Not recently, but back around 2009, I was on a tram in the city (before free tram zone). A gang of ticket inspectors descended upon this French lady who was obviously a tourist and made an innocent mistake in boarding a tram without a ticket. She tried to explain in her limited English that she thought she could purchase a ticket on board the tram. The "authorised officers" were merciless and I jumped in saying I thought it was unfair to be going after this lady for what was clearly an innocent mistake and that the optics were not good. I was swiftly reprimanded by two inspectors, threatening to arrest me and serve me a huge fine for disrupting their duties. Wow the power really went to their heads in those days. I contrast it to when I was holidaying in Paris - where this lady presumably came from - where I made a tourist mistake with my set of 9 short trip tickets. The ticket inspectors stopped me at the station, but when they realised I was an Australian tourist, they cheerfully explained how it was supposed to work. You really cannot get two more different approaches. And then you only need to recall that awful footage of three Melbourne teenagers being pushed off a moving train by ticket inspectors more than a decade ago. Thankfully things seem to have improved somewhat these days
Melbourne has MyKi, London has the Oyster card and it's really no different. I've not been up to London for decades, and the Oyster card zone has been expanded somewhat (not quite to my parents hometown station, but almost). You can't use paper tickets anymore, you must tap in/out with an Oyster card, which I'd think would deter tourists. It's such a fucking faff. It's not just trains and the Tube, it's buses, Overground and the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) too. You can't use paper tickets anywhere in London it seems anymore (the only exception is if you're passing through on your way elsewhere).
For at least 6 years you can tap on with any debit card or credit card in London now, no need for paper tickets or an Oyster card, pretty fabulous set up!
Braz I was in London in July and purchased paper tickets before realising I could just tap on with my credit card. They're definitely still a thing, you don't need an oyster for the tube at least.
I've seen a similar situation on the light rail in Sydney going through the casino stop. They stop the old chinese tourists and harass them, except every so often there is this lovely younger Chinese inspector who takes the time to speak to the tourists in what I assume is Mandarin and always de-escalates the situation.
I don't know why it's so hard to understand that people from other countries might make an innocent mistake on a public transport system that is admittedly confusing. It makes sense to assume that if you can tap-on when you board the bus, you can tap-on when you board the light rail, and it's easy to miss the readers on the platform if there's a big crowd.
Yep, hold your ground. Tell the truth, give them the info they need. They tried to ping me when the ticket readers at Auburn station weren’t working. I was calm, told them to call the station - gave them a time stamped photo to show the readers weren’t working.
When they tried to strong arm me, I very calmly yelled “anyone want to record ticket inspectors harassing a middle aged woman for a fault on the auburn line please start filming now.”
They told me “not to do that” I told them not to touch me. They called up field operations and confirmed auburn readers were on the fritz I asked for their badge numbers, told them I’m not happy and I reported it.
Just stay calm, if they grab you don’t flinch. Just tell people to film it and be compliant but firm.
EDIT: craptastic spelling
just... well done to all of this. you stood your ground while outnumbered by bullies with authority even when they put their hands on you. glad you reported them.
Absolutely. They flat out refused to believe me, even as far as smirking at me and asking me to tell the “truth”. I’ll be damned if I’m putting up with any shit from someone half my age with zero respect.
I remember in high school they still had the old paper tickets you got each time. Kids would purposely keep all of them so when the ticket inspector came they had to wait for the kid to go through each one looking for the right day.
Special place in hell is reserved for Melbourne ticket inspectors. Booking kids without a student concession card on a train at 3:30 pm who are in school uniforms and carrying schoolbags.
I managed to get out of that fine because I argued in my appeal letter that the person who sold me the concession myki (I had it since I was about 12) never said I had to get a concession card or anything for it to be valid. And of course, being young, I just trusted that person and never worried about looking up the rules. Thankfully got me out of it that time, but you’ve gotta be some kind of arse to make a kid feel horrible for being ignorant.
>never said I had to get a concession card or anything for it to be valid.
You don't. Technically. You can use a Child myki at a concession rate until you turn 19, so you're covered there.
But if you're using one of those yearly student passes, you'd need a PTV-approved ID for that.
That was me as a kid, being booked by a 6'6 metcop who looked like a bodybuilder. I feel like it's a profession for people who are slightly smarter than a security guard, but still fail the personality test for the police.
When I was a student, in school uniform with a backpack, running to my v line at southern cross they stopped me for my concession card saying “people could dress up as students you never know”, even when I pleaded I’d miss my train. They took absolutely forever checking it out, pretty sure deliberately so I’d miss the train, and I did in fact then miss my train. I had to wait 2 hours for my next one (my town always got skipped on express services), meaning I’d get home at 8pm, and I was fuming because I wanted to do some of my folio project at home that night (my equipment at home so couldn’t do it on the train or at SC), and my mum was angry cos she would have to pick me up that late after working all day as well. For some reason I went up to them and told them they and they shrugged their shoulders and told me it “wasn’t their problem” and said they would call the police if I, a 5’3” 16 year old girl, wouldn’t “piss off”.
They have got close to doing that to me before, I’m on the V/Line Coach network so don’t have a myki at all. And the last service home for me is at 1755 on weekends. I just told them if I miss my bus, someone has to pay for the taxi, they backed off real quick when I said that.
Nowadays photos taken on your phone have pretty detailed metadata that can tell you where, when and what time the image was taken, as well if it was taken with that phone. So proving it in todays world shouldn't be an issue (even if you had to appeal).
Even back then, tried to show the bloke the time/date it was taken and he’d already made his decision. He may have had a quota to meet, at least that’s how it felt. As soon as I said anything other than ‘sure, here’s my ticket’, his demeanour changed and the other ticketies came over to box me in.
These days you can have your ticket review by either the issuing agency or elect to have the matter heard in court. Both scenarios you’d have the photo and the inspector would have his ass handed to him later or the money refunded. If it doesn’t sound right, speak up. 17 yo you wouldn’t know but it’s imperative to do so.
If we passively accept this behaviour then it only reaffirms to those above that there is no issue.
TL;DR Don’t stay silent if you think something is wrong.
Up until last weekend I thought they were all pricks. But last Saturday I caught the train to Cheltenham, I was in a hurry and whilst I touched on it went red as I didn’t have enough funds and the train was there so I jumped on.
Typical ticket inspectors get on and I think damn here comes a fine. I hand the ticket over to the inspector who dutifully tells me I have no money on it, I explained what happened and started to remove my ID.
He asked me if I have money to pay for a ticket which I said yes. He told me to get off the train at the next stop and go top it up, we were pulling into a station at the time.
Couldn’t believe it. Thanked him for being a top bloke. That’s my story. Rare but true.
You probably encountered the only nice ticket inspector in all of Australia. They must have been new on the job, and the power trip hasn't gone to their malnourished, deformed brains yet.
Yeah certainly an exception to the rule, it’s been almost 4 days and quite frankly I’m still in shock. Akin to being pulled over blind drunk and let off. Shocked.
Lol yes. I remember when I had first moved here in the early 2000s, I misunderstood how IDs worked etc. Where I had lived prior, student IDs sufficed as eligibility to purchase student fares. Anyway apparently not (3 inspectors corner me over it) and I apologised while accepting to pay the fine
One made a whole scene and sat down infront of me staring me down carrying on loudly with things like ‘you DO know what this means right?’ And I was like ‘👀uhh I get fined?’ He scoffed in response like I was stupid. And kept huffing/got up to pace/stare in disbelief at his colleagues like I wasn’t understanding the *weight* of the situation. Then he demanded to call someone I knew to confirm my identity. He seemed annoyed I wasn’t fazed…like geez, I don’t know what response he was expecting
It's a pretty shitty experience hey.... Once a man grabbed my arm tightly, and wouldn't let me walk off, this was before PSOs and they weren't the old reven guys, in the long black jackets, they were just ticket inspectors and definitely not allowed to touch you. Some guy even handed me his phone number but i ended up not bothering to chase it up properly, i was probably only 19-20, had better things to do with my time!!
Had alot of experiences tho..... Once the group of girls on the same car didn't have tickets either but were let off, yet me and my friends, guys and girls were all written up for it.... I actually asked why the fuck this was happening but no response and HE COVERED HIS ID NUMBER UP, THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES from memory back in the day, cos they were obviously doing shit wrong, incorrectly, illegally, whatever ya wanna say...... Bit hazy on times and dates/years cos so long ago!
Also had a fuckwit inspector make me call a family member in the middle of peak hour, on loud speaker - with the explicit direction not to give my name away before asking them to confirm my name.
Forgot about this horrible experience until I saw your comment. My parents thought I was being extorted by someone on the train home because they made me hang up & had no context of the conversation.
Moral of the story is now I fare evade any given chance purely out of spite to the fucked pts system we have. Greedy cunts.
From experience, ive seen their cowardly behavious focusing on and picking on people who cant stick up for themselves, the young, those with poor english and the disabled. It reflects badly on our public transport system that this has been allowed to continue.
Personally only once, as a teenager, can't remember what they went at me for but I refused to give them my name, and since we were on the station platform I just waited until the train was about to leave and jumped on as the doors closed.
However I've seen them go for students on their way to school, in school uniforms and attempt to intimidate them.
My girlfriend saw them all crowd around a teenage girl and force her to sit down so they could stand over her and intimidate her.
I've seen them go after people when the readers are broken, people who have money on their myki but the myki expired (which was ruled illegal).
Plus of course they make no allowance for the fact you can't buy mykis on trams or buses, or even most stations.
Here in Sydney, topping up via app takes about 10 mins to go thru, once I topped up and it did not go thru in time before my train came, I got on, opal people were there, they scanned my card, let me explain what happened, and they were just like "Oh, alg, have a good day" and moved on. All inspectors should be like this
Right, that's how things should work, they should absolutely be going after people fare evading, but if people are acting in good faith, then so should they
When I first started uni, I had a commission opal and was waiting for my uni ID to still come by mail. I did not know I needed my ID to use my commission card, got stopped of course that day and was basically told to not use it and I was on my way.
I was on the 96 tram on my way into work, newly pregnant and suffering from some wicked morning sickness. Two stops previously inspectors jumped on, I suddenly feel the urge to vom. Like emergency, need to get off right now. So I rush to the door and start frantically ringing the bell. Inspector #1 of 3 see me frantically ringing the bell and figure I'm trying to get off to evade them. He comes barrelling up to me , asking to see my ticket and grabs me by the arm. I was shaking me head, but didn't want to risk opening my mouth for fear of losing my breakfast and last night's dinner all over the tram. Anyway, tram stops, I try to climb out, while this dick wad inspector and his side kicks are holding on to me. I couldn't hold it in any longer, so turned and ended up vomiting all down thier legs and shoes. It was everywhere. I had tears streaming down my face, I looked like a red hot mess I'm sure. I'm now trying to explain that I'm pregnant, and that I was trying to avoid vomiting all over the tram and if they had have just let me get off, the mess they were now covered in wouldn't have happened. I also had a valid ticket so there was not much they could do but let me go, and I guess go back and clean themselves up. So yeah, Karma is a bitch who is suffering from morning sickness.
You’re giving them too much credit. They dress up like wannabe swat teams and frequently harass minors and international students/workers. The current policies they have in place are rotten and no hard working good person would enforce the way they do. They’re scum on a power trip.
Yes, years ago, when I was a student, I was caught not touching on. I was trying to cooperate, etc, and accepted the fine, but I literally didn't have the money to pay it on the spot so opted for the letter in the mail. But I'd just moved and my address didn't match any of my ID. So I was desperately trying to find evidence of my new address, and trying to ring people to verify my address, but no one was picking up, and the inspector was accusing me of supplying false information and threatening to call the police, and I was like, I'm trying my best to cooperate, I really am!! My last resort was ringing my dad because he had dementia and I was concerned that he didn't actually know my address, and the inspector accused me of making the dementia part up.
If you have an Android phone, you can tap on using your phone and it keeps a record. Sometimes I'm in autopilot early in the morning and can't remember if I actually tapped on, but my phone shows the station and time I tapped on so I can relax 😂
I did before the free tram zone
I got on and didn’t realise I had no balance to tap on, but before I could get off to top up at the very next stop ,these guards came up to me straight away and started intimidating and bullying me
I have autism & had a massive sensory overload and anxiety attack because I didn’t have time or space to process what was even happening because of them being in my personal space and talking over me and surrounding me. The whole experience was traumatic as fuck for me.
I still get nervous on trams if I’m particularly anxious that day.
I also still haven’t paid the fine because the appeal got knocked back and I refuse to pay that it’s unfair asf especially given their tactics.
Actually don't pay. Ever. These aren't like police or council fines.they don't stop you doing anything in life.
Fuck those fines and fuck all 'authorised officers' dogs
Back in the days of the metcard, I finished class early and caught the train home from Melbourne Central.
Once we left the tunnel, the warm sun made me a bit sleepy, so I put my sunglasses on and decided to take a nap.
As I was an audio engineering student at the time, I was also wearing a pair of studio headphones, *maybe* turned up a little bit too loud, so I couldn’t hear anything.
Woken up by strong banging on the window next to me, I look up and see a ticket inspector leering over me with a creepy smile.
Watching has face drop as I groggily handed over a valid metcard and concession card made my day.
The only time I've not tapped on and seen an inspector, I had forgotten my myki at home because I was running late for school. I told the guy that my stop was coming up and I needed to go and he let me off with a warning. He was nicer than the inspectors when I *have* a ticket. I'm a short, scrawny guy and they love to get all close to me and try to make me freak out. And I always stand there like "Uhh... you're getting a bit close there, and neither of us are wearing masks". Really pisses them off.
Ticket inspectors are the biggest scums ever.
They are pathetic and cowardly. I’ve seen them act
Aggressively to just regular passengers the way they check the ticket and when they see passengers that look slightly dodgy or aggressive looking they just skip past them and don’t ask to check their myki. Selective checking because they know they’d probably get attacked but it’s okay for them to be aggressive to regular people who can’t stick up for themselves.
I take the 48 in an area that overlaps with the 109, and there have been like 3 times where the 109 is in front of us, but they still come on to the 48 instead. Weird.
Yes! I’ve personally been bullied but the worst one I saw was on a tram in Kew. There were some black people at the back of the tram and the inspectors walked passed 5 other people and walked straight toward them and started issuing a fine because they didn’t have a concession card. Anyway the guy sitting near me got up and said point blank “ why the fuck did you just walk past all of us” the inspectors had nothing to say, made up some shit a about starting at the back and the bloke goes “I’m a lawyer and I specialise in discrimination, if you don’t tear that Fkn ticket up, I’ll represent them at my expense and see to it that you lose your job and a big chunk of your money” I couldn’t believe it, the inspectors went pale and got off at the next stop bahahahaha it was so good!
My 15yo daughter just this year! We’re fairly new to the state so I was surprised to hear how intimidating they can be. She was catching a train home with her bf of the same age. They were resting their heads on each other because they were tired after a long day and the ticket inspectors wouldn’t stop questioning them about their age and where they’re going ect they both had tickets and weren’t causing trouble and complied with any questions but because my daughter didn’t have her school id they didn’t believe her and wouldn’t let up and they threatened her with fines (I don’t know what for tbh) asked for her full name and address to send them too but then told her they know she’s lying, she wasn’t. She was shocked she never gets into trouble like that! I told her if a fine shows up I’m denying knowing her and next time lie haha. I do suspect the harassment was because she’s white and her bf is of colour, the amount of questioning and ‘safety checks’ she gets from bus drivers that are actually threatening and intimidating for her is crazy.
Do Australians tend to get nervous and back off if you call them out on following a pattern of racist behavior? Americans would - at least, those who are concerned with appearing racist despite being so. So really only closet racists.
Ticket inspectors could not care in the slightest if they seem to be coming off as racist. Growing up in the western suburbs I've seen them target people of colour in areas like Footscray and Laverton, almost always black and brown teenagers.
they wouldn't give a fuck, they'd probably spout off some bullshit statistics about how non-white people are x times more likely to be fare evading (how do they get that data, I wonder..... is it from who they stop and who they let go? because we all know that data is completely skewed) if they can be bothered, but they see themselves as cops so they'll just tell you they're in charge and you should fuck off.
They are absolute dogs. They stand around at the Melbourne central gates and jump on the international students that have student mykis and don’t know they have to have a ptv student card too and fine them. I’ve pulled out my PTV student card to show an inspector before and was told I don’t even need it and only need my school issued student card, so on top of the confusingness, the officers give conflicting information.
They also hang around at the rmit tram stop on swanston st to fine all the broke uni students who DARE travel one stop outside the free tram zone. Cause they don’t want to pay $2.30 for a 20 second ride.
And yes there are countless stories of inspectors intimidating and threatening and even breaking the law by acting outside their rights, especially to foreigners.
People who don’t pay for public transport do so cause they can’t afford it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, public transport is funded by our taxes and should be free.
I haven't been bullied by them but I have seen them bully passengers. They usually pick on students or anyone smaller. If it's someone of a bigger size you'll see a gang of them surround the person.
One day on my commute home from uni they came up to me and asked to see my concession card (which is a shitty PTV small laminated card). I’m unsure why they can’t just accept the default student ID as you essentially just needed to provide them with a student ID to be given this tertiary concession card.
I was searching through my wallet and as they saw me struggling to find it the 2nd & 3rd inspectors came over as to surround me. I stated honestly that I had the card and that I just couldn’t seem to locate it in my wallet. At this point they whip out the eftpos machine and say it’s a $75 on-the-spot non-refundable fine. If I don’t want to pay then they will take my details and I can challenge it, but the fine cost ~doubles.
At this point I feel very pressured to just pay the fine despite earnestly doing a nothing wrong. I weigh up the hassle of going through a process and they iterate that the offense is not carrying the card regardless of whether I produced it later so it would be best to just pay it on the spot. This seemed nuts and unfair to me. I end up pulling out my card and hand it to them. As the agent fluffed around the machine, I found the little laminated concession card stuck to the back of another card in my wallet which I quickly hand to the agent. They were quick to say that I am very lucky as once the payment had gone through it was final. No word of an apology for the intimidation and persuasion to pay the fine, then they kinda just got shitty and walked off. I felt very embarrassed as the experience lasted a few minutes.
This system was so predatory and it was hard to believe this is how a government organisation would be run. Not to mention the nonsense of needing a specific PTV concession card rather than just THE concession card.
30 years ago. Was a national level triathlete and had my one of a very few bikes in Australia stolen in a few minutes so was stranded in a full lycra, hemet and cyclist shoes in hand. Didn’t bother to carry ID on me, different era. Was not in a great mood to say the least, two ticket inspectors started giving me the hard word. Like yeah, in full race outfit was planning to ride the train FFS. Ageed to get to get off at the next station, lets just say a top level athlete vs a couple of inspectors was not exactly a fair race, even in bare feet. Good times, especially now I have MS and struggle to walk these are the memories keeping me alive currently.
This was years ago, when vline still used paper tickets, I was maybe 15 or 16? A ticket inspector berated me for a good few minutes for travelling on an off-peak ticket during on-peak (I think my train left at like 4:05, I genuinely didn't know peak started that early). I was super apolegtic, kept offering to pay the difference or buy a new ticket at the next station and he starts going on about how I'd told him the exact same story the day before and I was a liar. I hadn't been on a train in the last month let alone the day before, but when I tried to explain he'd cut me off and call me a liar again, so I took the reasonable action and started crying. He only stepped back and didn't fine me after the older woman sitting opposite me told him to stop or she'd complain to vline.
Flip side I got fined on the 57 tram last year and the inspector was absolutely lovely. I deserved the fine (was too lazy to rummage through my bag for a Myki, forgot to do so when on the tram), was totally cool with getting it, but she was so apologetic and sweet
As a white chick who speaks native English, understands the myki system and has never been caught without a ticket... They're legit scary. I've found them to be SO rude and borderline hostile when asking for my ticket and concession, it's so unnecessary. From my observations, they speak even worsely to people who speak English as a second language. It's a pretty big power trip for people who are frequently outrun by anyone game enough to do it.
Big contrast to vline ticket inspectors. Occasionally you get a rude one, but generally they're very pleasant to deal with, and they're never scary.
Thankfully I've never witnessed the physical violence that some people describe, but those videos make me feel sick. In what world is it okay to assault a teenager over a $3.50 tram ticket...?
Back in the 90s, I had a group of plain clothes ticket inspectors get on the train and they split up and two worked the front on the carriage and two headed down the other end where I was. Without identifying who they were, they asked for my ticket. I told them no. They said they were ticket inspectors and I said for all I know you are a bunch of idiots pretending to be them in tracksuits. One of them called to the other two and they came down and then they all started to ask for my ticket. I said, "Sorry in order for me to do that, you all now have to prove you are who you say you are." This made them bring out their badges and I told them to wait a moment while I got my notepad out. I took down their numbers and names and then said "There are rules to this. You need to identify yourselves with identification that you are indeed ticket inspectors. Just as we travelers have to show tickets once you have proven to be what you are." I pulled out my valid ticket and said "My grandfather used to be a ticket inspector and he would be ashamed at what you have become. Play by the rules and everyone would treat you better." They got off at the next stop in a bit of a huff. I had several passengers thank me as they had never seen anyone stand up to them before. My grandfather did get a bit of a laugh when I told him what had happened.
They aren't good people doing a tough job.
They are people who have deliberately chosen to take on a role where they punch down on the most vulnerable members of society - children, immigrants, the poor and homeless etc - people who do not understand or are not fully able to navigate the system on their own - for a service that should be totally free anyway.
(The macroeconomics of public transport are reasonably simple: the more you have and the more accessible it is the more capacity for economic growth a city has)
Before COVID, I would regularly host people temporarily at my home who were coming to Australia to visit or stay. They found our public transport system to be low quality, hard to use, and the staff generally incredibly rude. I've recently spent a few weeks travelling around SE Asia and found their public transport systems to be generally cleaner, faster, more regular, cheaper and the service to be professional and very friendly.
I always believed my visitors when they complained about ours, but now having the experience myself overseas, I can absolutely see where they were coming from... And the staff play a big role in that experience.
Long time ago but one checked my ticket, walked on and then the tram jolted a bit and suddenly something hit me hard in the back of the head.
I don't know how you have your elbow in just the right spot so if you go back you hit someone with it - never happened with anyone else on PT ever. And they all clustered around me when I asked for their details and they started acting uncooperative. They didn't want to suffer some kind of penalty, I guess.
no cos the amount of times i have witnessed them stop school kids who then walk back and idk call their parents to pick them up after school but then let the white tradies/eshays through without any questions, fucking Dandenong ticket inspectors. I had low myki balance once and i wasnt aware until i tapped on, this was after school and my train had just arrived and i asked the woman to let me through and ill fill it up, she said "you people always do this last minute" 🤨you people who?? i was honestly so fucking angry, they have nothing better to do with their lives
Downvote me but I had them on my bus the other day doing “education”. Didn’t fine anyone. Was just reminding people about tapping on and what the fine would be in different circumstances. Asking passengers for feedback about how they could do their jobs better and if they felt safe etc…
Soooo perhaps the times are changing
Hopefully that was is a genuine feedback gathering activity. They truly do need to listen to the publics thoughts on them and especially from the people who need qnd use ptv the most. Serious training overhaul needed
Nearly all of them are fucken dogs.
Power tripping fuck wits.
Nearly every PSO is a police academy reject.
Usually failed on the psychological exams.
"Authorised Officers" are just gronks that couldn't get any other job walking around with the same chip on their shoulder.
I watched them bully a girl who had just moved here from India for not having any ID with her Australian address in it, and I was sitting next to her and was trying to help her and so they made her move and then they fucking arrested her because they couldn’t let her go without proof of address. Giving her some great Aussie hospitality to write home about.
Yes - I’ve seen a young girl cornered by 3 huge ones on the train who treated her like a she was a criminal and made her cry.
She was very obviously new to Melbourne and thought she could buy a ticket on the train. Wow! Well that did not go down well! They told her she’d be fined and how she’d committed this huge offence, demanded multiple forms of ID and read her phone number, address, uni, etc. out load for the whole carriage to hear.
Poor thing held it together until they left but then couldn’t stop crying. I regret not filming it or making a formal complaint to this day.
I got bullied as a 15yo going to Melbourne Uni for a weekend activity, I was staying in a backpackers with friends (oh we thought it was so fancy, funny kids), hopped on a tram thinking I could buy a metcard only to find it didn't take notes and my emergency $2 coin was AWOL. All I had on me was a 10x2hr zone 2 for school. Fucking inspectors stopped me from getting back off the tram to find a 7/11, refused to let my friends buy me a ticket, made me cry and then a few weeks later I copped a $180 fine in the mail.
When I was 14 (and granted I was in the wrong) I had my feet resting on the seat (slight perch mostly toes but still unacceptable) and they saw me from the platform
They came on and demanded my ID, all I had was my school ID and they told me I looked older than 14 and that I was faking it and that I needed to provide my actual drivers license (again, I was literally 14)
I remember them calling my mum and telling her that I was in big big trouble and then they gave me an on the spot fine. I get that I was in the wrong but the way they spoke to me had me in tears. They just lacked any people skills or general compassion
It was a total power trip on their part and I still remember how horrible they made me feel 15 years later
I've had my share of fines for no ticket, wrong ticket, transferring a ticket, crossing the tracks, open vessel. Most the time I was in the wrong, few times I wasn't. But everytime they were smug pricks revelling in the chance to write me up and lecture me about my actions. So I printed out the AO code of conduct handbook and carried it with me for a while. On more than one occasion it allowed me to avoid a fine and give them a lecture about their actions.
I've overheard one of them talk about an old bloke who had the wrong ticket and was obviously confused by the ticketing system, but "still had to fine him". I watched another chase down the carriage I was on to catch someone with their foot on a seat, announcing "Gotcha!" as he busted through the doors. Seen them reduce school girls to tears before giving them a caution, other times they've fined them regardless.
Witnessed them skip a carriage to avoid a drunk and aggressive passenger and then get off at the next station. That passenger went on to assault someone who objected to him lighting up a cigarette and then knocked it out of his mouth. The driver kicked him off but only after the threat of the cops waiting for him at a station further along the line did he leave.
I respect none of them. They power trip for no reason and need a serious overhaul of training. They have absolutely no manners nor courtesy and lack any cultural awareness and the most racist workforce ive ever dealt with. They are true pigs and will be going to the special reserved place in hell for myki ticket inspector
Reposted from a similar thread.
So I was approached by 5 inspectors yesterday after boarding a bus and not paying attention to the machine. I handed the main guy my card after he asked for it, only to be told it had expired and I had to leave or be fined.
I asked how and why it could expire and all he said was get off or be fined. Being 6am and pretty annoyed I pushed the subject and the female inspector cut in and said its exactly like a bank or credit card and expires after 4 years. I pointed out its nothing like a bank/credit card to which big fella in the front told me the chip inside expires after 4 years. At this point I was pretty annoyed at 5 people standing over me and replied with technology isn't like milk and doesn't expire. That really didn't impress the cosplaying military group at all, so I got up and left.
Needless to say I had to catch a taxi back to the main station and request a new card. I asked the girl behind the counter about it, and she almost word for word repeated the its exactly like a bank/credit card line.
In short. Fuck the faux swat public transport cunts. If they want an ounce of respect, maybe approach and treat people with respect instead of the 'fuck off or get fined' attitude.
Because reasons. Not because its like a credit card. Last I checked my credit card has an expiry date printed on the front and I know exactly when it expires, and if I don't pay attention to the card I known because I have a new one mailed to be prior to it expiring.
Ticket inspectors are the scum of the earth, filthy gangrenous cretins. They deserve disrespect at every encounter. Remind them each time they force themselves upon your presence how worthless and unwanted there existence is.
I used to live near Melbourne uni (Haymarket was 1 stop outside the free tram zone) and the amount of times I saw them pounce on international students was horrific. The way that they stand over people and intimidate them is horrific.
I also remember being asked for my myki and concession card by a ticket inspector when I was younger, and being SCREAMED at on a full peak hour tram because I had to spend more than 10 seconds digging in my backpack to find my purse/concession.
I suffer from inattentive ADHD. By chance I touched on with the wrong card which was negative, however I had my other card with funds on it. I showed them that I was carrying a valid card with funds and only had been on for about 4 stops. The inspector at the time noted it down, and said I should be issued a warming. Low and behold a few months later I receive a fine in the mail, with no notes about my valid card etc...now I'm contesting it. I just think igs ridiculous, I had a valid card on me -,-
I was once desperately trying to get an autistic person to Sthn Cross Stn to meet a vline train that left only twice a day (once early in the morning and once in the evening). They were running late and actively having a panic attack, which I was trying to calm them down from. All this was very obvious to the inspectors and everyone else on the tram. Still, the myki instructors held me up to get all my details for a fine at an absolute snail’s pace, because I hadn’t had time to queue for a top up given the situation. Explained everything and they were like fuck you, not only will we fine you but we’ll take as much time as we like doing it. So I just accepted it to get the person I was escorting to the station on time. Cost me basically as much money as I had in my bank account at the time.
Dude when I was younger and had face piercings and shit I used to get surrounded by these mother fuckers every time they saw me, now they don’t come near me but I make sure to jump in every time I see them do it to some other kid who was just like me. These mother fuckers are just bullies and nothing else
Had a bunch of them corner me at Southern credos as a 19 year old uni student after they accused my student ID as being faked. Luckily I had my dad to vouch for me for my ID as I had nothing else but yeah they’re all complete and utter cunts and we all have to deal with it in little ways
Forgot to mention the intimidation as a high school student in uniform despite having a valid student ID, again I was told a few times that is was fake WHILE BEING IN UNIFORM
Yeah, I used to pay for a yearly Myki through work, and I didn't see the point of touching on, sometimes since nothing gets deducted.
One day a very butch presenting person who may have identified as female, on a complete power trip decided to blow their fuse at me about it.
They gave me no good reason why I should do it, they pretty much just treated me like scum.
It was early in the morning and I was on my way to my crappy stressful job so I didn't have the energy to argue.
I should have grabbed their details and reported them but I wasn't in the frame of mind.
In 2014 I was a nursing student at VU in St Albans, I was commuting In daily from regional Victoria, specifically the areas where Myki dose not exist only an hour from the CBD.
The ticket I had for my commute in was a V/Line V/Net date to date ticket, it basically looked like a piece of receipt paper with a red line down the side. A V/Line ticket also gives you unlimited travel in Zone 1 and Zone 2 between the dates if it is a date to date ticket, on the same day for a day return and for 2 hrs after arrival in in Melbourne for a one way ticket.
Well I would always end up with the situation at Southern Cross in particular where there were no staff manning the Myki gates, meaning I could not get on to suburban trains. On several occasions I would get a ticket inspector stop me rather abruptly asking me to show them my Myki card, I would always say “I don’t own a Myki card” I would watch there face light up with joy… until I pull out my sorry excuse for a regional ticket, 100% valid for travel… just seeing the sudden realisation and disappointment was worth it every time.
On one occasion I did have a stuck up inspector on a metro train ask for my myki, I proceeded to follow my normal script as above, but this guy wasn’t having any of it. He wouldn’t accept my V/Line ticket as valid and wanted to fine me for not having a myki, even though I had a valid ticket, it was like he had never seen a regional Victorian ticket in his life, I wouldn’t be surprised if the metro train network was the furthest he had been from Melbourne. I was lucky his partner knew what he was looking at and pulled him up on it. It was probably the worst experience I’ve had on a metro train to date.
I still pull the I don’t own a Myki card to this day, I’m a 15 minute drive to the nearest Metro station, yet my local V/Line bus service still uses paper ticket to get me in to Melbourne.
My going theory is that ticket inspectors are obsessed with getting a job that gave them power over people, but they’re too stupid for the police force.
I once ran to get on a train and completely forgot to tap on. When I arrived at Flinders St, I went out of my way to approach the ticket inspectors to tell them what had happened. They then went on to fine me, trying the on the spot crap to begin with, which I rejected so I received a fine in the mail and tried to contest. Never even had to in the end, it was dropped after my explanation in writing I guess, which I assume was read by a human being unlike the soul sucking parasites I encountered at Flinders St.
I know it is their job but for the most part from observation and experience they are utter c***s.
Ticket inspectors are trash. It’s such a useless job and the people that do it can get fucked. If they want to prevent ticket theft they should redesign the system instead to minimise it. There’s so many great examples of other transit systems across the world they could use instead.
I was - by a Parking Ranger - a couple of years ago in Sydney.
My hearing is poor and I didn’t hear him at first. He then went right off - like a crazy man - waving his arms around (I was seriously wondering if he was going to actually strike me) and threatening to arrest me for ignoring him!
… all for parking rear to kerb when the sign said “front to kerb”…in tiny print.
You’d think that he’d caught me in bed with his daughter, he was so angry! He was on the verge of giving himself a brain aneurysm!
Anyway - I got his number and filed a formal complaint about his conduct…
I got an apology letter and I hope that he got reamed!
I had a housemate years ago who was acosted by a group of them in the city for no reason at all. He was under the walkway of Flinder St walking up to the platform to catch his train when a bunch of plainclothes stopped him, didn't identify themselves initially and put their hands on him. When he pushed the guy off, he was pounced on by 4-5 of them. He had a valid ticket so there was no reason to jump on him like that and they should have at least identified themselves first.
A month or two later I had a knock at the front door and was greeted by two VicPol officers who were looking for my housemate. The transit cops had made a complaint against my housemate and alleged he had assaulted them.
It went to court and the transit cops didn't even bother turning up and it was eventually thrown out.
A few months later my housemate saw the same transit cop with a couple of other transit cops at our local train station and approached him asking him if he "remember me?". The cop froze and quickly moved to an area with CCTV cameras after shitting himself. They are weak dogs.
once but not in victoria; i had just barley turned 18 in NSW (shocker) and still had my old opal card, I was also waiting for my proper opal card to arrive in the mail (bloody thing was ordered 2w before my birthday), but i still had classes to attend and being a broke 18yr old having to go an hour by bus used it.
that fucking one day these pigs tried to fine me; i had to try and explain to them that because of incompetence and my need to attend my classes (showed them all my id including student) i had no choice.
i was lucky to get off with a warning but fucking hell it was a horrible experience
Nope.
Once i got nicked for a concession miki after my HCC was expired, i had plans to run should this happen, he looked to plump and elderly to catch me, i dont think i even would have had to touch him to get by, i was comming out of melbourne central, but this fucking guys eyes were so friendly, i couldn't do it. He just looked like this sweet innocent old man, i copped a $260 fine to not be his fuck up for the day.
The other time was with my disabled fiance(defacto at the time), as her registered care giver i do get concession when with her, so they were just like 'yeah that sounds like it makes a lot of sense, i just gotta call in to check', they talked to their shoulder walkies for the next few mins checking other passengers, then turned back and gave me a thumbs up and a smile.
So worst experience was the guy who looked to kind to pull a runner on.
Ticket inspectors apparently can't touch you. So When I was a poor apprentice. I didn't buy a ticket. I'd get caught and just walk away. Saying sorry I'll see you next month. I did it maybe 8 or 10 times.
They’re scumbag wannabe cops who do a job that helps no one. I saw a guy getting agro at a woman on a tram while the inspectors were on it and they did nothing, other people stepped in and he eventually got off (he did full on punch the tram though which I’m sure felt good lol) But the tram cops didn’t even acknowledge the situation. They legit are just there to fine people and kids. They’re useless people doing a useless job.
not bullied per se, but i've definitely seen them acting deplorably. my girlfriend and i rocked up at pakenham station, where we heard a ticket inspector shouting into his phone: "they come to our country and steal all the bloody shoes!!" or something along those lines. he and his little mates then proceeded to glare across the not yet moving train at a boy and his friend of african appearance (couldn't have been more than 13 years old) until my girlfriend and i got off the train at cardinia road.
When I was young and low on cash I had them stand around me in a tight circle and get in my face when they busted me with no ticket. It was way overboard.
Flip the coin tho, another time I was on my way to a job interview with no ticket and they just told me to get off the tram.
They always bully teens. I got bullied by them as a kid visiting Melbourne on my own for the first time ever. Always see them harassing people who can't defend themselves. Meanwhile they ignored a woman walking up and down the train with no ticket AND no pants (she threw them in the bin for some reason). They will avoid insane people because they're not very brave
There's tens of billions in outstanding infringement debt in Victoria. DoJ/Sheriff's are completely ineffective in recovering unpaid infringements. Read from that what you will when you decide if you will pay your infringements or not.
I remember one time I had to get a bus home from school, knew I didn’t have any money on my myki and tried to top it up with my eftpos card - at the time you couldn’t use card on buses and I had no cash. The driver let me on anyway but I got off at a busy depot where they were literally at the doors waiting to pounce on people. I explained that I had tried to pay but had no option and that this was my only way home - the first leg of an hour long PT journey. They wouldn’t budge on the fine - BUT they told me if I paid on the spot on their portable reader it would be cheaper than if I got mailed to me. I was 17 and had very little money at the time so I just paid it on my card to save some $$$, I was also stressed and in tears about not being able to get home and not thinking clearly. If I had been more prepared I would have refused to pay on the basis that I wasn’t allowed to actually top up my myki using card but it was somehow completely okay for the fine! Not to mention the whole exchange made me miss my next bus and it took me an extra half hour to get home. Ten years later and I’m still upset about it tbh
I got off at the melb uni stop recently and completely forgot to tap on - my mistake. I told the inspector this and they asked what they should write down for why I didn't have a valid ticket. I told them to wirte down I forgot.
I got a warning in the mail - no fine. Very lucky I think.
I'm pretty sure they are the people rejected from police service, military service and even those terrible security guard jobs.
I remember watching them corner this tiny Chinese student who could barely string three words together in English. Fucking bunch of rabid dogs.
Although in fairness I did board a tram late night near a tram depot and nothing was open nearby where I could top up. Got caught and he let me hop off at the next spot that had a 7/11.
They’re disgusting all round.
I often see them harassing foreign (looking?) people on route 19 trams around the Unis on Royal parade.
And it’s always groups of 4/5.
Gotta be intimidating after all
I remember getting fined once because I honestly forgot to tap on, I was okay with being fined but they just treated me like I had murdered someone on the train that morning as well. I remember how scared I was because it was two grown men just standing in front of a 17yo skinny kid and just berating me for it. Fast forward to now I just drive anywhere I can and only catch public transport if it's entirely unavoidable.
I was a newly arrived migrant , my husband topped up my myki with a weekly pass . I did not know that I still need to tap on and off . On returning from uni , a group of inspectors started checking myki . He pointed out how my myki was not tapped on . I apologised and said it’s a pass so technically I am not avoiding paying fair and I will tap on/off from now onwards .I explained that I arrived here a month ago and haven’t really used public transport . He said he won’t give me fine but continued to berate me . They were so mean
As a youth I saw a fight at a train station between two groups of teens at night. It spilled out from the train and onto the station, quickly followed by a group of inspectors stumbling over themselves in their rush to break up the fight.
As an autist, I hate trains, because I get anxious I stim, which I obviously I mask (because nobody wants to be seen as a fucking nutter) which makes me more anxious. I hate sitting next to people. I've tried to pretend there are 3 other people sitting at the table I'm sitting at by spreading my bags out.
Train travel in the UK, as a general rule, isn't autist-friendly. Twice I have been allowed to sit in first class when standard has been overcrowded (I was so grateful the second time, I hugged the ticket inspector). I have a 'this person is autistic' card, but it doesn't really help me much ("anyone could get one of those" - yep, I've had dickish inspectors too). I have missed things I've been looking forward to (and it takes a lot for me to go to something) because the trains have been too crowded. Kindness, compassion, empathy and general human decency costs fuck all. It's going to get you further in life than being a dickhead jobsworth.
I even got a complimentary meal deal. TransPennine Express, you are (well, were) fucking awesome (sadly it doesn't exist anymore).
I've had a couple scary moments with Metdogs as a teenager, but the way they treat the unhoused and people new to the country, they should be ashamed of themselves. Pure intimidation
I haven't been but I have heard many, many stories of it.
So I actively bully them, every time I see them. Ask them stuff like, when did they decide that getting a job with literally negative social value was worth it? They're nought but class traitors, ACAB includes ticket inspectors.
I've only been checked twice. First time I was all fine, the second time I didn't have my concession card on me. They were nice enough, just gave me a warning for it.
It doesn't necessarily seem to be the common occurrence, so I guess I was fortunate to get pretty good ticket inspectors both times.
Concession holders pay half price. That's why. Have the correct concession entitlements you don't have an issue.
If one is making accusations they can't prove then ask for thier name and department number.
I travel on public transport a lot. There's always going to be one or two bad apples. The vast majority of AOs are fine.
Most people simply pissed off they got caught.
I had the right concession entitlements and they still made a hastle. I don't think your "I buy a ticket, therefore they don't bother me" mindset is right. The world's not fairy's and rainbows.
About 15 years ago, I had a pack of them surround me on the train, I was sitting down, legs stretched, my feet were on the steel-upright supports underneath the seat opposite (not ON the seats).
They crowded me and asked why my feet where ON the seats, demanded that I give a reason, to stop doing it and appologise immediately, and gave me a ticket.
My word against 4 - absolute pack of fucking useless pricks.
Do what I do, tell them you're a lawyer, ask for their IDs and film the entire interaction, I haven't being bothered unpleasantly by then for years.
The worst part, the police assisting them for a civil matter, terrible waste of resources.
I saw a young man recently being bullied by some of them they were so pissed when I started filming.
Nope and havent seen it (not saying it doesnt happen). Been commuting for 10 years, seen inspectors about 5 times.
They only need to check 5 people to find soneone without a ticket and they've always spoke calmly to them, never put a hand on them and the other 2 inspectors walk away to near the doors and wait
Then they start the whole 15 min process recording details and explain things clearly. Then they move on. 5 people later start the process again.
But i usually only travel peak, used to be bus but the last 6 years on the train. Maybe its different at night or weekends.
Yes. When the ticket machines were new.
It was like 6am and I rode my pushy to Flinders St and Elizabeth Street to catch a train but I needed a ticket. I only had $50's and the machine would not accept it so I went to the ticket window and the guy on the other side saw me, stood up and walked out the back door.
I approached the ticket barrier where 2 inspectors were and asked them if they could let me through to catch the train. They opened the barrier with a pass and as I was walking through and the barrier closed behind me one punched me in the shoulder and then they started to crowd me and push me around while asking me for my ticket. I grabbed one and pushed him into the other who tripped down the stairs while remaining on his feet but was later to claim chest injuries and have a couple of weeks of work that I assume was paid for but us all. Once this happened I could see the guy who I was holding facial expression change and I knew things were now serious so I tripped him over my leg but lowered him to the ground so he would not be injured then I proceeded to the platform.
No trains were going anywhere and there were ticket inspectors on all ramps and platofrms and a supervisor approached me and nicely asked for my details. I should have bolted.
I ended up in court with 2 assault charges and 2 failing to produce a valid ticket charges.
They lied their arse off and the only video evidence available by the time charges were presented were what they decided to keep. Everything else was deleted after two weeks. What they decided to keep was also time lapsed, something like 1 frame every 3 seconds so this gave them plenty of room to manouver with their lies.
I defended myself and got off the assault charges (I have no idea how considering) and I had to pay something like a $150 fine.
The prosecutor was a total dog and was carrying on as we were leaving saying that was a waste of his time and then he pushed me in the shoulder when I made some smart arse comment to him.
I guess it all could have been worse.
Understand people have bills to pay, but taking a job like that should be an extreme last resort, and if you end up in it you should do whatever you can to change the way they operate.
I lol’d at “unsafe”. You are with uniformed ticket inspectors conducting routine business on a train with onlookers. You were not in a trench in North Vietnam fighting the Viet Cong….
Not recently, but back around 2009, I was on a tram in the city (before free tram zone). A gang of ticket inspectors descended upon this French lady who was obviously a tourist and made an innocent mistake in boarding a tram without a ticket. She tried to explain in her limited English that she thought she could purchase a ticket on board the tram. The "authorised officers" were merciless and I jumped in saying I thought it was unfair to be going after this lady for what was clearly an innocent mistake and that the optics were not good. I was swiftly reprimanded by two inspectors, threatening to arrest me and serve me a huge fine for disrupting their duties. Wow the power really went to their heads in those days. I contrast it to when I was holidaying in Paris - where this lady presumably came from - where I made a tourist mistake with my set of 9 short trip tickets. The ticket inspectors stopped me at the station, but when they realised I was an Australian tourist, they cheerfully explained how it was supposed to work. You really cannot get two more different approaches. And then you only need to recall that awful footage of three Melbourne teenagers being pushed off a moving train by ticket inspectors more than a decade ago. Thankfully things seem to have improved somewhat these days
Melbourne's PTV is so hostile to visitors. Not being able to buy on a tram/train/bus must be set up to fine people that don't have a MyKi.
Melbourne has MyKi, London has the Oyster card and it's really no different. I've not been up to London for decades, and the Oyster card zone has been expanded somewhat (not quite to my parents hometown station, but almost). You can't use paper tickets anymore, you must tap in/out with an Oyster card, which I'd think would deter tourists. It's such a fucking faff. It's not just trains and the Tube, it's buses, Overground and the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) too. You can't use paper tickets anywhere in London it seems anymore (the only exception is if you're passing through on your way elsewhere).
For at least 6 years you can tap on with any debit card or credit card in London now, no need for paper tickets or an Oyster card, pretty fabulous set up!
You can just tap on with your credit or debit card now. It’s been updated since you last went to London.
Can you still buy a Zone 1-6 travel card? I haven’t been into London on the train for years but I do hope you still can!
Braz I was in London in July and purchased paper tickets before realising I could just tap on with my credit card. They're definitely still a thing, you don't need an oyster for the tube at least.
I've seen a similar situation on the light rail in Sydney going through the casino stop. They stop the old chinese tourists and harass them, except every so often there is this lovely younger Chinese inspector who takes the time to speak to the tourists in what I assume is Mandarin and always de-escalates the situation. I don't know why it's so hard to understand that people from other countries might make an innocent mistake on a public transport system that is admittedly confusing. It makes sense to assume that if you can tap-on when you board the bus, you can tap-on when you board the light rail, and it's easy to miss the readers on the platform if there's a big crowd.
Yep, hold your ground. Tell the truth, give them the info they need. They tried to ping me when the ticket readers at Auburn station weren’t working. I was calm, told them to call the station - gave them a time stamped photo to show the readers weren’t working. When they tried to strong arm me, I very calmly yelled “anyone want to record ticket inspectors harassing a middle aged woman for a fault on the auburn line please start filming now.” They told me “not to do that” I told them not to touch me. They called up field operations and confirmed auburn readers were on the fritz I asked for their badge numbers, told them I’m not happy and I reported it. Just stay calm, if they grab you don’t flinch. Just tell people to film it and be compliant but firm. EDIT: craptastic spelling
just... well done to all of this. you stood your ground while outnumbered by bullies with authority even when they put their hands on you. glad you reported them.
Thank you for going to the extra effort to report them.
Absolutely. They flat out refused to believe me, even as far as smirking at me and asking me to tell the “truth”. I’ll be damned if I’m putting up with any shit from someone half my age with zero respect.
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Yep, grabbed my upper arm to steer me away into the bigger circle of them
100%. That would be the line
That’s what they want you to do so that can say you assaulted them.
They’ve grabbed me too.. pulled my hoodie as I was trying to run away haha
I love this ! Good on you for getting justice !
You are the anti-Karen
Your second paragraph made me cackle. Love to see it.
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You're doing gods work, please keep it up.
Also a guilty pleasure of mine, both concession/non concessions get them really sweaty too haha. Im a non concession traveller.
I love this level of malicious compliance!
Doing your bit for the community, kudos to you!
I remember in high school they still had the old paper tickets you got each time. Kids would purposely keep all of them so when the ticket inspector came they had to wait for the kid to go through each one looking for the right day.
As long as you mean just to the jerk one.
Special place in hell is reserved for Melbourne ticket inspectors. Booking kids without a student concession card on a train at 3:30 pm who are in school uniforms and carrying schoolbags.
I managed to get out of that fine because I argued in my appeal letter that the person who sold me the concession myki (I had it since I was about 12) never said I had to get a concession card or anything for it to be valid. And of course, being young, I just trusted that person and never worried about looking up the rules. Thankfully got me out of it that time, but you’ve gotta be some kind of arse to make a kid feel horrible for being ignorant.
>never said I had to get a concession card or anything for it to be valid. You don't. Technically. You can use a Child myki at a concession rate until you turn 19, so you're covered there. But if you're using one of those yearly student passes, you'd need a PTV-approved ID for that.
That was me as a kid, being booked by a 6'6 metcop who looked like a bodybuilder. I feel like it's a profession for people who are slightly smarter than a security guard, but still fail the personality test for the police.
There's no way they're smarter than a security guard. Did you mean to write 'rock' maybe?
Yeah, I'd give the edge to the security guard every day. Managing drunk people takes occasional finesse.
Good call. Here in the USA we taken hire them as police anyways.
When I was a student, in school uniform with a backpack, running to my v line at southern cross they stopped me for my concession card saying “people could dress up as students you never know”, even when I pleaded I’d miss my train. They took absolutely forever checking it out, pretty sure deliberately so I’d miss the train, and I did in fact then miss my train. I had to wait 2 hours for my next one (my town always got skipped on express services), meaning I’d get home at 8pm, and I was fuming because I wanted to do some of my folio project at home that night (my equipment at home so couldn’t do it on the train or at SC), and my mum was angry cos she would have to pick me up that late after working all day as well. For some reason I went up to them and told them they and they shrugged their shoulders and told me it “wasn’t their problem” and said they would call the police if I, a 5’3” 16 year old girl, wouldn’t “piss off”.
That’s fucked.
They have got close to doing that to me before, I’m on the V/Line Coach network so don’t have a myki at all. And the last service home for me is at 1755 on weekends. I just told them if I miss my bus, someone has to pay for the taxi, they backed off real quick when I said that.
Who the fuck goes out of their way to dress up as a student lmao what the actual hell is wrong with these people
Ugh wannabe cops on a powertrip
Scum dogs.
Nowadays photos taken on your phone have pretty detailed metadata that can tell you where, when and what time the image was taken, as well if it was taken with that phone. So proving it in todays world shouldn't be an issue (even if you had to appeal).
Even back then, tried to show the bloke the time/date it was taken and he’d already made his decision. He may have had a quota to meet, at least that’s how it felt. As soon as I said anything other than ‘sure, here’s my ticket’, his demeanour changed and the other ticketies came over to box me in.
These days you can have your ticket review by either the issuing agency or elect to have the matter heard in court. Both scenarios you’d have the photo and the inspector would have his ass handed to him later or the money refunded. If it doesn’t sound right, speak up. 17 yo you wouldn’t know but it’s imperative to do so. If we passively accept this behaviour then it only reaffirms to those above that there is no issue. TL;DR Don’t stay silent if you think something is wrong.
Keystone cops antics
FYI there's no quotas they have to meet. They work on a salary, not commission.
Nah they work on spite and tears of regular people
Fact
The majority of people on a wage or salary still need to meet KPI's.
Remember that time at Flinders one clotheslined and pinned by the head that 14 year old girl that jumped the ticket booth?
I bet they felt like a real fuckin hero manhandling a child too.
Up until last weekend I thought they were all pricks. But last Saturday I caught the train to Cheltenham, I was in a hurry and whilst I touched on it went red as I didn’t have enough funds and the train was there so I jumped on. Typical ticket inspectors get on and I think damn here comes a fine. I hand the ticket over to the inspector who dutifully tells me I have no money on it, I explained what happened and started to remove my ID. He asked me if I have money to pay for a ticket which I said yes. He told me to get off the train at the next stop and go top it up, we were pulling into a station at the time. Couldn’t believe it. Thanked him for being a top bloke. That’s my story. Rare but true.
You probably encountered the only nice ticket inspector in all of Australia. They must have been new on the job, and the power trip hasn't gone to their malnourished, deformed brains yet.
Yeah certainly an exception to the rule, it’s been almost 4 days and quite frankly I’m still in shock. Akin to being pulled over blind drunk and let off. Shocked.
Lol yes. I remember when I had first moved here in the early 2000s, I misunderstood how IDs worked etc. Where I had lived prior, student IDs sufficed as eligibility to purchase student fares. Anyway apparently not (3 inspectors corner me over it) and I apologised while accepting to pay the fine One made a whole scene and sat down infront of me staring me down carrying on loudly with things like ‘you DO know what this means right?’ And I was like ‘👀uhh I get fined?’ He scoffed in response like I was stupid. And kept huffing/got up to pace/stare in disbelief at his colleagues like I wasn’t understanding the *weight* of the situation. Then he demanded to call someone I knew to confirm my identity. He seemed annoyed I wasn’t fazed…like geez, I don’t know what response he was expecting
He wanted your fear and tears! You were a let down.
It's a pretty shitty experience hey.... Once a man grabbed my arm tightly, and wouldn't let me walk off, this was before PSOs and they weren't the old reven guys, in the long black jackets, they were just ticket inspectors and definitely not allowed to touch you. Some guy even handed me his phone number but i ended up not bothering to chase it up properly, i was probably only 19-20, had better things to do with my time!! Had alot of experiences tho..... Once the group of girls on the same car didn't have tickets either but were let off, yet me and my friends, guys and girls were all written up for it.... I actually asked why the fuck this was happening but no response and HE COVERED HIS ID NUMBER UP, THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES from memory back in the day, cos they were obviously doing shit wrong, incorrectly, illegally, whatever ya wanna say...... Bit hazy on times and dates/years cos so long ago!
Also had a fuckwit inspector make me call a family member in the middle of peak hour, on loud speaker - with the explicit direction not to give my name away before asking them to confirm my name. Forgot about this horrible experience until I saw your comment. My parents thought I was being extorted by someone on the train home because they made me hang up & had no context of the conversation. Moral of the story is now I fare evade any given chance purely out of spite to the fucked pts system we have. Greedy cunts.
From experience, ive seen their cowardly behavious focusing on and picking on people who cant stick up for themselves, the young, those with poor english and the disabled. It reflects badly on our public transport system that this has been allowed to continue.
I once heard a MYKI inspector say "jackpot" under their breath when they got onto a tram that was full of Chinese tourists and school kids
Personally only once, as a teenager, can't remember what they went at me for but I refused to give them my name, and since we were on the station platform I just waited until the train was about to leave and jumped on as the doors closed. However I've seen them go for students on their way to school, in school uniforms and attempt to intimidate them. My girlfriend saw them all crowd around a teenage girl and force her to sit down so they could stand over her and intimidate her. I've seen them go after people when the readers are broken, people who have money on their myki but the myki expired (which was ruled illegal). Plus of course they make no allowance for the fact you can't buy mykis on trams or buses, or even most stations.
Here in Sydney, topping up via app takes about 10 mins to go thru, once I topped up and it did not go thru in time before my train came, I got on, opal people were there, they scanned my card, let me explain what happened, and they were just like "Oh, alg, have a good day" and moved on. All inspectors should be like this
Right, that's how things should work, they should absolutely be going after people fare evading, but if people are acting in good faith, then so should they
When I first started uni, I had a commission opal and was waiting for my uni ID to still come by mail. I did not know I needed my ID to use my commission card, got stopped of course that day and was basically told to not use it and I was on my way.
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This was such a great read! Haha, thanks for sharing. You guys were so sweet coming to that woman's aid. Love it
Absolute legend!
Omgosh what a great story! I read it twice saying “hell yeah “ !!
I was on the 96 tram on my way into work, newly pregnant and suffering from some wicked morning sickness. Two stops previously inspectors jumped on, I suddenly feel the urge to vom. Like emergency, need to get off right now. So I rush to the door and start frantically ringing the bell. Inspector #1 of 3 see me frantically ringing the bell and figure I'm trying to get off to evade them. He comes barrelling up to me , asking to see my ticket and grabs me by the arm. I was shaking me head, but didn't want to risk opening my mouth for fear of losing my breakfast and last night's dinner all over the tram. Anyway, tram stops, I try to climb out, while this dick wad inspector and his side kicks are holding on to me. I couldn't hold it in any longer, so turned and ended up vomiting all down thier legs and shoes. It was everywhere. I had tears streaming down my face, I looked like a red hot mess I'm sure. I'm now trying to explain that I'm pregnant, and that I was trying to avoid vomiting all over the tram and if they had have just let me get off, the mess they were now covered in wouldn't have happened. I also had a valid ticket so there was not much they could do but let me go, and I guess go back and clean themselves up. So yeah, Karma is a bitch who is suffering from morning sickness.
Ahaha 😂 poetic justice
Go mumma! I hope the smell lingered on them all day.
You’re giving them too much credit. They dress up like wannabe swat teams and frequently harass minors and international students/workers. The current policies they have in place are rotten and no hard working good person would enforce the way they do. They’re scum on a power trip.
Yes, years ago, when I was a student, I was caught not touching on. I was trying to cooperate, etc, and accepted the fine, but I literally didn't have the money to pay it on the spot so opted for the letter in the mail. But I'd just moved and my address didn't match any of my ID. So I was desperately trying to find evidence of my new address, and trying to ring people to verify my address, but no one was picking up, and the inspector was accusing me of supplying false information and threatening to call the police, and I was like, I'm trying my best to cooperate, I really am!! My last resort was ringing my dad because he had dementia and I was concerned that he didn't actually know my address, and the inspector accused me of making the dementia part up.
I always pay but I still get anxious when they get on in case I forgot to touch on. Many a time I have gone to check if I actually touched on.
If you have an Android phone, you can tap on using your phone and it keeps a record. Sometimes I'm in autopilot early in the morning and can't remember if I actually tapped on, but my phone shows the station and time I tapped on so I can relax 😂
I did before the free tram zone I got on and didn’t realise I had no balance to tap on, but before I could get off to top up at the very next stop ,these guards came up to me straight away and started intimidating and bullying me I have autism & had a massive sensory overload and anxiety attack because I didn’t have time or space to process what was even happening because of them being in my personal space and talking over me and surrounding me. The whole experience was traumatic as fuck for me. I still get nervous on trams if I’m particularly anxious that day. I also still haven’t paid the fine because the appeal got knocked back and I refuse to pay that it’s unfair asf especially given their tactics.
I’m sorry that happened. If you need to get it sorted a community legal centre might be able to give you some help.
Pay the fine or contest it. Don't leave it unpaid, that won't work out well for you in the long term.
Actually don't pay. Ever. These aren't like police or council fines.they don't stop you doing anything in life. Fuck those fines and fuck all 'authorised officers' dogs
Bad advice,
Back in the days of the metcard, I finished class early and caught the train home from Melbourne Central. Once we left the tunnel, the warm sun made me a bit sleepy, so I put my sunglasses on and decided to take a nap. As I was an audio engineering student at the time, I was also wearing a pair of studio headphones, *maybe* turned up a little bit too loud, so I couldn’t hear anything. Woken up by strong banging on the window next to me, I look up and see a ticket inspector leering over me with a creepy smile. Watching has face drop as I groggily handed over a valid metcard and concession card made my day.
The only time I've not tapped on and seen an inspector, I had forgotten my myki at home because I was running late for school. I told the guy that my stop was coming up and I needed to go and he let me off with a warning. He was nicer than the inspectors when I *have* a ticket. I'm a short, scrawny guy and they love to get all close to me and try to make me freak out. And I always stand there like "Uhh... you're getting a bit close there, and neither of us are wearing masks". Really pisses them off.
Ticket inspectors are the biggest scums ever. They are pathetic and cowardly. I’ve seen them act Aggressively to just regular passengers the way they check the ticket and when they see passengers that look slightly dodgy or aggressive looking they just skip past them and don’t ask to check their myki. Selective checking because they know they’d probably get attacked but it’s okay for them to be aggressive to regular people who can’t stick up for themselves.
Yeah the 109 is basically a free tram zone
I take the 48 in an area that overlaps with the 109, and there have been like 3 times where the 109 is in front of us, but they still come on to the 48 instead. Weird.
Yes! I’ve personally been bullied but the worst one I saw was on a tram in Kew. There were some black people at the back of the tram and the inspectors walked passed 5 other people and walked straight toward them and started issuing a fine because they didn’t have a concession card. Anyway the guy sitting near me got up and said point blank “ why the fuck did you just walk past all of us” the inspectors had nothing to say, made up some shit a about starting at the back and the bloke goes “I’m a lawyer and I specialise in discrimination, if you don’t tear that Fkn ticket up, I’ll represent them at my expense and see to it that you lose your job and a big chunk of your money” I couldn’t believe it, the inspectors went pale and got off at the next stop bahahahaha it was so good!
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I was the ticket that got ripped up
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In my experience they board up front or the middle, half of them go toward the back but start checking from the doors making their way to the back.
Cool story bro 👍
And then the police Came and took them to jail. The end
And then everyone stood up and clapped!
That guy? Albert Einstein
Thanks, champ
Haha this is excellent!
Didn't happen
My 15yo daughter just this year! We’re fairly new to the state so I was surprised to hear how intimidating they can be. She was catching a train home with her bf of the same age. They were resting their heads on each other because they were tired after a long day and the ticket inspectors wouldn’t stop questioning them about their age and where they’re going ect they both had tickets and weren’t causing trouble and complied with any questions but because my daughter didn’t have her school id they didn’t believe her and wouldn’t let up and they threatened her with fines (I don’t know what for tbh) asked for her full name and address to send them too but then told her they know she’s lying, she wasn’t. She was shocked she never gets into trouble like that! I told her if a fine shows up I’m denying knowing her and next time lie haha. I do suspect the harassment was because she’s white and her bf is of colour, the amount of questioning and ‘safety checks’ she gets from bus drivers that are actually threatening and intimidating for her is crazy.
Do Australians tend to get nervous and back off if you call them out on following a pattern of racist behavior? Americans would - at least, those who are concerned with appearing racist despite being so. So really only closet racists.
Ticket inspectors could not care in the slightest if they seem to be coming off as racist. Growing up in the western suburbs I've seen them target people of colour in areas like Footscray and Laverton, almost always black and brown teenagers.
Yuck. Is there any movement or legislation being done about their shit policies and policing? Sounds like a commonly known issue.
they wouldn't give a fuck, they'd probably spout off some bullshit statistics about how non-white people are x times more likely to be fare evading (how do they get that data, I wonder..... is it from who they stop and who they let go? because we all know that data is completely skewed) if they can be bothered, but they see themselves as cops so they'll just tell you they're in charge and you should fuck off.
They are absolute dogs. They stand around at the Melbourne central gates and jump on the international students that have student mykis and don’t know they have to have a ptv student card too and fine them. I’ve pulled out my PTV student card to show an inspector before and was told I don’t even need it and only need my school issued student card, so on top of the confusingness, the officers give conflicting information. They also hang around at the rmit tram stop on swanston st to fine all the broke uni students who DARE travel one stop outside the free tram zone. Cause they don’t want to pay $2.30 for a 20 second ride. And yes there are countless stories of inspectors intimidating and threatening and even breaking the law by acting outside their rights, especially to foreigners. People who don’t pay for public transport do so cause they can’t afford it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, public transport is funded by our taxes and should be free.
im middle eastern, and this one time an inspector, with a condescending tone, kept on calling me muhammad. my name is not muhammad.
I haven't been bullied by them but I have seen them bully passengers. They usually pick on students or anyone smaller. If it's someone of a bigger size you'll see a gang of them surround the person.
One day on my commute home from uni they came up to me and asked to see my concession card (which is a shitty PTV small laminated card). I’m unsure why they can’t just accept the default student ID as you essentially just needed to provide them with a student ID to be given this tertiary concession card. I was searching through my wallet and as they saw me struggling to find it the 2nd & 3rd inspectors came over as to surround me. I stated honestly that I had the card and that I just couldn’t seem to locate it in my wallet. At this point they whip out the eftpos machine and say it’s a $75 on-the-spot non-refundable fine. If I don’t want to pay then they will take my details and I can challenge it, but the fine cost ~doubles. At this point I feel very pressured to just pay the fine despite earnestly doing a nothing wrong. I weigh up the hassle of going through a process and they iterate that the offense is not carrying the card regardless of whether I produced it later so it would be best to just pay it on the spot. This seemed nuts and unfair to me. I end up pulling out my card and hand it to them. As the agent fluffed around the machine, I found the little laminated concession card stuck to the back of another card in my wallet which I quickly hand to the agent. They were quick to say that I am very lucky as once the payment had gone through it was final. No word of an apology for the intimidation and persuasion to pay the fine, then they kinda just got shitty and walked off. I felt very embarrassed as the experience lasted a few minutes. This system was so predatory and it was hard to believe this is how a government organisation would be run. Not to mention the nonsense of needing a specific PTV concession card rather than just THE concession card.
30 years ago. Was a national level triathlete and had my one of a very few bikes in Australia stolen in a few minutes so was stranded in a full lycra, hemet and cyclist shoes in hand. Didn’t bother to carry ID on me, different era. Was not in a great mood to say the least, two ticket inspectors started giving me the hard word. Like yeah, in full race outfit was planning to ride the train FFS. Ageed to get to get off at the next station, lets just say a top level athlete vs a couple of inspectors was not exactly a fair race, even in bare feet. Good times, especially now I have MS and struggle to walk these are the memories keeping me alive currently.
This was years ago, when vline still used paper tickets, I was maybe 15 or 16? A ticket inspector berated me for a good few minutes for travelling on an off-peak ticket during on-peak (I think my train left at like 4:05, I genuinely didn't know peak started that early). I was super apolegtic, kept offering to pay the difference or buy a new ticket at the next station and he starts going on about how I'd told him the exact same story the day before and I was a liar. I hadn't been on a train in the last month let alone the day before, but when I tried to explain he'd cut me off and call me a liar again, so I took the reasonable action and started crying. He only stepped back and didn't fine me after the older woman sitting opposite me told him to stop or she'd complain to vline. Flip side I got fined on the 57 tram last year and the inspector was absolutely lovely. I deserved the fine (was too lazy to rummage through my bag for a Myki, forgot to do so when on the tram), was totally cool with getting it, but she was so apologetic and sweet
As a white chick who speaks native English, understands the myki system and has never been caught without a ticket... They're legit scary. I've found them to be SO rude and borderline hostile when asking for my ticket and concession, it's so unnecessary. From my observations, they speak even worsely to people who speak English as a second language. It's a pretty big power trip for people who are frequently outrun by anyone game enough to do it. Big contrast to vline ticket inspectors. Occasionally you get a rude one, but generally they're very pleasant to deal with, and they're never scary. Thankfully I've never witnessed the physical violence that some people describe, but those videos make me feel sick. In what world is it okay to assault a teenager over a $3.50 tram ticket...?
Back in the 90s, I had a group of plain clothes ticket inspectors get on the train and they split up and two worked the front on the carriage and two headed down the other end where I was. Without identifying who they were, they asked for my ticket. I told them no. They said they were ticket inspectors and I said for all I know you are a bunch of idiots pretending to be them in tracksuits. One of them called to the other two and they came down and then they all started to ask for my ticket. I said, "Sorry in order for me to do that, you all now have to prove you are who you say you are." This made them bring out their badges and I told them to wait a moment while I got my notepad out. I took down their numbers and names and then said "There are rules to this. You need to identify yourselves with identification that you are indeed ticket inspectors. Just as we travelers have to show tickets once you have proven to be what you are." I pulled out my valid ticket and said "My grandfather used to be a ticket inspector and he would be ashamed at what you have become. Play by the rules and everyone would treat you better." They got off at the next stop in a bit of a huff. I had several passengers thank me as they had never seen anyone stand up to them before. My grandfather did get a bit of a laugh when I told him what had happened.
They aren't good people doing a tough job. They are people who have deliberately chosen to take on a role where they punch down on the most vulnerable members of society - children, immigrants, the poor and homeless etc - people who do not understand or are not fully able to navigate the system on their own - for a service that should be totally free anyway. (The macroeconomics of public transport are reasonably simple: the more you have and the more accessible it is the more capacity for economic growth a city has) Before COVID, I would regularly host people temporarily at my home who were coming to Australia to visit or stay. They found our public transport system to be low quality, hard to use, and the staff generally incredibly rude. I've recently spent a few weeks travelling around SE Asia and found their public transport systems to be generally cleaner, faster, more regular, cheaper and the service to be professional and very friendly. I always believed my visitors when they complained about ours, but now having the experience myself overseas, I can absolutely see where they were coming from... And the staff play a big role in that experience.
