Reader views (59)

 Add your view

This has just happened to me!
i'd had my original oyster card and i always kept it n my blazer pocket with my keys and because my eyes n mouth n face were a little bit scratched n faded as a 3 year old oyster card would be they took it off me! i was in my uniform and i even had my books and other cards that said my name on it they still took it from me and now they're saying i have to do community service? when i've done nothing wrong.

- Hannah, London, 26/04/2011 11:54
Report abuse

Oh wow! My card went round the washing machine and is slightly messed up! Should I be worried?

What a ridiculous case. They don't know what they're on about quite frankly. I'm 14, and a lot of you, supposedly mature individuals seem to have a very twisted view of this clearly innocent 11 year old girl. It happens, stop being critical, and stop stereotyping our generation as thugs and hooligans! You're the ones that need to grow up, not us!

- Ed, London, 16/05/2010 21:38
Report abuse

thiis iiz badmind coz it clearly says her name on it so why confiscate it u cant confiscate it just coz the pic is scratched off. She goez to ma skool and how is she supposed to get to school. it is not fair.

- Yungah Gee, london, 12/02/2010 19:31
Report abuse

My niece had her card confiscated for a similar spurious reason. She is only eleven and hadn't been travelling on public transport for long. She is the mildest kindest little girl who has never even been in trouble for talking in class and since it happens she has been in tears on a regular basis. My sister is also distraught but despite the fact that they are not on a big income she and her husband have refused to let her go on a 'payback' day to get her card back as she would be terrified by some of the hard cases she would meet. They have appealed but no response yet from TfL.

There seems to be a raft of confiscations from younger children recently. From my experience in the public sector this is probably due to people being short of March year end quotas. As Boris is cutting back on police this means there will be fewer confiscations for genuine misbehaviour and so they have to target minor infractions by little girls.

This is what we get for electing a buffoon as Mayor. It might have seemed funny at the time but now it has turned into a sick joke.

- Mark, Wandsworth, 11/02/2010 16:03
Report abuse

The same thing happened to my son , it's taken six months to get the card back and cost us well over £200 in fares. My son is a good decent boy who has been treated like a criminal,his card was nearly three years old so was obviously worn ,he was due for a new card 14-16 in five weeks time. There is no way to phone tfl ,you have to email and then they reply back in 20 to 25 days if at all. My son was mugged a year ago and had his phone and Money stolen .the scum that did this was not treated as bad as tfl has treated my son. Since this fiasco I have lost all respect for tfl and despise everything about them.

- Graeme White, Bromley kent, 10/02/2010 18:39
Report abuse

TFL, I am a teenager who hates when the bus comes and the other kids from school start making a lot of noise and being unrespectful! We should have speacial buses like in the U.S.A for school kids like me and adults that take normal buses can be in a peaceful enviroment at last!
This will also help with the unemployed by giving them a chance of having a good job, since all they have to do is collect school kids from outside their homes and drop them off school. It will also help schools save a lot more money in transport for trips and other ocasions.

Thank you

- Diana, London, 10/02/2010 17:55
Report abuse

Tfl seem to be on shaky legal ground here. Their terms and conditions clearly refer to "intentionally" damaged, altered or tampered with cards. I presume the young girl was not apprehended in the act of defacing her card, but imagine we have a self important, over officious, probably racist and child-hating - in commom with a dispiritingly high proportion of those commenting here - jobsworth - we've all met them - what is it about a uniform and a tiny bit of authority that turns people into heartless and mindless robots? - or is it that those kind of people just look for those kind of jobs?
Can Boris's PR people not see a chance to win some brownie points - no racist inference intended - step in to crack a few wooden Tfl heads together, give the young girl -who, by the way, would look a lot better - and a lot more like an eleven year old if she lost the hula hoop ear-rings, her card back, and tell the Tfl fascists to concentrate - Mussolini style - on making the trains run on time!

- John, London UK, 10/02/2010 12:58
Report abuse

I still do not believe that any child over 10 should have free bus travel. If TFL wants them to have free bus travel to and from school, then lay on school buses for them (like they do in America), and let the rest of us enjoy using the normal buses without hordes of noisy kids taking advantage of free travel to go 1 stop to get to or from school. Or, if they must have free Oystercards, let them ALL do 6 hours or more community service first and then let them have a free pass. The ONLY children who should have free Oystercards are those who are disabled.

- David, London, UK, 09/02/2010 22:43
Report abuse

TFL if only you spent more time making sure the trains run on time instead of giving grief to 11 year olds on their way to school!

- Ali, London, 09/02/2010 18:57
Report abuse

Storm in a Tea Cup, get over it.

- Davey_Bouy, Chertsey, 09/02/2010 18:56
Report abuse

There is a very worrying trend in this country towards the kind of officious bureaucratic behaviour that we used to encounter in France, Spain and Italy at one time; but petty officials in those countries have since become far more sensible while ours are increasingly heading off in the direction of Stalin and Hitler. This is probably due the the poor example of our Glorious Leaders in Whitehall, who have acted like dictators for too long; and all the little jobsworths take their lead from Them!

- Gareth Thomas, Canterbury, Kent, 09/02/2010 17:54
Report abuse

All of the numbers from my Visa Electron card have rubbed off, luckily I know the numbers off by heart, I complained to the bank, but they say this is normal with their cards through wear and tear, it's not even a year old, should I be penalised for this? I think some of the TFL staff just get out of the wrong side of the bed and want to take it out on someone, it just happened to be her at this time, please ES do a follow up story.

- Demi, London, UK, 09/02/2010 17:52
Report abuse

I wouldn't have a problem with this IF the inspectors did the same to the unfeasibly tall teenagers who bunk their fare regularly. In fact, the drivers and inspectors do nothing. When an older hoodie wearing teen bunked the ticket barrier at Borough station last week right in front of the station staff they did not even blink never mind actually challenge the teen. They are cowards and accost those who are easiest to catch.

- Stg, Peckham, London, 09/02/2010 17:13
Report abuse

If she has defaced her card, then fair play to TFL for confiscating the card. If it is a genuine scratch, then TFL should give her card back and appologise. The article does not state which of these 2 it is.

- Need More Info, London, 09/02/2010 17:05
Report abuse

Abolishing free travel for schoolchildren who barely deserve it would free up capacity for paying commuters. If she damaged her free card, tough luck now she can walk supplying this careless child with endless freebies.

- John Buckeridge, London, 09/02/2010 16:58
Report abuse

Oh BOO HOO, she is not going to get anymore FREE travel. I pay £150 a month to Tfl for shoddy service. Why cant everyone else!?

- Kmp, London, UK, 09/02/2010 16:49
Report abuse

"This is the result of Labour's new million-strong army of bureaucrats and state busy bodies they have created since 1997"

Er...no

This rule was actually bought in by Borris... a Conservative!

- Andrew, Woolwich, 09/02/2010 16:45
Report abuse

Surely it depends how badly damaged the card was.

If it was just a scratch and you could still tell who's card it was easily this is a joke. If the card was badly damaged and could have been used by someone else TFL have a point.

It was probably just a scratch though as there is no point in 11 years olds passing round the cards as they are all entitled to them anyway so there is no need to use other people's cards.

- Ian, London, 09/02/2010 16:43
Report abuse

I suspect that the card doesn't simply have a few wear and tear scratches on it but that the photo has been deliberately scrubbed / scratched, to make the photo unclear. This could have been done for a number of reasons, such as giving the card to someone else so that they could take advantage of the subsidized travel, or simply because the girl wanted to remove the pic.

- Ross, London, UK, 09/02/2010 16:42
Report abuse

Sadly, too many TfL employees are arrogant, jumped-up, self-important and dictatorial. This girl has done nothing wrong and I hope her family sues TfL. It is about time all Londoners stood up to this extra-judicial bunch of nobodies.

- Anthony, London, 09/02/2010 16:41
Report abuse

I think all teenagers should do six hours voluntary service, whether they scratch their Oyster card or not.

But that is another debate.

