Morning:
21°c
Gordon Brown was forced to defend his strategy on Afghanistan as doubts grew in the wake of mounting losses
More...
Commuter who can't get a seat is fined for standing in luggage space near first class
Dick Murray, Transport Editor29.04.08
A commuter who could not find a seat on her train but managed to squeeze into a tiny luggage space by a lavatory was fined because she was too close to first class.
Nichola Myhill's hour-long journey ended with the threat of arrest and a £69 fine because she had strayed out of a second-class compartment.
Now the 27-year-old magazine graphic designer is waiting to hear of her appeal against what she described as "the appalling way I was treated".
Ms Myhill caught the 6.30pm service from Liverpool Street station on her way to her home in Fingringhoe, near Colchester, but there were no seats available.
She said: "I pay just over £4,000 a year for a season ticket yet I usually end up sitting outside a toilet on the dirty floor because everywhere is full up.
"People were standing in every available space between carriages - it was not possible to stand in the aisle because it would have caused huge disruption.
Together with another young couple I stepped into the space at the end of a first-class carriage. A guard saw us and we explained that there was nowhere else to go, which he accepted.
"But 10 minutes later a pair of ticket inspectors came through and having seen our tickets told us we were all going to be fined on the spot.
"I felt intimidated by their aggressive attitude - they demanded my details including my National Insurance number and where I worked.
"I was not at all happy about giving them so much information but they said I would be arrested if I refused to co-operate.
"They called up two men who showed me their warrant cards and they told us that we had to comply with the inspectors or we would be committing an arrestable offence.
"I was made to feel like a criminal and I was terrified that I would be taken off the train in handcuffs. Several passengers in the first-class compartment protested at the way I was being treated.
"They were astounded by what was happening - one man told the inspectors to leave me alone because I was not causing any problems and should be allowed to stay."
Upset and scared, Ms Myhill said she had no choice but to accept the £69 onthe-spot fine - calculated as double the cost of a single first class fare from London to Colchester - but has refused to pay and is appealing.
"Ironically they told me afterwards that I could have paid a £12 upgrade and sat in first class anyway. To add insult to injury as they left they said I could sit in the compartment because I had now paid the fine - but we had almost reached my destination."
Ms Myhill is waiting to hear from the Independent Appeals Service about her complaint.
A spokesman for National Express East Anglia said: "We are sorry if any customer feels unhappy about their journey with us.
"We will look into the specific circumstances on this particular train and decide what action is appropriate."
Reader views (82)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Dr Sohail Shariq - Your comment intrigues me. Do you seriously believe that Menezes was shot by ticket inspectors?
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
Is is a shame that people have to go through this misery on the commuter trains on a daily basis. I believe the lady in question was terrified being interviewed by these inspectors especially because of the not distant event which led to the killing of innocent Menezes
- Dr. Sohail Shariq, London, Middlesex
I moved from London to the US 15 years ago. Last month, while in the UK, I caught a train from London to Leeds. I couldn't believe that some people stood for most of the journey because they didn't have a seat. In the US everyone has a seat on the trains because they only sell the correct number of seats. If more people want to travel, especially at holiday times, they put on extra trains.The train system in the UK whether its privatized, nationalized etc has been the same for over 40 years.A Disgrace! Oh and the coffee on the train was utterly disgusting. If, in the 21st century, they can't provide a decent cup of coffee on the trains, what chance is there of providing a decent rail service?
- Robert Collins, Philadelphia, USA
Its interesting that you didn't publish my comment because I actually sided with the first class paying passengers. You are obviously slanting your story for maximum sympathy. Why should she have been there if she didn't pay for it. Nothing in life is free.
- Scott, london, uk
Yeah, but look at her face! That is the sort of face that I'd want to slap Post-It notes all over. A "Me! Me! Me! I'm Mummy & Daddy's Precious Little Princess Save the Juggernaut and Ban the Playgroup!" face. There is probably another side to the story. I bet she was really rude to the ticket inspectors.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
It doesn't just happen in London,Bashkin ,the whole county is run by do gooders ,politcal correctness freaks and people whos jobs turn them into what they think gives them a right to be mini hitlers !
