Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Any info would be appreciated.

A couple of weeks ago I was travelling home by train, walking up the escalators and dropped my train ticket. Unfortunately for me transfit officers where on duty doing checks on everyone and they slapped me with a $200 fine.

Have subsequently wrote to the recovery office with my explanation of what happened that there was cctv evidence to exonerate me etc, however they have ignored this and told me I have 21 days to cough up.

On principal I want to contest this, but not sure who I should contact. Have tried a law firm but they were no help as well as a free legal advice service who never responded.
Cheers

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

The Public Transport Ombudsman hears complaints about passenger train, tram and bus operators.

What State are you in?

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

New South Wales

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

$200 for no ticket seems outbloodyrageous!:ohmy:

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

I know its a bit of a joke
But its not the money its the principal more, those that get on without a ticket probably would never even pay a fine.

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/contact/complaints.html

Good luck.

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Exactly. Used to annoy the hell out of me; choosing to target regular commuters, who on the whole don't willfully evade fares (easy pickings), as against targetting those areas where habitual fare evasion is rife (too much agro).

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Seems to be the Aussie (lazy) way.

Same with the cops/speed traps hiding behind bushes at the bottom of a hill.

Pathetic :curse:

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Did you purchase the ticket via Credit card or Debit card ? Or did you pay by cash?

If the former, then a statement should do the trick.

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Unfortunately cash - anyway I have spoken with the state recovery office and have been advised my only option now the letter i sent to explain what happened has been rejected is going to court.

So if I elect to go to court it could result in a higher fine if they do not consider my innocent plea.


All of this for losing a train ticket! :curse:

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

I know what you are saying but you got on the train without a ticket, end of!!
When you dropped the original one you should have sworn under your breath then gone and purchased another one!!
We went to Brizzie by train a few weeks ago and OH threw ours away.. Had to buy another to come home... tough luck on our part!!

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Not true I dropped it whilst walking up the escalaters to go up to the exit, and I couldn't repurchase.
All proof is on cctv, but they have decided to ignore this, this is why I am so frustrated about the whole process

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Thats a real tough one!!! Real crap luck...

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Seems like it wouldn't be worth their costs surely if you wanted to contest it?

Re: Help Needed - Penalty Notice
 

Hmmm. Never mess with the Office of State Revenue. They aren't known for their compassionate side.

The Transit Offcers in NSW are a real pain in the arse. You can always see them hassling commuters and (what look to be) genuine travellers and completely ignoring the hoons that leap over the barriers, or the drunken bums laying around on the platform or in the trains. I think it's easier to harass commuters with their feet on the seats than deal with the confrontation of a genuine fare dodging scrote.

What gets me is when you see them walking around 'on patrol' hundreds of metres from the station, or any kind of rail installation. I suspect that they don't have any authority there, so what exactly are they doing?

Sadly another example of a little bit of power not being used in the way that it was intended.

I think you would probably be better off paying the ine. I'm not entirely sure how you would prove that you had a ticket. Take it as a learning experience.


S