Re: Yarra Trams Article in Sunday Age

[Railvic <railvic@primus.com.au>]

Well said Rail Roamer and I totally agree with you.  Have you also
noticed that those "ratbags" are getting younger (I have come across a
few that should be in primary schools)?  Not to mention those that hang
around at a station for hours, obviously have no intention of using
public transport ...  Sooner we clean out such undesireables the better,
so geniune customers will feel safe travelling on public transport even
late in the nights ... Finally, (since I don't work in the same
department as you) what's stopping you guys going undercover?  As a tax
payer, I always get mad seeing those idiots hanging around stations all
day and also receive welfare assistance!

Railvic
 
Rail Roamer wrote:
> 
> Well I work on the system as an authourised officer and for the Bayside
> Train Patrol Unit.
> 
> Can't help but comment to those that think they know all.
> 
> We do not target young people.
> RPO's no longer exist.....they had a name change and many went by the
> wayside including their methods. They are now called Customer Service
> Employees.
> We treat all people with respect....but don't think that if we approach you
> for whatever reason and we get a smartarse non accepting attitude we will
> smile and say okay forget it. We shall continue to be polite and do what is
> required of me to fulfill my role on the network.
> I am not there to be someones verbal punching bag and there alot of people
> who think that what we should be and are.
> Daily tickets will be made available on Swanston Trams when the new 100
> roving conductors are introduced but it will cost more to purchase from them
> than what it would at a Metcard outlet or TVM (other than that on a tram of
> course), reason being that when the system was introduced the idea was to
> encourage pre-purchasing of tickets prior to your journey. Remember only
> enourage not force to.
> We do not make examples of people.
> When we do checks we are required to stick to ceertain guidelines and if a
> person is not willing to comply with our lawful requests matters tend to get
> dragged out from a 2 minute chat to possibly a 30 minute chat and in some
> cases longer if we cannot verify identification of the person. This can then
> lead to a call for police to attend and under Section 219AA of the Transport
> Act of 1983 we have the authority to detain a person for this to be done.
> So many time myself and my fellow officers have been on a platform and
> people see us enter the platform area and only then will they leave the
> platform and go buy a ticket from a perfectly operating machine.
> You can't tell me this people had every intention of getting one if we were
> not present?
> If you do think this .....well I'm guessing you still get gifts from Santa
> Claus and you are expecting a visit from the easter Bunny in the next few
> months.
> Alot of people get on the defensive upon our approaching them because they
> know they are doing the wrong thing, and thus things can worsen.
> Yes some officers attitudes can fray at times....doesn't yours?
> Haven't you had a bad day and gotten bumped in the street by a youth by
> accident and think "#%$@* little shit' when it was only an accident and he
> really has done no wrong?
> You might think it sucks but guess what.....there is a law that says you
> must make all reasonable steps to make a purchase for your journey before
> commencement, if this fails then during and then if this fails after.
> You cannot say I didn't get a ticket because I had to run for the train. If
> you cannot manage your time that is not our fault or that of the thousands
> of others on the network  who do. You knew you had to catch the train, you
> knew you had to pay for it so you knew you had to giver yourself time to do
> so.
> You cannot use this excuse and say I will buy one now, if you are allowed to
> do this it is upto the officers discretion.
> Remember if the option to buy a ticket was present at the commencment of
> your journey this cancels out the option to buy one during or after your
> journey. So I DIDN"T HAVE TIME IS NOT A RESONABLE EXSCUSE.
> If the ticket vending machine is U/S well this is not your fault either, so
> we will only take down your details then check with Metcard to see if the
> machine was U/S. All machines go back to a central computer. If the machine
> was U/S you will hear nothing further.....however if it was fine and okay
> well you may receive some correspondance in the mail.
> It is an offence to :
> Refuse to give false name and address
> State false name and address
> Fail to produce evidence of entitlement (Concession)
> Make journey without valid ticket
> Transfer ticket to another person.
> 
> These are the common offences that stem from ticketing issues.
> Many may not be interseted but if you'd like me to post a list of current
> offences and the $$$$$ you could get stung for let me know and when I get
> the time I'll post it.
> 
> As for those who think we are overbearing, aggressive etc...
> see if you could do our job.
> It takes all types to make a society, and it has been proven that societys
> attitude and ideals have declined from what they were.
> I bet some of you would shit yourself if you came up against some of the
> arseholes we do out there.
> Alot of you don't see the 30 strong gangs at night with batons and knives.
> Or the 3 kids chroming at 11pm on the train or a train station and fall into
> a pit or cross the tracks seconds before a train comes through. Some don't
> make it.
> We are trying to clean the system up for you, if we can cut fare evasion
> maybe there wont be no ticket cost increases. Or it will be only minimal.
> If you get caught up in the net, chances are you were doing something wrong,
> actaully you were and guess what we have laws that we are governed by.
> Yes some out of towners may get a little bit caught out......but I've come
> accross some who have intoleralbe attitudes and this can determine if you
> get a fine or not.
> If you remove you feet from the seet  upon request fine but if you have a
> problem and get lippy well you might find the next few minutes were not
> worth it.
> Granted some officers are of the type who will say '' GET YA' FEET DOWN'.
> But these guys don't last long.
> Good and bad in all.