- K.Elick, chester
This country views all of its citizens as criminals and this type of idiocy is symptomatic of a country that seems to have become a dictatorship - the ultimate spying nanny state! When anything goes wrong the people are to blame and the people get to pay for the politicians or public sector's muck up as well. I travel on a line where they seem to rarely clean the trains but find the money to send marauding bands of pseudo Stalinist uniform clad goons to check on people. We know there are people who don't pay and they should be dealt with appropriately. What this incident seems to show is that the people they employ don't have the skills or nouse to use their discretion appropriately. Investing in their training might pay dividends but that would mean the bosses of these monopolistic companies couldn't pay themselves as well as they do. They might as well put up a banner that says "your money's welcome, you're not - now get lost". Why do we put up with this? I wish Ms Myhill the best of luck with this but wouldn't be at all surprised if she gets nowhere fast (a bit like the trains really).
- Chris, London, UK
I cant believe it that such things happen in London.
- Bashkim Krasniqi, Lewisham
If I was an employee I would be absolutely ashamed that customers had to travel in such dire conditions and apologise profusely. Imagine finishing work and having to deal with that.
Not a good look.
- Dee Dee, Nelson New Zealand
It is a sad state of affairs when this happens but the attitude of many of the employees on the railway are that passengers are not clients and therefore get treated very poorly. I am sure that a high portion of commuters would never travel again on such a shoddy, sub standard outfit if there was a viable alternative.
- G.Mansfield, Billericay. Essex.
Sounds like the Jobsworths on British Rail (or whatever they call themselves these days) have sunk to a new low. Perhaps if the Railways spent less money painting their carriages in a new decor every other month and sent their employees on a P.R. course they wouldn't suffer such poor customer relations.
- John Bursby, Royal Tunbridge Wells
They should fire these idiots and spend their salaries on providing more seats. It's ridiculous the price people pay then can't even get a seat.
- Ian, New Orleans, USA
Onlu the brainless enforce stupid regulations.
- Jack E. Ferguson, santa cruz, ca USA
I thought ticket inspectors were just those who couldn't make it in to the police force?
- Steve, London
Fantastic - Reduce congestion on trains by prosecuting passengers for having the temerity to use all available space
- Mark, St Albans England
Ah what would we do without all these little hitlers to spice up our dull boring mundane lives ?? Having witnessed several incidents like this I wonder where these people are found ? Or are they manufactured from a mould ? Basic requirements are to be a cowardly thug - as they always operate in threes or fours - and a complete absence of any sort of manners.
- Roger, England
This smacks of the "little Hitler" attitude now common when some people are given what they regard as "power". My understanding is that a railway ticket inspector may only ask for name & address. The two people who appeared with "warrant card" is interesting. What and whose "warrant cards" I wonder. Only a Constable can ask for more than name & address, and this is strictly limited.
- Leela Joseet, London
Thank heavens I no longer live in this shambolic country. Whilst in Borneo last week local people asked me if it was true that the UK had become a third world country. I of course said yes.
- Anna Stewart, Mallorca, Spain
Haha, I got busted once when I first moved to London. I was running for a train and got on the wrong one, it was a fast train to somewhere so no stops so I could get off for ages. After about 30 minutes standing I went and sat in first class as no seats anywhere and it was empty. All of a sudden a ticket inspector rolled up. Not only did he fine me, he also charged me full price for the ticket on the train to the next stop. When I said can I buy a ticket from you to get back to london bridge, he rolled his eyes as if I was lying about being on the wrong train and left. I eventually got home that day skint and about 3hours late 
- Glyn Thomas, London
National Express have shown a total lack of common sense in this case. I hope Ms Myhill is successful in her appeal. The chaotic state of our railways is a legacy of the botched privatisation under John Major's government.
- Paul Bicknell, Dorset, UK
Fantastic, Bill! You're a prime example of why there's little respect and common decency in society today.
Rissole!
- Jock, London
Her mistake was giving her correct name and address. Make it sound similar to the real one but wrong; then your defence is I was upset by the whole incident and did not intend to mislead. Another I use is I pretend I am find Poland or Lithuania and cannot understand English, that often puts these jerks off. Always give false info and they can rarely follow it up and the system will be swamped trying to find everyone and they might become more reasonable. Some hope
- Bill, London
I too take the car and would not dream of paying 4k to sit on the floor of a filthy train. the car is the best way to travel
- Andy Hislop, colchester
I wouldn't be at all surprised if these so called 'ticket inspectors' were pocketing the money (fines). It just amazes me as I too was once fined for sitting on a 1st class seat for literally 2 minutes, yet when some immigrant had bought an off peak train ticket & was travelling in peak hours he got off with no more than you shouldn't be travelling, they just let him off scot free, no fine, nothing .. yet when I made a comment about it I was told it's at their discretion (basically they can do what the hell they like ..!). Makes my blood boil as I pay just over £3k a year for my season ticket & the commute is a commute from hell .. mainly men thinking they're on their sofa's at home with their legs spread as wide as possible (they're not that big) giving you very little room on your seat - selfish pieces of dirt on the end of my shoe ..! I detest commuting, but have no choice to earn my living & the ticket prices / value for money are just beyond a joke ..! I strongly sympathise with Nichola, she should not have been treated in this way .. commone sense on a packed train like that, but I strongly suspect they took the money to line their own pockets ..! Most definitely ..!
