Re: MELB: Ticket Inspectors

[David McLoughlin <davemcl@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz>]

Steven Hurst wrote:
> 
> You have to remember that (I'm not excusing his actions) the public can be
> equally as rude.  They think everyone in that sort of job is a prick and
> automatically treat them that way, becuase of people like HIM, its a kind of
> 2 way street;

But this is a public service industry, reliant for its income on
attracting paying customers.

A ticket inspector should first at least listen politely to the
explanation/excuse of a passenger without a ticket before accusing him
of an offence and threatening to arrest him. The appalling problems with
the crap-arse ticket machines in Melbourne are evidence enough that it
is not always the passenger's fault that people must ride without a
ticket.

And I do not think the inspector's attitude has anything to do with
privatisation. The sale announcements were made only a week or so ago.
The inspector's attitude was the mark of an officious public servant on
the state payroll. No private company wanting to keep customers would
let its staff treat customers like that. 

A question: Can Melbourne's ticket inspectors REALLY arrest passengers?

That sounds an extraordinary breach of civil rights.

New Zealand is no great haven of civil liberties, but only the police
can arrest people here. Attempts by bureaucrats to extend powers of
arrest to other agencies such as Immigration officers over the years
have been rejected by Parliament here. I have never even heard a call
for ticket inspectors to get powers of arrest. 

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand