(01 Mar 2014, 7:00 am)Dan wrote Of course I cannot back up my opinions with evidence, but I have given stories and photographs of my experiences whereby Metro Inspectors have seemingly taken pleasure in fining people. I'll not get onto the anecdote of the racist Inspector who had 'no time for pakis' who I came across a year or two ago.
The girl looks like she is in her mid-teens to me, and looks the sort to be Under 16. She may have paid for a ticket every day in her life apart from that day, and it could have been linked to a Metro ticket machine fault (see my stories a few weeks ago where I was not able to purchase a ticket and Customer Services were completely useless), could have been linked to her running onto the Metro for safety as she was being chased, could have simply been down to having no money (whether that's down to being mugged or generally just having no money, you can decide). Given my previous sightings of the bad Metro Inspectors, my judgement of every Metro Inspector has changed. I really don't think the Inspectors would have been understanding, nor do I think they would have let her off if it was her first time offence.
The photograph's caption suggests that the disabled man is being fined, so we have assumed that it is correct. The price for a Gold Card is fairly cheap (£25) and I really don't know many Metro users who do not have one. It's cheaper for them to have one even if they only use the Metro twice a month. This is being reduced even more, as per recent discussions. There is no reason why the disabled man would not have owned one of these cards, and I have assumed that he mustn't have been in possession of one that day. That really could be simply down to the fact he had misplaced it.
Your statements are rather worrying in regards to the man being rugby tackled to the floor. Surely it is equally as important that customers are safe, and not just themselves? You're right though, that is the sort of impression I get from them. There's self-defence and there is clear assault - I'm going with the latter option, with no knowledge of the reasoning behind it, because of how aggressive it appears. That sort of behaviour cannot be condoned and brings the company into disrepute.
our statement regarding the owner of the "Checky Watch" page is wrong. The owner of the page has quoted to newspapers (which I'm sure I actually mentioned at the time) that he does not want free travel on Metros, he wants cheaper travel on Metros. Is it any wonder that he is requesting just that, when he is your average "buy a single" kind of customer? The price of his ticket has rocketed in recent years to pick up the cost of ticket reductions elsewhere. We can only assume that this will happen again when the cost of the Gold Card is slashed.
I agree metro inspectors should allow some sort of leniancy if there is a case to be lenient but on the other hand, if you allow one to get away with it, then you got to let them all to get away with it. The excuse of fiddling around looking for your pass then realising to your shock horror it must still be in the house is one where some inspectors can be lenient but it such a common and easy excuse to use that most rightly don't.
The fact you got no idea regarding the photo with the man being "rugby tackled" tells me you can't say its assault and I don't believe for a second Metro Inspectors would assault any passengers for no good reason so self defence or some sort of restraint was being used to try and keep the situation under control. Whether its in their duty to be able to do that I don't know but I'm sure under special circumstances this is allowed aslong its in self defence and they don't go and start hitting the individual in question. Theres a big difference between self defence and assault and I find it astonishing people are accusing someone doing an assault with the only proof is a still photograph but I find those people quite prejudice really.
Metro Inspectors are certainly not Guardian angels but they are not the devils people are painting them to be. Infact tbh, the only people who hates them are more than likely be the people who dodges the system and gets caught. Quite frankly I don't like or hate them, I just show them my ticket and thats that and that would be the case for most people I'm sure if they do the same.
The Metro is expensive but if anyone remember the total chaos when the Metro went on a full day or two on strike will realise Tyne & Wear can't live without it and we should feel fortunate we have a light rail system in place if albeit, its showing signs of age and decline hence the money to modernise the system.