- Pat, London, 09/02/2010 16:34
Report abuse

Dave,

even if we were to accept your highly speculative 45% figure, can you demonstrate how that would or could provide any direct linkage or evidence against this girl?

- Scotty, London, 09/02/2010 16:13
Report abuse

@ Gemma:
"There seems to be a 50:50 split in who is in the right on this debate - either the TFL are being jobsworths and over-reacting or the young girl is a hooligan in the making who should learn to respect the freebies that she is handed? Not sure which side of the fence to stand on for this one really"

the problem with this position, is that you have neglected a small, and highly relevant fact in this analysis.

and that is that there is NO evidence at all to suggest this girl has behaved in a hooligan like manner, any position based on the imagined pejoratives of a bitter minority should be derided for the insubstantiated fantasy that it is.

repeat this is a figment of some people's imagination, there is no facts or evidence reported which supports this in any way. NONE.

and that is the difference.

- Scotty, London, 09/02/2010 16:11
Report abuse

Some of the comments on here make me despair to be living in the same city as some of you. If you're a pig-ignorant racist, perhaps a big multi-cultural city like London isn't the best place to live.

- East, London, 09/02/2010 16:07
Report abuse

Since when have TfL been in the business of handing out sentences? Perhaps they should concentrate on getting their own workforce in order. Around here, we have bus drivers that refuse to take passengers with digs on board.

- Carl, London, 09/02/2010 16:04
Report abuse

A few hours getting involved with the community won't kill her and it will serve as an example to all the other little vandals sitting on the bus mindlessly defacing their Oyster cards.

- Myrna Farbiash, London, 09/02/2010 15:47
Report abuse

A very good lesson in the unfairness of life. It won't hurt this girl to find out what life is really like.

- Lifeispants, London UK, 09/02/2010 15:47
Report abuse

Defacing the picture on child oyster cards is common practice, so they can pass them around. Remember 45% of TFL's revenue comes from council tax.

- Dave, NW London, 09/02/2010 15:42
Report abuse

To JAMES of Camden

Where is a grin perhaps you need an eye test. You have rather a twisted outlook. BE TOLERANT you may just enjoy life a little more!
Quite a number of over the top comments on this story, seems we live midst rather mean people.

- K.D., Kent, 09/02/2010 15:40
Report abuse

Nothing less than transportation to the colonies for life should be the punishment for such a heinous offence - and of course a bonus for the official who apprehended her with no thought for his own safety.

- Patrick, Dalston, 09/02/2010 15:33
Report abuse

Seems we have too many "little Hitlers" and no staff with brains. Next thing you know is that a 24 year old will be asked for her ID when buying a piece of quiche.

- David Griffiths, Llanfyllin, Wales, 09/02/2010 15:26
Report abuse

This is nasty & insanely disproportionate.

If the girl & her family feel their is an element of racism here,
I wouldn't blame them.
I hope it's just pure nastiness & stupidity on the part
of some Little Hitler.

- Convenient Truth, Reading, 09/02/2010 15:24
Report abuse

This is the result of Labour's new million-strong army of bureaucrats and state busy bodies they have created since 1997, who are armed with the thousands of new laws Labour has given them, which they use to make us all pay fines and/or push us all around. It is high time for the Tories to come in, get rid of all the stupid rules and regulations and hand out hundreds of thousands of P45s to these idiots - and save billions of pounds at the same time.

- Mike, London UK, 09/02/2010 15:23
Report abuse

There seems to be a 50:50 split in who is in the right on this debate - either the TFL are being jobsworths and over-reacting or the young girl is a hooligan in the making who should learn to respect the freebies that she is handed? Not sure which side of the fence to stand on for this one really...(although I will make a comment that she looks a lot older in that picture for an 11 year old - must be the huge hoop earing!)

- Gemma, London, 09/02/2010 15:14
Report abuse

could she prove it was her card, if yes then why confiscate it. my cards get tarnished in my wallet and if anyone of the issuers tried to confiscate it because of that I'd change companies.I got grilled for ten minutes today over a "technically invalid ticket", the same ticket I use every day. The loonies appear to have nothing better to do.

