Dodging train fare

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Discussion

Negative Creep

24,980 posts

227 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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turbobloke said:
Negative Creep said:
Having non-replaceable bits of paper does seem a very archaic way of doing things, but I dread to think how much a nationwide smart/oyster card system would cost
And then to patch the problems after it became much more wothwhile for international hackers to raid?
Very true, and this would be a government IT project we're talking about so add a few billion quid and an extra 5 years to be on the safe side. Interesting to note how many of the DM comments are along the lines of "it's ok because they make loads of money". Would they say the same thing about people who steal from supermarkets or petrol stations?

BlackLabel

13,251 posts

123 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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mail said:
An international lawyer faces ruin after admitting dodging more than £23,000 in rail fares.

Dr Peter Barnett, 43, was told he could be jailed after police discovered he spent more than two and a half years cheating the system.

He gave himself up after being caught by a ticket inspector travelling from his home in an Oxfordshire market town to London’s Marylebone station.

Investigators discovered the Oxford graduate and Rhodes scholar regularly pretended to have travelled from Wembley instead to save himself huge sums.

The Australian-born lawyer was cautioned for an identical offence in 2010 but continued to break the law, despite his prestigious reputation as the founder of an African children’s charity and director of leading think-tank, the Legatum Institute Foundation, aimed at ‘promoting prosperity’.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to six counts of fraud by false representation, carrying a maximum penalty of ten years in jail. 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3006866/Lawyer-faces-jail-scam-avoid-23-000-rail-fares.html

jdw100

4,118 posts

164 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Negative Creep said:
Having non-replaceable bits of paper does seem a very archaic way of doing things, but I dread to think how much a nationwide smart/oyster card system would cost
Don't need a smart card just the reader, so you can use a contactless debit/credit card.

No need to use Oyster any more in London, for example, as I just use my debit card.

KFC

3,687 posts

130 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
BlackLabel said:
mail said:
An international lawyer faces ruin after admitting dodging more than £23,000 in rail fares.

Dr Peter Barnett, 43, was told he could be jailed after police discovered he spent more than two and a half years cheating the system.

He gave himself up after being caught by a ticket inspector travelling from his home in an Oxfordshire market town to London’s Marylebone station.

Investigators discovered the Oxford graduate and Rhodes scholar regularly pretended to have travelled from Wembley instead to save himself huge sums.

The Australian-born lawyer was cautioned for an identical offence in 2010 but continued to break the law, despite his prestigious reputation as the founder of an African children’s charity and director of leading think-tank, the Legatum Institute Foundation, aimed at ‘promoting prosperity’.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to six counts of fraud by false representation, carrying a maximum penalty of ten years in jail. 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3006866/Lawyer-faces-jail-scam-avoid-23-000-rail-fares.html
It seems beyond comprehension that someone in his position got caught once, got away with it, then done it again! Now he's likely going to lose everything.... what a fool.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

205 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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In neither of these cases were the perps short of a few quid and in positions of professional responsibility with ethical standards. And they are both going to lose their reputations and livelihoods as a result. The mind boggles at the stupidity.

KFC

3,687 posts

130 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
In neither of these cases were the perps short of a few quid and in positions of professional responsibility with ethical standards. And they are both going to lose their reputations and livelihoods as a result. The mind boggles at the stupidity.
I'm not excusing it for the first one but you can at least perhaps see the reasoning (i.e. "I'll never get caught for this").

The 2nd guy had already been caught, yet done it again??

turbobloke

103,959 posts

260 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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hornetrider said:
In neither of these cases were the perps short of a few quid and in positions of professional responsibility with ethical standards. And they are both going to lose their reputations and livelihoods as a result. The mind boggles at the stupidity.
Astonishing for sure.

Negative Creep

24,980 posts

227 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
jdw100 said:
Negative Creep said:
Having non-replaceable bits of paper does seem a very archaic way of doing things, but I dread to think how much a nationwide smart/oyster card system would cost
Don't need a smart card just the reader, so you can use a contactless debit/credit card.

No need to use Oyster any more in London, for example, as I just use my debit card.
Doesn't contactless only work up to £20? Fine for a few stops on the bus but I wouldn't like the idea someone could steal my card and get a 1st class ticket from Kings X to Edinburgh

jdw100

4,118 posts

164 months

Wednesday 25th March 2015
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Negative Creep said:
Doesn't contactless only work up to £20? Fine for a few stops on the bus but I wouldn't like the idea someone could steal my card and get a 1st class ticket from Kings X to Edinburgh
At present yes, point being you don't necessarily need to issue a separate card - like for the oyster system.

Maybe your ticket to Edinburgh could just be loaded onto your debit card (or phone) at point of purchase.