Moment fare dodger tells rail inspectors ‘don't touch me' in tense clash after ‘falling £1.30 short for his ticket'

Scottish Sun

7 days ago

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THIS is the tense moment a fare dodger told ticket inspectors to not touch him after falling short of being able to afford to travel.
The passenger was confronted by revenue protection inspectors at Weybridge station in Surrey after using a discounted ticket for under 15-year-olds, despite being older.
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This is the moment two ticket inspectors stopped a young traveller after concerns were raised over his ticket
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
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The brazen fare dodger told officers that they 'can't touch' him as he tried to push through to the platforms
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
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He's eventually stopped at the top of one staircase by revenue protection officers
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
South Western Railway inspectors were alerted after the ticket - which provides half-price travel for children aged five to 15 compared to a full adult fare - pinged at the gateline.
The incredible moment was captured by film crews for the latest episode of Channel 5's Fare Evaders: At War with the Law.
Shocking footage shows how the young fare dodger refuses to present his ticket after being asked to do so by inspectors.
When asked if his ticket was a child ticket by revenue protection officers Sharon and Carlos, the fare dodger brazenly admits to having a ticket but rejects multiple requests to show it.
As the tense moment begins to boil over, the young fare dodger exclaims: "You can't actually physically touch me."
Then, he begins to make his way along the walkway over the tracks at the station, heading towards one of the platforms.
Despite other officers stepping in to try and help stop the cheat, he appears insistent to make it to his train without showing a valid ticket.
Finally, officers manage to block him at the top of the staircase of one platform, confronting him continuously to present his ticket.
At one point, an exasperated ticket checker asks: "Why don't you just show us your ticket?", to which the fare dodger replies: "Because I don't need to."
Despite his continued protest, the young fare dodger eventually gives in, admitting he had bought a child's ticket, despite being over the age of 15.
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Sharon explained that the traveller had been short of buying the adult fare by around £1.30 and had therefore opted to buy the cheaper child ticket instead.
As a result, the fare dodger was issued with an "unpaid fare notice", which is the lowest penalty enforced in these situations.
It means the young passenger was able to travel without a ticket on the day but he would need to pay the fine within 21 days.
Sharon explained: "A colleague's been really fair with him.
"He's issued an unpaid fare notice, which is the lowest penalty we can give and it's just the price of the ticket that he should have bought."
However, if he failed to pay it within the time frame, he would have faced the risk of prosecution.
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The crew trying to stop the fare dodger from making his way towards the trains at Weybridge station
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
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The young fare dodger eventually gave in to demands, admitting he had bought a child's ticket despite being over the age of 15
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
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Inspector Sharon explained he had been around £1.30 short of buying the adult ticket and so had opted to buy the cheaper child fare
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
The show explained that there had been a "huge rise in passengers trying to get away with using half-price tickets they're not entitled to".
Another inspector filmed for the show said how sometimes he and other staff are abused verbally by travellers.
He said: "Sometimes we get bad language towards us, they will just push through and then we've got to stop them.
"We do get that level of abuse from them. And these are kids that are between 14 and 16 and they're effing and jeffing at us.
"And I'm like, well, hang on."
He added: "You do get people who are unhappy about being spoken to.
"No one wants trouble. You hope that everyone is going to be nice, but not everyone is the same, are they?
"But then you get customers who do actually appreciate it as well."
Just last month, South Western Railway revealed it had recovered a total of £3.4 million from revenue protection work last year.
Unpaid fares cost the railway nearly £240 million each year - with South Western Railway estimating roughly 4.6 per cent of users of its network travel without a valid ticket.
A recent poll by YouGov found 68 per cent disapproved of deliberate fare evasion, adding they believed it was a serious problem that should be penalised.
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He was issued with a 'unpaid fare notice', equivalent to the cost of the ticket he should have bought
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
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The moment was captured at Weybridge station in Surrey as part of Channel 5's new show Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
Credit: Channel 5/Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law