Prosecuting fare-dodgers
Why are we wasting time dragging through the courts people who’ve neglected to pay a 90p fare? Worse still, why are we hampering these people’s lives with criminal records?
Why are diluting the seriousness of criminal records with fare dodgers, anyway? Why is it even a criminal offence? Why not just a tort? Why are we criminalising people over such trivia?
Wtf?
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August 11th, 2008 at 19:22
Probably because some bright spark realised it would be financially viable (profitable) to do so.
Either that, or it will (technically) make a huge percentage difference to crime figures. “Successful prosecutions for theft have risen over 400% in London” would become true enough a statement, and would also make a good headline for whichever party invented it.
Of course, they’ll probably give most of the credit to cctv…
August 11th, 2008 at 22:39
Hmm well. I’m pretty sure they’re private prosecutions, so they probably don’t count for police stats. And the same article says it costs TfL £270 to bring each case. And I don’t think they get the fine money either. Even if they did, the fine in this case was only £50.
I guess if someone is a persistent offender then fine, but a first timer? With a buggy?
Nah. It’s bollocks.
August 12th, 2008 at 16:22
In terms of fares they have a hardline zero tolerance policy. I can only guess this is meant to deter other people from the most henous crime of depriving privatised transports providers from profits.
I saw an old women literally frog marched off a bus becuase she had updated the address on her old persons travel pass with a pencil. Unaware that ‘Tampering’ was an ‘offense’. I stood up and said I appreacited the inspector was doing their job but they didn’t have to act like such an officous facist.
August 12th, 2008 at 16:25
Ahhh, yes. “Zero Tolerence”. Invariably a byword for “Fucking stupid”.
October 10th, 2008 at 23:32
Why the fuck should honset passengers pay for freeloading fare dodgers???? whether its 90p or £90 it’s a matter of principle, if there weren’t heavy fines then where’s the deterrent??
October 13th, 2008 at 17:46
I’m sorry. You’re obviously right. I’ve seen the light. We should institute the death penalty for fare dodgers without delay.
Or not.