- Jo, Beds, UK
Unbelievable! What is wrong with these idiots, train companies, local authorities, car park attendants etc, it seems they are all out to squeeze every penny they can get out of us at any opportunity and it leads to incidents like this. Last week it was a council fining a kid for putting up a lost cat poster on a pole, this country has become so petty and the disgusting jobsworths are having a field day. The fact that the greedy train company is running a service that can't even provide seating for their long suffering customers seems to have been ignored in this. I would have stood my ground, got arrested and then sued the train company. If they can't provide me with a seat on their train then they should not have sold me a ticket in the first place. That young woman deserves an apology and those moronic ticket inspectors should be sacked!
- Ed, Hampshire
Nationalise the moneygrabbing train companies.
- Robin, London UK
This is why I now drive everywhere.
It's cheaper and safer and a lot nicer despite TFL's worst efforts.
- Thalia, London UK
An absolute scandal and I cannot understand just why people put up with it ????? Here in a so called third world country I can travel 700km in my own air conditioned cabin with bed and attendant service for under 30 pounds. and the thing runs on time. When you buy a ticket it should by law entitle you to a seat if not why not ?? Oh and guess what they even empty my rubbish most days and I dont pay any council tax ha ha ha. Now why was it I left again ????????
- Duncan Walker, Ex Peckham now Samui Thailand
the inspectors have no powers of arrest - the train company is using intimidation to extort money. Disgraceful behaviour by the crooks running our trains.
- Dorothy, London
I do have a bit of trouble sympathising with someone who commutes from Colechester to London. How crazy is that?
- Reuben Anderson, london
I have been looking to upgrade my season ticket to first class due to the lack of seats in standard. However when you add a Travelcard to the first class ticket, South West Trains actually charge £280 more than if you add a Travelcard to a standard season ticket - how can this be? As far as I'm aware, there is no first class on the tube so the additional cost of the Travelcard should be the same for both!!?
- Robbie, Surrey, United Kingdom
The train operator should be sued and fined for running an unsafe vehicle
- Vince London, West London
... come to Australia where the travel is free (until you get caught). I have travelled to work in the city here for over 3 years and have only seen the equivalent to British Transport Police get on 4 or 5 times and then I have been asked for my ticket on only 3 occasions. On one occasion I also saw that a pregnant woman was asked for her ticket - after much shuffling around, etc. she still couldn't find it (because I suspect she didnt have one) and they let her off! Maybe Nichola should have stuffed a cushion up her jumper and claimed to be pregnant - she'd probably have got different treatment.
- Barbara, Sydney Australia
How much did the CEO of National Express get in pay rises and bonuses this year? Now we know how he funds it - by fining his customers for trivialities. I hope he is proud of himself!
- Joannie, London, England
This is what happens when trains and trams are privatised. Less carriages are put on trains, leading to overcrowding. Then the bully boys do the rounds, frightening and intimidating people.Melbourne has problems this way, since trains and trams were privarised.
- Jane, victoria australia
TRavelling up to the Lakes a couple of weeks ago when standard class absolutely packed, Virgin train staff de-regulated (not sure what the word would be) so that the whole train became standard class including the first class carriages. Surely on a passenger safety basis this should be standard practice?
- Anne, leytonstone
Rule Brittania Britannia rules the waaaa.. Oh dear the music has stopped. Now what do we do?
- Jon Vickers, SC USA
I experienced exactly the same on the Midland Mainline trains (now East Midland Trains). They also tried to fine someone for not having a valid ticket after the train driver had forgotten to stop at the correct stop.
- Steve, Barnet
So much for health and safety and data protection acts. Oh for some wealthy individual to sue the pants off these dictatorial organisations.
