Anyone ever bunked the train?

Funk You · 25/04/12 - 02:03

Remember I used to when I was going to school and did it a few times since then but never got caught. Have you managed to travel for free? or did you get stung.

Kyle123 · 25/04/12 - 02:07

It'd ridiculously easy to skip a fare at my local trainstation. There's no barrier to get to the platform, and the bridge you take to get onto the platform is located right down the other end from the ticket office!

Providing the barriers are down in your destination, it's stupidly easy!

I should probably use the train more often...

Funk You · 25/04/12 - 02:09

Same here. My local station isnt manned at all and often have travelled for free. I remember when I was at school about 10 years ago I went a whole term without paying, never got asked from a conductor.

I remember once getting as far as London Victoria in my late teens before I had to pay but I said I got on at the stop before or something and it was a cheaper fare onwards from there

Stever7 · 25/04/12 - 02:27

Nope, to me it's just stealing

I wouldn't steal something from a shop so why would I travel via train without paying?

One of my friends used to (before our local train station put up barriers) and would travel at night specificly because he knew he wouldn't be asked for his ticket.

Jimmy Connors · 25/04/12 - 02:38

No I have not. I would rather sit in the seat without looking over my shoulder for the ticket inspector every five minutes.

I had to get a local train from London Bridge last year. The ticket inspector got on at one end of the carriage, and half the passengers got up and started walking down the aisle in the opposite direction. :eek::D Coincidence maybe - I doubt it!

Baboo Yagu · 25/04/12 - 05:15

Used to do it all the time, years ago before everything was computerised. We used to go free on the Stoke - Birmingham - Stoke and the Stoke - Manchester - Stoke routes all the time.

HenryBane · 25/04/12 - 05:33

Yes, Hackney Central to Chadwell Heath via Stratford in the evenings some years ago, probably barriers at the stations now though.

BastardBeaver · 25/04/12 - 05:40

I used to jump the barriers on the tube all the time. That was easy. But never on proper trains... Although, I'm going to a wedding in yorkshire in July and the return journey will cost £140!!!! Which is obviously daylight robbery. I wish I could bunk that journey for free

mazey · 25/04/12 - 06:18

BastardBeaver wrote: »

I used to jump the barriers on the tube all the time. That was easy. But never on proper trains... Although, I'm going to a wedding in yorkshire in July and the return journey will cost £140!!!! Which is obviously daylight robbery. I wish I could bunk that journey for free

Have you tried Midland Mainline?
I just got a quote of £29.20 for a return 5-7 July.
http://new.raileasy.co.uk/booking-process/ibeui/html?partnerId=105

When my son was in Sheffield he could get returns for £10 including free tea/coffee Sheffield - London, it cost more to get from St Pancras to home and back.

They used to have an email special offers service, it may be worth signing up?
edit, link goes to quote page, sorry.

[Deleted User] · 25/04/12 - 06:27

Yeah I have to admit I have done this on several occasions.

BastardBeaver · 25/04/12 - 06:40

mazey wrote: »

Have you tried Midland Mainline?
I just got a quote of £29.20 for a return 5-7 July.
http://new.raileasy.co.uk/booking-process/ibeui/html?partnerId=105

When my son was in Sheffield he could get returns for £10 including free tea/coffee Sheffield - London, it cost more to get from St Pancras to home and back.

They used to have an email special offers service, it may be worth signing up?
edit, link goes to quote page, sorry.

I have not heard of it. Thanks will check it out. I was looking on thetrainline.com which were supposed to do cheap tickets.. I was pretty outraged at what I found.

StarDelta · 25/04/12 - 06:58

On the new Blackpool light rail service or new trams so many people are trying them one conductor has his/her work on to collect all the fares, I have seen some get on and off and the conductor no ware to be seen.

Yesterday the tram from Starr Gate to Fleetwood had two conductors but the return had one.

[Deleted User] · 25/04/12 - 07:18

Used to do it quite a lot (unintentionally though) because my local station isn't manned past 11:00 am, and it has no ticket machine. Plus, most of the stops have no barriers except Parkway and Temple Meads and a ticket inspector only rarely pops by.