- Paul, essex, 09/02/2010 15:13
Report abuse

the card can be used by people who r not rightful owner. it is loss of income to TFL. I too do not want to subsidise people who want a free ride. TFL increases its fares every year to cover the costs of fare dodgers.

- Prasad, SIDCUP, 09/02/2010 15:11
Report abuse

I rather think this is more about an overt ticket inspector being power crazed because he could be under the rules. Its farcical and a complete joke. There is no way I'd let my child do any form of punishment for this joke offence. (The rule makers here should go back to school themselves)

- Tony, Hove England, 09/02/2010 15:09
Report abuse

Age 11 and sentenced to community service. But you have to be 13 to get a paper round. It can only be England!

- Jtdx, DK, 09/02/2010 14:59
Report abuse

Member of an armed gang, rob commuters with acts of violence on the Tube? Two years.

School girl, scratched your Oyster card? Six hours community service.

Does 2 + 2 still = 4 in this Liberal-Lefty-Loony country.

Any chance a rash of common sense could break out soon?

- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/02/2010 14:43
Report abuse

Sorry, Jeremy from Ealing, but what does this mean?

"Looks like the usual gobby teenager"

What kind of attitude is that?

- Luke, London, UK, 09/02/2010 14:24
Report abuse

I'm guessing the reasoning behind this is that if you can't view the picture then anyone can use the card thus it breaches t&c's, seems fair enough. The fact that she was even using a card was impressive, most teens I see simply get on the bus and shout "fifteen" as they run past the driver, no one pulls them up, and why would they, it's easier to let them on than risk verbal or even physical abuse.
Red Ken reckoned this was costing Londoners £50 million a year, I'd be interested in the proof of that, is it based on the Oyster readings or people yelling "fifteen" or a little of each. Meanwhile, Londoners are paying through the nose for it, perhaps we should all trying yelling "fifteen" as we run past?

- Bob, Cheam, 09/02/2010 14:20
Report abuse

frankly no one cares if any of you disagree with free public transport, that is an entirely separate and unrelated matter.

I used to think some of these things you read about in the papers couldn't be true, but judging by a few comments on here (james from Camden amongst others) people this dimwitted do really exist - and apparently some of them work at TFL playing big shots to 11 year old school girls.

- Scotty, London, 09/02/2010 14:17
Report abuse

"Looks like the usual gobby teenager". Why?

- East, London, 09/02/2010 14:10
Report abuse

Jeremy from Ealing, what a nasty piece you are. This girl is 11 YEARS OLD, not a 'gobby teenager'. She'll be just out of primary school. And teenagers (presumably 11 and 12 year olds in your book as well) should only be allowed on buses at certain times, should they? Why not go the whole way and say black people should only be allowed on buses between 8-10am? Maybe pensioners would only be permitted to show their wrinkly, miserable old faces outdoors between 1pm and 3pm? What about women? Maybe they should just stay indoors all day, peering through the letter box. I suggest that pompous people called Jeremy who display vile, dogmatic attitudes towards this country's next generation shouldn't be allowed on public transport at all, ever. My god, how can we ever expect to raise our children into decent adults with this kind of opinion being allowed out on its own?

- Ruth, Hampton, 09/02/2010 14:00
Report abuse

Take the free passes off of all of them, I don't see why these youngsters should get free travel. I agree with the pensioners getting their freedom passes, but why should kids be able to use their passes 24/7?

I'm fed up being on buses and trains having to put up with their mobile phone music, loud screeching, taking up two seats because they don't want to sit together, god forbid they should rest their bags etc on their laps. I have to pay a lot of money to travel on public third world rate transport, and am sick to death of it!

- Danny'S Nan, London, England, 09/02/2010 13:58
Report abuse

Last week Ania Wadsworth was allowed to walk out of court a free woman after admitting that she knowingly stole £1 million, yet a teenager who unknowingly scratched a card attracts a penalty.

It makes me wonder where some people's common decency has gone.

