Well done Translink Officers

[Mozz]

Arrived this morning on platform 3 at Oxley to travel into the city, I noticed a young lady walking up the road to the station, she caught my eye because I didn't know if she was going to make the train or not. The result was yes, she was a minute or so standing on the platform and then the train arrived and we jumped on. I also noticed that she didn't walk anywhere near the eastern gocard readers, and didn't buy a paper ticket. I thought to myself, she must be only going a few stations (not to any of the gated stations along the line) and has decided to risk not getting a ticket or swiping a gocard.

As karma would have it, as soon as I sat down as we were departing Oxley station, I heard "tickets please" and saw  the translink officers checking tickets. She was spoken to, and admitted not buying a ticket as she was going to work at Sherwood and didn't have time to get one. Hmm the cynic in me thought that if you were "working" in Sherwood you would have a gocard for your travels rather than buying a paper ticket twice a day each and every work day. More likely is that she would have made the Oxley, Coridna, Sherwood trip many times and has never been picked up before. Anyways a warning ticket was issued and I would suggest a more permanent addition to the farebox would be forthcoming in future from that commuter.

To top it off the officer who wrote the ticket also chided another commuter for his loud music emanating from his earphones.

[Mr X]

Good to see the standards being enforced. Nothing is more annoying than paying for your fare and knowing of people who constantly rort the system and get away with it.

I don't use trains often, but isn't the excuse "I didn't have enough time to tag on" rather void, as go card readers are at all entrances and you lose a max 5 seconds in touching on?

[somebody]

What's with the "warning" though.  "I didn't have enough time to buy a ticket" doesn't rate with me.

[#Metro]

I'd like to see more busy stations become gated. Is beenleigh gated? Indooroopilly?

[Golliwog]

I'd like to see more busy stations become gated. Is beenleigh gated? Indooroopilly?

I'd go from the PLS though, so Petrie, Darra and Ferny Grove at the top of the list. Ferny Grove will be gated by the end of the upgrade though which is good to hear.

[Stillwater]

It's comical to see young men, in particular, alighting trains at Nambour and waving wallets in the general direction of the go-card readers without recording a beep.  Others fumble in bags for something as they pass through from the platform to the station vestibule.  Again, interesting to see a herd of youths advancing through the train as the ticket police check tickets, only to see the disappointment on faces as the group has to alight at Dakabin, or Narangba because they are travelling without a ticket, there to wait for the next train.

Perhaps a no nonsense approach is required:

[HappyTrainGuy]

I've had the privillage of seeing one kid spot the ticket inspectors leaving Roma Street, jump off the Gold Coast train at South Bank, run as fast as he could to the gocard reader, tags on then runs as fast as he could back to the train haha.

I love the wait from the train stopping to the time they spot the ticket inspectors getting on.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 14th December 2011 page 4

Fine job tracking down fare cheats

[Gazza]

In other news:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFY1Byc6OZM&feature=youtube_gdata

[Set in train]

Why do people evade the fares? What's fuelling the motivation? Take away that fuel and you mop up most evasion surely?

What about education coupled with regulation? One angle would be to suggest touching on to register their use to keep a service. Like a vote of sorts. Something to make people see the value of touching on contributing to maintaining and improving the services?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Not having to pay for something. Lack of prevention. Easy to get away with on railways.

I'm only going one stop down the road..... $3 for that small journey.... I don't think so. Who is going to stop me... By the time you get to me I'll be off the train. I'll play the race/forgot/tough/poor/bogan card and just hop off at the next station.