- Tony Gee, London
Why didn't she stand her ground and tell theses "jobsworths" what to do. I am sure other people would have helped her.
- Grim Reaper, Hell
The way to handle this is to give us Hitler's real name so that his behaviour is known to the public.
- Rich, London UK
Renationalise the railways and get rid of these companies that take our well earned cash to line their own pockets whilst giving us, the commuter, a 3rd class service. Let's have some decent customer service in this country for a change.
- Angry Of Alton, UK
In response to Rob "According to other news sources this poor woman lost her appeal." Of course she lost, no one ever wins against a rail company, however much in the right that person is. I get the impression judges are, off the record, banned from finding in favour of the aggrieved passenger, and always seem to find some technicality to blame it on.
- Richard, Madrid, Spain
The arrogance and Hitler attitude of some Council and Government employees is absolutely unacceptable. Stupid little morons who want to feel important take up these jobs as inspectors or whatever. The people that put them in the job are of the same "strain" and basically should go and dig roads.
- Wq, Frankfurt, Germany
I think it is good that so many people seem to agree that this fine is a disgrace. I especially agree with Liz, surely the rail companies can specify "No first class compartments" when they were ordered.
The fact that Ms Myhill was fined is a typical reason why I left this country. I wouldn't move back here if you paid me! I am proud of what it means to be British, but each year I return, I find Britain to be more restrictive and more expensive. What happened to the freest country in the world? Have we all sold out?
Don't pay the fine is a start... what we need is another revolt-a "People's Revolt", to reclaim our freedom. The wrong people are being employed as wardens on trains and the streets and, they seem to blindly apply laws with none of the human element..this wouldn't be so bad, except, I feel, many people want to talk to human beings and, not robots.
- Tim, bracknell
Hands up everyone who knows their NI number! Get a life!
- Dave, London
How dare they; you pay your ticket and you are told to stand in some cases up to 2 hours. We should boycott National Express East Anglia and in such cases refuse to pay the fine and always appeal.
Fill the courts and ensure the transporter acts as they should.
- Luis Pinto, Lisbon, Portugal
The rail companies shouldn't be allowed to run first class carriages on trains that don't have adequate provision for standard class passengers.
By not demanding that the rail companies provide adequate accommodation for standard class passengers before trying to make money out of first class services, the government is failing in its duty.
- Liz, London
Labour have been voted in for three successive elections. Everyone knows that socialists believe in the centralised control of the populace. To this end since 1979 they have created around 750,000 extra non-productive busy bodies, all of whom are paid and whose pensions will be paid by the taxpayer. This has resulted in an increased authoritarian attitude throughout the country. Obviously these morons didn't even know their job if they demanded her NI number. Or did they? If you voted Labour you are in part responsible for the state we're in.
- John, Bangkok, Thailand
According to other news sources this poor woman lost her appeal. What is the world coming to?
- Rob, Farnham, Surrey
Could we have a picture of this mindless cretin, so that we an take it in turns to "accidentally" tread on his feet, which must surely be larger than his brain.
- Lezl, London
I note that the jumped up thuggish inspectors refused to give their details to the press. Nor did the train company confirm who they were. Some animals are more equal than others then...
- Jj, peterborough
This is an absolute disgrace! What sort of thugs are National Express employing? Filthy trains, insufficient capacity and sub human employees who act like Gestapo agents. This lady should have been offered any seat available if her regular compartment was full. She had a season ticket and as such was travelling legally. Who were the goons who showed their `warrant cards` I assume British Transport Police in plain clothes. What ever happened to common sense? Fight this Nichola and expose the appalling situation that this pathetic operator sees fit to maintain and expose the so called officials who do not appear to have a working brain.
- John E, Northants
We now live in a Gestapo styled country...Who are these thugs that demanded her National Insurance number? Are these details not private. How dare they. Pay £4000 a season ticket and get fined, because they are standing in a filthy corner! This is disgusting and those jumped up thugs should be ashamed of themselves. If there is no seat then rebate should be paid to the commuter and not fines. Gosh I'm starting to hate this country, and the filth in power that let's these scum like this act like little Nazi's. This is all to do with over population no room on trains no water no land no civility means no civilization manners or decency.
- Ben, Chester
I think this story is a disgrace.
I have come over from Italy for the summer, and it may well be my last. It's far too expensive (especially in London) and there are too many petty ill-thought out rules (like the one on smoking...even in Italy there is provision for smokers to be indoors- who do non-smokers think they are! Taking the rights of one group to give them (completely) to another is just, any more than forcing non-smokers to sit with smokers!