- Kate, London, 09/02/2010 13:55
Report abuse

Looks like the usual gobby teenager.

However in this case you will eventually find that TFL has no right to remove her card unless they withdraw all cards for that classification of teenager and they certainly have no powers to issue community service orders. If such a request is in publication find a good lawyer sue the individual inspector and sue TFL if they have made any comment of support for that position.

However my view is that teenagers should pay for their travel and should only be allowed onto buses and only at specific school hours and terms. Why should Londoners pay for the freebies of an ever aggressive youth that has no appreciation of what they have for free.

TFL make your savings now and limit this perk to particular times and dates, easily done if it is an Oyster card.

- Jeremy, Ealing, 09/02/2010 13:33
Report abuse

I'm surprised she hasn't been threatened with a prison sentence, I mean scratching a Oyster card, that's an outrageous crime.

What must that poor lass be thinking.
Hopefully someone with a brain will step in and put right to wrong.

- Malc, London,England, 09/02/2010 13:33
Report abuse

They'll be getting fiddled out of thousands every day by fare dodgers, but some 'jobsworth' makes the highpoint of his career out of depriving a poor kid out of her travel ticket.
Once again so typical of todays Britain.
The scum run rings round the law, while comparative innocents are subjected to 'the full weight of the law' because, as someone else said 'they're easy targets'. -Shame on the laws.
Shame on the lawmakers!

- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 09/02/2010 13:29
Report abuse

Wouldn't be scratched to make the photo less legible and then allow it to be used by someone else would it? A dishonest schoolgirl from East Dulwich, there's none of them are there? Show us a picture of the "accidental scratches". Then we might get a better picture of the situation. lol.

- Jon, london, 09/02/2010 13:20
Report abuse

This is just so typical, our children are asked to respect society, respect has to be earned, not demanded.

yet again the lunatics are running the asylum.

- Steve M, London, 09/02/2010 13:12
Report abuse

Ridiculous ruling! The Tfl ticket inspector showed total lack of understanding and seemed more interested in waving his authority around like a flag instead of using it wisely. And who ordered the girl to do community service? Your article doesn´t make that clear. For goodness sake, let´s show some understanding and give the girl her card back. Now!

- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 09/02/2010 13:03
Report abuse

They should have to pay half fare at least anyway, like they used to years ago.

I see children travelling free on buses sitting down, and paying adults standing, not only is it wrong as a fare paying passenger, but also teaches them no respect for adults.

Why on earth should fare payers stand, whilst the non payers sit comfortably.

She will at least learn to take greater care in future of something that was just given to her, and did not have to even be earned.

- P Staker, London, 09/02/2010 13:01
Report abuse

It's amazing how in this country you can do some minor, silly misdeamenor and get some form of punishment, yet you can go out and murder someone and you'll be lucky if you serve 7 years behind bars. It's pathetic. Still we don't want to hit the difficult targets, just the easy ones, eh?

- Sue, Kent, 09/02/2010 12:57
Report abuse

are you a parking inspector by any chance Gary?

typical, ludicrous overreaction by halfwitted public servants. so what if it was scratched?

seriously, so what if it was scratched. have these tin pot little hitlers got nothing better to do with their time, thantake out their petty frustrations on this young girl.

I imagine these people feel very important now.

- Scotty, London, 09/02/2010 12:52
Report abuse

Well I cannot commend TFL enough for this action. That card is THEIR property and they took the right action.

If young people think they can get away with damage to property then they pay the price for it.

That will take the stupid grin off her face.

- James From Camden, London, 09/02/2010 12:48
Report abuse

In short its a case of "how dare they take away my free stuff". As for the claim that a baby scratched the picture, that ranks right up there with "my dog ate my homework".

- Gary, London, 09/02/2010 12:45
Report abuse

Typical pompous response by TfL

- Mark Myword, London, 09/02/2010 12:41
Report abuse

Since when did Tfl become the law saying she will only get it back if she does community service! I would like to see the state of their cards....

- Chetna, London, Hounslow, London, 09/02/2010 12:36
Report abuse

Add your comment