He said he is normally accompanied by another person when taking public transport, so this was an unusual situation.
The incident happened on June 6 and he has since received a fine for £55.30 from Great Western Railway[5] (GWR), which increased to £105.30 as he had not paid within a certain period. This was reduced by GWR to the original £55.30 if paid by July 27. Mr Garratt said he has since paid the fine but he still feels reluctant to travel again.
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A spokesperson for GWR said: “We have a duty to ensure that the public’s investment in the rail industry is protected. This involves addressing fare evasion and fraud.
“We know that this is often a task which involves confrontation with individuals who are often verbally aggressive and violent towards our staff. Therefore, we work in partnership with the British Transport Police[7] and can and do request their attendance if required.”
The spokesperson added that there are ticket vending machines at Keynsham and that a member of staff would have been on duty on the train.
According to GWR, fare evasion costs the rail industry about £240 million a year, and to ensure customers who pay for rail travel are not unfairly subsidising those who choose to avoid paying, customers are required to purchase a ticket before boarding a train. Should they not do so they may be liable for a fine.
References
- ^ Keynsham (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Bath (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Every rail ticket office in Bristol region to shut under controversial plans - including Temple Meads (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Tourette Syndrome (www.nhs.uk)
- ^ Great Western Railway (www.gwr.com)
- ^ signing up to our newsletter (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ British Transport Police (www.btp.police.uk)