But the trains are scandalous. In Italy for the same fare of Egham, where I am, to London, I can get from Naples to Rome on an Inter-city ticket. I wouldn't have to stand, and the train usually arrives on time.
To fine someone for getting a little bit of comfort in what would be condemned if we were transporting livestock is nothing short of offensive- sort it out! It is becoming embarrassing to be British with behaviour and prices like these!
- Tim, Naples, Italy
I am A 68-year-old retired woman and recently had to stand all the way from Colchester to London on a train, after 9.30 a.m. The only space was between carriages; there was nothing to hold onto or lean against, except the toilet door. I arrived feeling filthy and exhausted. This service is disgusting and I am extremely sorry for people who have to suffer it daily.
- Jill ., Colchester, Essex.
Unfortunately law enforcement in London and probably across the UK aims at easy, revenue generating targets. For example cyclists carefully passing through red light to escape the melee of traffic that usually occurs once the lights turn green, motorists who have stopped for a moment on a double yellow to pick something up and people like this lady who is forced to squeeze into a luggage rack next to a toilet on her morning commute.
Can someone please focus on real criminals rather than soft targets that help police statistics and help no one?
- Headhunter, London
That's public transport, they put your fares up every year and treat you like a criminal yet they can't provide the service, if you pay your fare you should have a seat assigned to that ticket, its obvious something needs to be done to entice people out of cars but with attitudes like that and 4000-00 pounds its cheaper to drive.
- Simon, hemel uk
In 1963 I used to commute from Chatham to London, it was the last stop the train having started on the coast, we all had little fishing stools and always it was a fight to get on the train and yes we got the same promises its only temporary services will get better, however if we had been animals British rail would according to European law been fined .
- R Horne, lima peru
Isn't it galling to hear of stories such as this where the innocent become victims of circumstance and punished by those who see it as their duty to enforce rules regardless of circumstance or to show any kind of understanding? And isn't it equally galling when we hear of criminals and thugs who deliberately cause angst or suffering in our society get such scant sentences because we put the blame on their upbringing or find we don't have capacity, for whatever reason, to hand out an appropriate punishment? Society needs a good dose of common sense and like any sickly patient that cannot self-administer treatment, it should fall to those to whom we charge with care and responsibility. In this case, it's the government who wishes to tax us all off the road and onto public transport which has suffered from substantial under-investment over a number of years. Yes, rules are rules, but let's make sure that they are fair and applied with discretion. One of society's greatest problems is lack of respect for authority and such officious behaviour by those empowered to enforce the 'rules' does little to garner them that respect from the British public.
- David Steel, Cambridge, UK
That poor girl, just because she was standing too close to first class, are they mad.
- Pat, london
There is something very specific about the British in the way that they behave when given some authority, it can be seen in park wardens and parking attendants. It seems to be an unfortunate characteristic of some of us.
It almost makes me ashamed to be British.
- M Wilkinson, London UK
Why don't we get rid of this wasteful failure of a privatised farce that we were lumbered with by Major in 1997? The railways are a public service - everyone knows that. We need to put them into mutual ownership, like the building societies, with the customers in control, not bled dry by fare increases and humiliated in cattle-truck conditions like this.
- Robert C, London, UK
This is disgusting and puts shame on the train company, people have to put up with overcrowded, constant fare increases and very often late trains and this is the treatment they get, I hope she fights this all the way.
- Cathy,, Beckenham, Kent
For a classless society '1st class' travel is something of an anachronism. It would go some way towards alleviating the problem of overcrowding to simply do away with First Class. Take the Tube for example, its all 3rd class but nobody seems to complain, do they?
- Jeremiah, London
White, middle class, female! Says it all, of course she was going to be targeted by this jobs worth of a rail inspector. Come on Boris do something now!
- Selwyn Channon, Epsom
I do not think the forefathers of this land intended to criminalise the innocent, free the killers from jail early, and tax the hardworking souls of the land and the poor, when parliament was established. Common sense is no longer common when it comes to providing excellent customer services as this case proves. This is very wrong in every aspect. The inspectors should be sacked, the lady should be compensated, and the episode should be used as a bad customer services scenario to train other inspectors.
I wish you all the best in your quest for justice in this case.
- Charles Antwi, Enfield, London
And the Rail Company wonder why their staff may get assaulted!