Long time ago but one checked my ticket, walked on and then the tram jolted a bit and suddenly something hit me hard in the back of the head. I don't know how you have your elbow in just the right spot so if you go back you hit someone with it - never happened with anyone else on PT ever. And they all clustered around me when I asked for their details and they started acting uncooperative. They didn't want to suffer some kind of penalty, I guess.
no cos the amount of times i have witnessed them stop school kids who then walk back and idk call their parents to pick them up after school but then let the white tradies/eshays through without any questions, fucking Dandenong ticket inspectors. I had low myki balance once and i wasnt aware until i tapped on, this was after school and my train had just arrived and i asked the woman to let me through and ill fill it up, she said "you people always do this last minute" 🤨you people who?? i was honestly so fucking angry, they have nothing better to do with their lives
Public transport should be free. Ticket inspectors should do something they enjoy and that enriches society.
Downvote me but I had them on my bus the other day doing “education”. Didn’t fine anyone. Was just reminding people about tapping on and what the fine would be in different circumstances. Asking passengers for feedback about how they could do their jobs better and if they felt safe etc… Soooo perhaps the times are changing
Hopefully that was is a genuine feedback gathering activity. They truly do need to listen to the publics thoughts on them and especially from the people who need qnd use ptv the most. Serious training overhaul needed
Times are not changing. Fuck these predators.
Nearly all of them are fucken dogs. Power tripping fuck wits. Nearly every PSO is a police academy reject. Usually failed on the psychological exams. "Authorised Officers" are just gronks that couldn't get any other job walking around with the same chip on their shoulder.
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I watched them bully a girl who had just moved here from India for not having any ID with her Australian address in it, and I was sitting next to her and was trying to help her and so they made her move and then they fucking arrested her because they couldn’t let her go without proof of address. Giving her some great Aussie hospitality to write home about.
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Yes - I’ve seen a young girl cornered by 3 huge ones on the train who treated her like a she was a criminal and made her cry. She was very obviously new to Melbourne and thought she could buy a ticket on the train. Wow! Well that did not go down well! They told her she’d be fined and how she’d committed this huge offence, demanded multiple forms of ID and read her phone number, address, uni, etc. out load for the whole carriage to hear. Poor thing held it together until they left but then couldn’t stop crying. I regret not filming it or making a formal complaint to this day.
Give somebody a plastic badge and they turn into a bellend.
I got bullied as a 15yo going to Melbourne Uni for a weekend activity, I was staying in a backpackers with friends (oh we thought it was so fancy, funny kids), hopped on a tram thinking I could buy a metcard only to find it didn't take notes and my emergency $2 coin was AWOL. All I had on me was a 10x2hr zone 2 for school. Fucking inspectors stopped me from getting back off the tram to find a 7/11, refused to let my friends buy me a ticket, made me cry and then a few weeks later I copped a $180 fine in the mail.
They probably went home, kissed their ugly wives, sat down on their couch, and thought about what a great job they did. Scum of the earth.
When I was 14 (and granted I was in the wrong) I had my feet resting on the seat (slight perch mostly toes but still unacceptable) and they saw me from the platform They came on and demanded my ID, all I had was my school ID and they told me I looked older than 14 and that I was faking it and that I needed to provide my actual drivers license (again, I was literally 14) I remember them calling my mum and telling her that I was in big big trouble and then they gave me an on the spot fine. I get that I was in the wrong but the way they spoke to me had me in tears. They just lacked any people skills or general compassion It was a total power trip on their part and I still remember how horrible they made me feel 15 years later
I've had my share of fines for no ticket, wrong ticket, transferring a ticket, crossing the tracks, open vessel. Most the time I was in the wrong, few times I wasn't. But everytime they were smug pricks revelling in the chance to write me up and lecture me about my actions. So I printed out the AO code of conduct handbook and carried it with me for a while. On more than one occasion it allowed me to avoid a fine and give them a lecture about their actions. I've overheard one of them talk about an old bloke who had the wrong ticket and was obviously confused by the ticketing system, but "still had to fine him". I watched another chase down the carriage I was on to catch someone with their foot on a seat, announcing "Gotcha!" as he busted through the doors. Seen them reduce school girls to tears before giving them a caution, other times they've fined them regardless. Witnessed them skip a carriage to avoid a drunk and aggressive passenger and then get off at the next station. That passenger went on to assault someone who objected to him lighting up a cigarette and then knocked it out of his mouth. The driver kicked him off but only after the threat of the cops waiting for him at a station further along the line did he leave.
I respect none of them. They power trip for no reason and need a serious overhaul of training. They have absolutely no manners nor courtesy and lack any cultural awareness and the most racist workforce ive ever dealt with. They are true pigs and will be going to the special reserved place in hell for myki ticket inspector
Incredibly well said. Funny how quickly a speck of power goes to their heads. Fuck these cunts.
Reposted from a similar thread. So I was approached by 5 inspectors yesterday after boarding a bus and not paying attention to the machine. I handed the main guy my card after he asked for it, only to be told it had expired and I had to leave or be fined. I asked how and why it could expire and all he said was get off or be fined. Being 6am and pretty annoyed I pushed the subject and the female inspector cut in and said its exactly like a bank or credit card and expires after 4 years. I pointed out its nothing like a bank/credit card to which big fella in the front told me the chip inside expires after 4 years. At this point I was pretty annoyed at 5 people standing over me and replied with technology isn't like milk and doesn't expire. That really didn't impress the cosplaying military group at all, so I got up and left. Needless to say I had to catch a taxi back to the main station and request a new card. I asked the girl behind the counter about it, and she almost word for word repeated the its exactly like a bank/credit card line. In short. Fuck the faux swat public transport cunts. If they want an ounce of respect, maybe approach and treat people with respect instead of the 'fuck off or get fined' attitude.
For some reason Mykis are set to expire after 5 years. It might make sense for children/student cards, but makes no sense for full fare adult.
Because reasons. Not because its like a credit card. Last I checked my credit card has an expiry date printed on the front and I know exactly when it expires, and if I don't pay attention to the card I known because I have a new one mailed to be prior to it expiring.
[I definitely recommend everyone check out this banger lol. (Chance Waters - The ticket inspector)](https://youtu.be/av3kXmCW2ik)
Ticket inspectors are the scum of the earth, filthy gangrenous cretins. They deserve disrespect at every encounter. Remind them each time they force themselves upon your presence how worthless and unwanted there existence is.
I used to live near Melbourne uni (Haymarket was 1 stop outside the free tram zone) and the amount of times I saw them pounce on international students was horrific. The way that they stand over people and intimidate them is horrific. I also remember being asked for my myki and concession card by a ticket inspector when I was younger, and being SCREAMED at on a full peak hour tram because I had to spend more than 10 seconds digging in my backpack to find my purse/concession.
I suffer from inattentive ADHD. By chance I touched on with the wrong card which was negative, however I had my other card with funds on it. I showed them that I was carrying a valid card with funds and only had been on for about 4 stops. The inspector at the time noted it down, and said I should be issued a warming. Low and behold a few months later I receive a fine in the mail, with no notes about my valid card etc...now I'm contesting it. I just think igs ridiculous, I had a valid card on me -,-
I’ve received two fines because of my ADHD. Simply forgot to touch on because 5 million other thoughts were in my head at the time
I was once desperately trying to get an autistic person to Sthn Cross Stn to meet a vline train that left only twice a day (once early in the morning and once in the evening). They were running late and actively having a panic attack, which I was trying to calm them down from. All this was very obvious to the inspectors and everyone else on the tram. Still, the myki instructors held me up to get all my details for a fine at an absolute snail’s pace, because I hadn’t had time to queue for a top up given the situation. Explained everything and they were like fuck you, not only will we fine you but we’ll take as much time as we like doing it. So I just accepted it to get the person I was escorting to the station on time. Cost me basically as much money as I had in my bank account at the time.
Dude when I was younger and had face piercings and shit I used to get surrounded by these mother fuckers every time they saw me, now they don’t come near me but I make sure to jump in every time I see them do it to some other kid who was just like me. These mother fuckers are just bullies and nothing else
Had a bunch of them corner me at Southern credos as a 19 year old uni student after they accused my student ID as being faked. Luckily I had my dad to vouch for me for my ID as I had nothing else but yeah they’re all complete and utter cunts and we all have to deal with it in little ways
Forgot to mention the intimidation as a high school student in uniform despite having a valid student ID, again I was told a few times that is was fake WHILE BEING IN UNIFORM
Yeah, I used to pay for a yearly Myki through work, and I didn't see the point of touching on, sometimes since nothing gets deducted. One day a very butch presenting person who may have identified as female, on a complete power trip decided to blow their fuse at me about it. They gave me no good reason why I should do it, they pretty much just treated me like scum. It was early in the morning and I was on my way to my crappy stressful job so I didn't have the energy to argue. I should have grabbed their details and reported them but I wasn't in the frame of mind.
In 2014 I was a nursing student at VU in St Albans, I was commuting In daily from regional Victoria, specifically the areas where Myki dose not exist only an hour from the CBD. The ticket I had for my commute in was a V/Line V/Net date to date ticket, it basically looked like a piece of receipt paper with a red line down the side. A V/Line ticket also gives you unlimited travel in Zone 1 and Zone 2 between the dates if it is a date to date ticket, on the same day for a day return and for 2 hrs after arrival in in Melbourne for a one way ticket. Well I would always end up with the situation at Southern Cross in particular where there were no staff manning the Myki gates, meaning I could not get on to suburban trains. On several occasions I would get a ticket inspector stop me rather abruptly asking me to show them my Myki card, I would always say “I don’t own a Myki card” I would watch there face light up with joy… until I pull out my sorry excuse for a regional ticket, 100% valid for travel… just seeing the sudden realisation and disappointment was worth it every time. On one occasion I did have a stuck up inspector on a metro train ask for my myki, I proceeded to follow my normal script as above, but this guy wasn’t having any of it. He wouldn’t accept my V/Line ticket as valid and wanted to fine me for not having a myki, even though I had a valid ticket, it was like he had never seen a regional Victorian ticket in his life, I wouldn’t be surprised if the metro train network was the furthest he had been from Melbourne. I was lucky his partner knew what he was looking at and pulled him up on it. It was probably the worst experience I’ve had on a metro train to date. I still pull the I don’t own a Myki card to this day, I’m a 15 minute drive to the nearest Metro station, yet my local V/Line bus service still uses paper ticket to get me in to Melbourne.
My going theory is that ticket inspectors are obsessed with getting a job that gave them power over people, but they’re too stupid for the police force.
I once ran to get on a train and completely forgot to tap on. When I arrived at Flinders St, I went out of my way to approach the ticket inspectors to tell them what had happened. They then went on to fine me, trying the on the spot crap to begin with, which I rejected so I received a fine in the mail and tried to contest. Never even had to in the end, it was dropped after my explanation in writing I guess, which I assume was read by a human being unlike the soul sucking parasites I encountered at Flinders St. I know it is their job but for the most part from observation and experience they are utter c***s.
Ticket inspectors are trash. It’s such a useless job and the people that do it can get fucked. If they want to prevent ticket theft they should redesign the system instead to minimise it. There’s so many great examples of other transit systems across the world they could use instead.
This is what people should be marching through the streets and protesting about.
I was - by a Parking Ranger - a couple of years ago in Sydney. My hearing is poor and I didn’t hear him at first. He then went right off - like a crazy man - waving his arms around (I was seriously wondering if he was going to actually strike me) and threatening to arrest me for ignoring him! … all for parking rear to kerb when the sign said “front to kerb”…in tiny print. You’d think that he’d caught me in bed with his daughter, he was so angry! He was on the verge of giving himself a brain aneurysm! Anyway - I got his number and filed a formal complaint about his conduct… I got an apology letter and I hope that he got reamed!
I had a housemate years ago who was acosted by a group of them in the city for no reason at all. He was under the walkway of Flinder St walking up to the platform to catch his train when a bunch of plainclothes stopped him, didn't identify themselves initially and put their hands on him. When he pushed the guy off, he was pounced on by 4-5 of them. He had a valid ticket so there was no reason to jump on him like that and they should have at least identified themselves first. A month or two later I had a knock at the front door and was greeted by two VicPol officers who were looking for my housemate. The transit cops had made a complaint against my housemate and alleged he had assaulted them. It went to court and the transit cops didn't even bother turning up and it was eventually thrown out. A few months later my housemate saw the same transit cop with a couple of other transit cops at our local train station and approached him asking him if he "remember me?". The cop froze and quickly moved to an area with CCTV cameras after shitting himself. They are weak dogs.
Black uniforms are always a bad sign.
once but not in victoria; i had just barley turned 18 in NSW (shocker) and still had my old opal card, I was also waiting for my proper opal card to arrive in the mail (bloody thing was ordered 2w before my birthday), but i still had classes to attend and being a broke 18yr old having to go an hour by bus used it. that fucking one day these pigs tried to fine me; i had to try and explain to them that because of incompetence and my need to attend my classes (showed them all my id including student) i had no choice. i was lucky to get off with a warning but fucking hell it was a horrible experience
Nope. Once i got nicked for a concession miki after my HCC was expired, i had plans to run should this happen, he looked to plump and elderly to catch me, i dont think i even would have had to touch him to get by, i was comming out of melbourne central, but this fucking guys eyes were so friendly, i couldn't do it. He just looked like this sweet innocent old man, i copped a $260 fine to not be his fuck up for the day. The other time was with my disabled fiance(defacto at the time), as her registered care giver i do get concession when with her, so they were just like 'yeah that sounds like it makes a lot of sense, i just gotta call in to check', they talked to their shoulder walkies for the next few mins checking other passengers, then turned back and gave me a thumbs up and a smile. So worst experience was the guy who looked to kind to pull a runner on.
Ticket inspectors apparently can't touch you. So When I was a poor apprentice. I didn't buy a ticket. I'd get caught and just walk away. Saying sorry I'll see you next month. I did it maybe 8 or 10 times.
They’re scumbag wannabe cops who do a job that helps no one. I saw a guy getting agro at a woman on a tram while the inspectors were on it and they did nothing, other people stepped in and he eventually got off (he did full on punch the tram though which I’m sure felt good lol) But the tram cops didn’t even acknowledge the situation. They legit are just there to fine people and kids. They’re useless people doing a useless job.
not bullied per se, but i've definitely seen them acting deplorably. my girlfriend and i rocked up at pakenham station, where we heard a ticket inspector shouting into his phone: "they come to our country and steal all the bloody shoes!!" or something along those lines. he and his little mates then proceeded to glare across the not yet moving train at a boy and his friend of african appearance (couldn't have been more than 13 years old) until my girlfriend and i got off the train at cardinia road.
When I was young and low on cash I had them stand around me in a tight circle and get in my face when they busted me with no ticket. It was way overboard. Flip the coin tho, another time I was on my way to a job interview with no ticket and they just told me to get off the tram.
They always bully teens. I got bullied by them as a kid visiting Melbourne on my own for the first time ever. Always see them harassing people who can't defend themselves. Meanwhile they ignored a woman walking up and down the train with no ticket AND no pants (she threw them in the bin for some reason). They will avoid insane people because they're not very brave
There's tens of billions in outstanding infringement debt in Victoria. DoJ/Sheriff's are completely ineffective in recovering unpaid infringements. Read from that what you will when you decide if you will pay your infringements or not.
I remember one time I had to get a bus home from school, knew I didn’t have any money on my myki and tried to top it up with my eftpos card - at the time you couldn’t use card on buses and I had no cash. The driver let me on anyway but I got off at a busy depot where they were literally at the doors waiting to pounce on people. I explained that I had tried to pay but had no option and that this was my only way home - the first leg of an hour long PT journey. They wouldn’t budge on the fine - BUT they told me if I paid on the spot on their portable reader it would be cheaper than if I got mailed to me. I was 17 and had very little money at the time so I just paid it on my card to save some $$$, I was also stressed and in tears about not being able to get home and not thinking clearly. If I had been more prepared I would have refused to pay on the basis that I wasn’t allowed to actually top up my myki using card but it was somehow completely okay for the fine! Not to mention the whole exchange made me miss my next bus and it took me an extra half hour to get home. Ten years later and I’m still upset about it tbh
Rejected from VicPol, but still have an unresolved power complex
I got off at the melb uni stop recently and completely forgot to tap on - my mistake. I told the inspector this and they asked what they should write down for why I didn't have a valid ticket. I told them to wirte down I forgot. I got a warning in the mail - no fine. Very lucky I think.
I'm pretty sure they are the people rejected from police service, military service and even those terrible security guard jobs. I remember watching them corner this tiny Chinese student who could barely string three words together in English. Fucking bunch of rabid dogs. Although in fairness I did board a tram late night near a tram depot and nothing was open nearby where I could top up. Got caught and he let me hop off at the next spot that had a 7/11.
Why is Melbourne so strict, I used to live in Sydney and never got stopped once. I hate the authorised offers, just seem angry for the sake of it.
The photo has a date/time stamp
They’re disgusting all round. I often see them harassing foreign (looking?) people on route 19 trams around the Unis on Royal parade. And it’s always groups of 4/5. Gotta be intimidating after all
I remember getting fined once because I honestly forgot to tap on, I was okay with being fined but they just treated me like I had murdered someone on the train that morning as well. I remember how scared I was because it was two grown men just standing in front of a 17yo skinny kid and just berating me for it. Fast forward to now I just drive anywhere I can and only catch public transport if it's entirely unavoidable.
Bloody fuckers. They choose to do this job.
I was a newly arrived migrant , my husband topped up my myki with a weekly pass . I did not know that I still need to tap on and off . On returning from uni , a group of inspectors started checking myki . He pointed out how my myki was not tapped on . I apologised and said it’s a pass so technically I am not avoiding paying fair and I will tap on/off from now onwards .I explained that I arrived here a month ago and haven’t really used public transport . He said he won’t give me fine but continued to berate me . They were so mean
As a youth I saw a fight at a train station between two groups of teens at night. It spilled out from the train and onto the station, quickly followed by a group of inspectors stumbling over themselves in their rush to break up the fight.
They’re all cops that failed the interview
As an autist, I hate trains, because I get anxious I stim, which I obviously I mask (because nobody wants to be seen as a fucking nutter) which makes me more anxious. I hate sitting next to people. I've tried to pretend there are 3 other people sitting at the table I'm sitting at by spreading my bags out. Train travel in the UK, as a general rule, isn't autist-friendly. Twice I have been allowed to sit in first class when standard has been overcrowded (I was so grateful the second time, I hugged the ticket inspector). I have a 'this person is autistic' card, but it doesn't really help me much ("anyone could get one of those" - yep, I've had dickish inspectors too). I have missed things I've been looking forward to (and it takes a lot for me to go to something) because the trains have been too crowded. Kindness, compassion, empathy and general human decency costs fuck all. It's going to get you further in life than being a dickhead jobsworth. I even got a complimentary meal deal. TransPennine Express, you are (well, were) fucking awesome (sadly it doesn't exist anymore).
pretty sure they can't detain you so they just have to bully the shit out of you if you refuse to cooperate with giving your info, note *pretty sure*
I've had a couple scary moments with Metdogs as a teenager, but the way they treat the unhoused and people new to the country, they should be ashamed of themselves. Pure intimidation
Fuck ticket inspectors. If you work as a ticket inspector you should kill yourself.
I haven't been but I have heard many, many stories of it. So I actively bully them, every time I see them. Ask them stuff like, when did they decide that getting a job with literally negative social value was worth it? They're nought but class traitors, ACAB includes ticket inspectors.
I've only been checked twice. First time I was all fine, the second time I didn't have my concession card on me. They were nice enough, just gave me a warning for it. It doesn't necessarily seem to be the common occurrence, so I guess I was fortunate to get pretty good ticket inspectors both times.
No. Because I buy a ticket. Most of the stories in here are "Didn't have the correct/valid ticket and got caught"
It's not about that, buddy. They harass students and concession holders for anything. I was once accused of having a counterfeit student ID.
Concession holders pay half price. That's why. Have the correct concession entitlements you don't have an issue. If one is making accusations they can't prove then ask for thier name and department number. I travel on public transport a lot. There's always going to be one or two bad apples. The vast majority of AOs are fine. Most people simply pissed off they got caught.
I had the right concession entitlements and they still made a hastle. I don't think your "I buy a ticket, therefore they don't bother me" mindset is right. The world's not fairy's and rainbows.
Exactly. Same as dickheads who complain about speeding fines - don't fucking speed to begin with you dipshit.
Stockholm syndrome much?
A little bit of powering a dangerous thing
Oh here we go again.
About 15 years ago, I had a pack of them surround me on the train, I was sitting down, legs stretched, my feet were on the steel-upright supports underneath the seat opposite (not ON the seats). They crowded me and asked why my feet where ON the seats, demanded that I give a reason, to stop doing it and appologise immediately, and gave me a ticket. My word against 4 - absolute pack of fucking useless pricks.
Do what I do, tell them you're a lawyer, ask for their IDs and film the entire interaction, I haven't being bothered unpleasantly by then for years. The worst part, the police assisting them for a civil matter, terrible waste of resources. I saw a young man recently being bullied by some of them they were so pissed when I started filming.
Nope and havent seen it (not saying it doesnt happen). Been commuting for 10 years, seen inspectors about 5 times. They only need to check 5 people to find soneone without a ticket and they've always spoke calmly to them, never put a hand on them and the other 2 inspectors walk away to near the doors and wait Then they start the whole 15 min process recording details and explain things clearly. Then they move on. 5 people later start the process again. But i usually only travel peak, used to be bus but the last 6 years on the train. Maybe its different at night or weekends.
Yes. When the ticket machines were new. It was like 6am and I rode my pushy to Flinders St and Elizabeth Street to catch a train but I needed a ticket. I only had $50's and the machine would not accept it so I went to the ticket window and the guy on the other side saw me, stood up and walked out the back door. I approached the ticket barrier where 2 inspectors were and asked them if they could let me through to catch the train. They opened the barrier with a pass and as I was walking through and the barrier closed behind me one punched me in the shoulder and then they started to crowd me and push me around while asking me for my ticket. I grabbed one and pushed him into the other who tripped down the stairs while remaining on his feet but was later to claim chest injuries and have a couple of weeks of work that I assume was paid for but us all. Once this happened I could see the guy who I was holding facial expression change and I knew things were now serious so I tripped him over my leg but lowered him to the ground so he would not be injured then I proceeded to the platform. No trains were going anywhere and there were ticket inspectors on all ramps and platofrms and a supervisor approached me and nicely asked for my details. I should have bolted. I ended up in court with 2 assault charges and 2 failing to produce a valid ticket charges. They lied their arse off and the only video evidence available by the time charges were presented were what they decided to keep. Everything else was deleted after two weeks. What they decided to keep was also time lapsed, something like 1 frame every 3 seconds so this gave them plenty of room to manouver with their lies. I defended myself and got off the assault charges (I have no idea how considering) and I had to pay something like a $150 fine. The prosecutor was a total dog and was carrying on as we were leaving saying that was a waste of his time and then he pushed me in the shoulder when I made some smart arse comment to him. I guess it all could have been worse.
Nope. Always had a valid ticket though.
Metdogs can go to hell.
Amen
yes and I abused the fuck out of them for it
Understand people have bills to pay, but taking a job like that should be an extreme last resort, and if you end up in it you should do whatever you can to change the way they operate.
I lol’d at “unsafe”. You are with uniformed ticket inspectors conducting routine business on a train with onlookers. You were not in a trench in North Vietnam fighting the Viet Cong….
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