When we boarded yesterday mornings 07:20, in addition to the usual crew. we found if staffed by a large number of 'Railway Enforcement Officers' dressed in florecent yellow jackets. Personally I'd never heard of or seen 'Railway Enforcement Officers' before so I was quite interested to find out what they were doing there.
I watched as they went from passenger to passenger checking tickets. But this wasn't an ordinary ticket check. Oh no. Whenever they came across a passenger with a season ticket (which at that time of day was most of them) they asked the person to remove the ticket and photo ID card from whatever wallet or container it was held in. They then proceeded to check both the ticket and ID card to see if it was a fake.
I've absolutely no problem with what they were doing. In fact I applaud it. What I thought was slightly out of order was the non existant explanation to us customers. All of us were perplexed as to what was going on and why. A few asked but none received and answer that I heard. I watched as one bloke was asked if he had any other forms of ID with him. His ID card was very old and not what I would call in a good state of repair. Luckily he had proof of ID and because his season ticket was valid and it matched his suspect ID card, they let him off. But let him off what exactly? Having a vaild ticket and matching but knackered ID card?
I've since learned that 1 enterprising individual from Peterborough has been caught during peak times traveling with a fake season ticket and ID card. As a direct result, NXEC opted for what now seems a slightly heavy handed response to a problem NXEC believed could have been rife. Well now they know it isn't. As far as I know they havent caught anyone else with a fake ticket or id. They did manage to find one fella on the 07:20 who was trying to avoid paying by hiding in the toilets. That said, had it been a usual morning I'm sure the guards would have caught him. The bloke did pay up but they still had BTP greet him at KX because they couldn't understand why he was trying to avoid paying when he had shed loads of cash on him.
Basically the R.E.O officers (never seen 1 yet) have the powers to check over all the season tickets, as rightly so do guards and R.P staff at any given time, this means to check that the date is valid (which we all do at a glance) but to make sure that the photo I.D card number matches the number on the season ticket which makes it valid and also that the back has been signed.
this is a very rare thing and yes we can be lax as well as passnegers it suprising the amount of passengers who just show the season ticket and not both portions, and i must laugh sometimes when you ask for photo cards, and all you get is the sighing and tutting and huffing, then when you see the photo cards you can see why some where obviously taken way back in the 80's and to be honest id be ashamed to show them as well, here's a hint ladies and gents if you don't like it get an updated pic.
As for the R.E.O's these are an new concept from national express which originally came from an idea in the days of G.N.E.R.
As for the bloke in the toilet you would not believe how many people you find hiding in toilets then when confronted by police have loads of money, i could understand if you were a bit skint, but when you have a wallet full of notes thats just taking the piss