Article: Disabled pensioner kicked off Indooroopilly train

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Disabled pensioner kicked off Indooroopilly train

Disabled pensioner kicked off Indooroopilly train
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Des Houghton

February 26, 2009 11:00pm

A DISABLED woman with a bandaged hand told how she was bullied and evicted from from a train by police who did not believe that she had trouble operating an automatic ticket machine.

Stricken with kidney disease and a broken hand, Rosemary Carey, 54, a disability pensioner, struggled up the steep stairs at Brisbane's Indooroopilly station on Saturday night and tried to work the machine with her left hand. When her train to Oxley arrived, she jumped aboard without a ticket.

She said two plain-clothes officers in their 30s threatened to arrest her if did not get off at the next stop, Sherwood.

She said the officers were menacing and told her she would have to pay a $200 fine.

"I was outraged," she said. "There is nothing threatening about me. I'm a frail female in my 50s, five foot two, 45kg wringing wet and suffer from a chronic kidney condition which leaves me with little energy.

"Managing the steps at the station, then the steep flight of stairs at the cinema (the lift was out of order) is pretty much mountain climbing for me."

The mother of two said she went to the cinema near Indooroopilly station to see the new Clint Eastwood film, Gran Torino.

Because she had broken her hand the previous week, she decided to go by train instead of taking her car.

She said the movie finished about 8.45pm.

"I'm normally in bed by eight and I was exhausted, " she said.

"I get to the unfamiliar ticket machine and as quickly as I can with my left hand, begin to follow the prompts.

"In the midst of this a train pulls in. The next train could be in an hour, I have no idea of the timetable, so I board the train.

"I remember a time when a conductor could sell a ticket on the train, or you could give your name and address and pay the fare later. Not now."

She said she wept when she was ejected.

"I felt utterly humiliated being put off the train like some criminal or violent hooligan," Ms Carey said. "To make things worse, it was scary sitting at a deserted railway station late on Saturday night, so despite my very limited income, I spent $15 to take a cab home. Now I'm angry that innocent people can be treated like this.

"Why can QR afford to pay for plain-clothes police to act as ticket inspectors, yet can't pay the presumably much lower wages of a conductor?

"What happens if it's the last train of the night? Who would be responsible if I'd been attacked while waiting on a lonely station? Can't they understand that most of us aren't trying to evade the fare?"

Police Minister Judy Spence has ordered an investigation.

As presented this story possibly raises some questions.  It is normal for people to be warned prior to a fine. 

The new AVVMs are USER UNFRIENDLY, particularly for new users.  We have even had our own 'informal classes' at Oxley Station for some local Seniors so they could be assisted with use of the AVVM.  The culture of 'guilty without question without a ticket' needs some compassion at times and logical thought ...

[Derwan]

My blog comment:

Did the "plain clothed police" show ID? If not, I'd be reporting this to the REAL police.

If they really were transit officers, they are able to use discretion - and perhaps an official warning would have been more appropriate in this situation - rather than ejection or fine.

[Derwan]

She's not receiving much sympathy in the comments!

[ozbob]

Yes I noticed.  There is the issue of putting people off trains onto unattended stations at night, particularly when there may be doubt as to the reason why the person may not have a valid ticket as well.  Far better to warn or fine as per the normal procedure that seems to occur.

No one condones fare evasion, fair fares are only fair.  But sometimes, common-sense must be exercised.

[mufreight]

Obviously a couple of overzealous police officers carrying out their instructions from Translink to the letter and with a total lack of discretion, common sense or compasion.
That QR once again get bashed by the media for another failing by Translink in a matter that is entirely outside of the control of QR reinforces the need for QR to recover full control of all aspects of its operations including passenger management.
This incident further discredits the maner in which Translink operates adding to the argument that Translink is a sadly flawed and failed authority which is past its use by date and should be disbanded with the role of co-ordinating public transport being handed back to Queensland Transport.