- Mark Cleminson, Dublin, Ireland
V Tan of London,
If you read the small print on the season ticket contract I think you will find that it states quite clearly that mugs, sorry customers, are obliged to pay whatever astronomic fare the rail company decides to dream up.
The rail company for their part of the bargain does not actually have to provide any service.
Read it. Seriously.
- Jimbob, Kensington
Under what legislation can they demand the NI number? Also, do ticket Inspectors have the power of arrest in these circumstances?
- Ian Jones, London, UK
Let's be fair; Nichola was caught on a technicality. So she should respond by pointing out that she had authority to occupy the luggage as the train company's uniformed guard had approved it. When the inspectors told her she could not stand there, she moved out. So no offence has been committed, as she has complied with the instructions of the rail employees at both stages. If she has shown the inspectors both her valid numbered season ticket, and her photo rail-card bearing the same number, then she has no need to show any other document, as these are the two documents issued by the rail company to identify a travelling customer. She should then have agreed to cooperate by showing these documents, but refuse to be arrested but say she would not try to escape but would wait until the matter had been resolved, even if it took all night. Then if either of the inspectors made a move to detain her by so much as touching her arm, she should complain that they have assaulted her, pull the cord, and stop the train, and demand the police are called. She should also have told the inspectors she felt they were behaving like Nazi Robots. All this is easy for me to say in hindsight; but I do hope Nichola's lawyer follows a similar line of thought; and throws in for good measure a question about why Tony Blair was not arrested a few days ago by another rail company for travelling with no ticket, but was allowed to continue his journey with no charge being made; he had a pathetic excuse.
- Jason Dain, Shanghai, P R China
Aside from the farcical offering of "1st" class by some companies (especially South Eastern) I would argue the point that the floor outside the toilet is not actually 1st class accommodation. It is an access lobby.
- Bexie, Ramsgate, UK
I really like that idea. Ban train companies from operating first class services if they don't provide adequate second class services. That should certainly concentrate the bosses' tiny minds.
Probably impossible, but I'd also like to ban managers of any transport company from travelling to work by any means other than their own services. Would you eat in a restaurant where the chef refused to eat his own cooking?
- Nigel, London
Poor Nichola - she should contact the Information Commissioner and ask them to investigate. Asking for a NINO (National Insurance number) and other details may be excessive if not requested by the Railway By Laws and conditions of carriage regulations - this demand may contravene Data Protection legislation. Good luck with your appeal.
- Susan, London
This is absolutely ridiculous. Train companies shouldn't be allowed to provide a 1st class carriage or any train that doesn't have enough 2nd class seats for all the passengers.
Ms Myhill has been mistreated and should refer her complaint to the rail regulator.
- Liz, London
£69 for a single fare from Liverpool Street to Colchester? Oh Come on ! You can fly to Finland and back for that (and do a stop in Latvia on the way back if you time it right!)
Why is train travel so ludicrously expensive?
- Jason Stone, Stratford, Newham
This is absolutely disgusting but all too typical of the way the little Hitlers and Jobsworths seem to be running this country these days!
I have little doubt that had she been a "minority" thug with his feet up on a chair the Jobsworths concerned would have walked on by too scared to say a word!
I hope she wins her appeal so good luck Nichola.
- Robert, Northants
Britain has become a nasty little country. National Express East Anglia should give Nichola Myhill a year of first class travel as compensation for the disgusting way she has been treated. After all she has been paying £4000 a year to stand in their overcrowded trains when she is entitled to a seat.
- John James, West Sussex
Those ticket inspectors had no sense of right and wrong. In the first place, Ms Myhill had a season ticket. Is it not the responsibility of the train company to provide her a place to sit or stand in the second class carriage? The train company had not fulfilled its part of the deal!
- V Tan, London
Good old British railways - glad to see that they are keeping the same standards of all the other outsourced jobsworths - parking attendants, traffic wardens, health and safety inspectors, PCSO's.
- Gary, Wycombe
Per the Railway by-laws ticket staff you are obliged to provide your name and address if requested. There is no mention of being required to provide other information such as national insurance numbers and place of employment.
You are also, per the conditions of carriage, allowed to remain in a first class area if second class is full and you are given permission by train staff.
- Ian, London
Ms Myhill is white, British and obviously respectable therefore she is fair game to these little Hitlers to whom common sense is a foreign language. This sort of thing used to be unheard of, so what has changed since around 1997? You decide.
- Stewart Kinniburgh, Scotland