[Deleted User] · 25/04/12 - 07:29

Quite often as my local station has no ticket office or machine so cant buy a ticket, and once I get to brum the barriers are usually up, only go one way as I end up getting a taxi back so the £7 odd fare goes towards my taxi home

Would pay if the inspector comes on but if they aren't collecting cant do anything about it

kev · 25/04/12 - 07:46

StarDelta wrote: »

On the new Blackpool light rail service or new trams so many people are trying them one conductor has his/her work on to collect all the fares, I have seen some get on and off and the conductor no ware to be seen.

Yesterday the tram from Starr Gate to Fleetwood had two conductors but the return had one.

I've had a few short trips on NET (Nottingham's Tram) - Got on at one stop, off at a couple later and no conductor has come through so there has been no-one to take my pre-paid card and deduct the days use off it! They seam to have gotten much better since it launched though - the first few weeks were overcrowded and without the staff to support it (I believe it has been exceeding predicted rider-ship since day 1)

Richieboy87 · 25/04/12 - 07:55

Years ago , impossible to get away with it nowerdays , so many security barriers.

tghe-retford · 25/04/12 - 08:16

Impossible nowadays, as the train companies that run from my station check all boarding passengers from every stop. Unless you hide in the luggage compartment and keep dead quiet, you'll be asked to produce your ticket. Seen a few people caught out and made to pay the penalty fare on my travels.

Mrs de Winter · 25/04/12 - 08:44

I did it once as a teenager because I was with a group of friends and none of them bought tickets. I spent the whole journey absolutely terrified and from then on refused to give in to the peer pressure

I was always the only one with a ticket!

Sometimes after a journey in which my tickets isn't checked and there are no barriers either side I do think 'I could have done that for free!', but it's not worth it for the anxiety it would cause me (oh, and of course it would be very naughty anyway).

sarahj1986 · 25/04/12 - 08:44

kind of.....was going to Brighton and missed my connecting train from Victoria (was in the pub) and to get another ticket would be £22 each,....we just got on the next train and hoped for the best and nedless to say we got out of Brighton train station fine!

Iphigenia · 25/04/12 - 08:50

Funk You wrote: »

Have you managed to travel for free?

No, I don't steal.

Funk You · 25/04/12 - 10:51

Some interesting stories, so it seems further inner London you go probably the harder it gets to do this but if you live in small villages or towns with unmanned stations with no ticket office or machine you can get away with it. I actually think to go to London on the train is a rip off now especially on South Eastern its around £80 or more. I never remember it being that high.

bobcar · 25/04/12 - 10:56

I'm shocked by the number of people so far who have come on and admitted to stealing.:eek:

I certainly won't feel any sympathy for any of them that are pick pocketed.

Funk You · 25/04/12 - 11:00

bobcar wrote: »

I'm shocked by the number of people so far who have come on and admitted to stealing.:eek:

I certainly won't feel any sympathy for any of them that are pick pocketed.

Is it any wonder half the time due to fare price rises? I don't condone it and I dont really set out to do it just depends if I dont have the cash on me at the time and really need to get to somewhere quickly. More often than not I get on at my station where there is no ticket office and the machine dont work and then get off at my other stop where again there isn't a manned office or ticket machine and there was no conductor on for me to pay.

bobcar · 25/04/12 - 11:04

Funk You wrote: »

Is it any wonder half the time due to fare price rises? I don't condone it and I dont really set out to do it just depends if I dont have the cash on me at the time and really need to get to somewhere quickly. More often than not I get on at my station where there is no ticket office and the machine dont work and then get off at my other stop where again there isn't a manned office or ticket machine and there was no conductor on for me to pay.

If you try and pay but can't then that is different to actively dodging.

I agree fares are too high but would you for instance justify filling your car tank with petrol and then driving off without paying just because petrol is expensive? Both are stealing and are equivalent.

stud u like · 25/04/12 - 11:04

Plenty of people used to when I was younger. These days there are more revenue protectors about than there used to be and barriers are more frequent.

It is easier to travel further on the bus as you seldom see an inspector. Mind you, I discovered the other day that bus drivers can be fined 50 pounds if they have passengers travelling further than they state and also if they travel for free without a bus pass.

soulboy77 · 25/04/12 - 11:07

Only when I was a youngster. I knew at the other end that the ticket collector only came out on the train arrival then quickly disappeared back into his cosy office. So all I had to do was wait on the platform for a few minutes.

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Anyone ever bunked the train?

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