Train Crazy

In the news in the past week or two has been the story of a burly passenger who seemed to take the law into his own hands and bundled  fare-dodging goit Sam Main off a train in Scotland. And hilarity ensued. The guy got arrested, the student ran off to The Sun complaining about how “unfair” it was – forgive the pun – and how, despite compelling video evidence against him, apparently he wasn’t in the wrong. I want to talk to say about the incident and why I feel it’s an absolute crazy thing to have happened and what it seems to say about an aspect of Britain that I wish would go away (like One Direction).

This isn’t the case at all; Main is clearly seen on video shouting abuse to the old train conductor after being succinctly, if not briskly and not terribly politely (though would you be polite to a thief?)  asked to get “off” the train, as his ticket wasn’t the requisite return that would entitle him to travel on that train, but two singles for the opposite direction. Apparently these were purchased in error due to his “being diabetic, not eating much all day and not sleeping due to studying.”

First issue I have there: why is that an excuse? It isn’t! Just because you have issues unrelated to the situation in your personal life doesn’t mean you can get away with not paying your fare! It’s not a mitigating factor; the situation is the same – you have the incorrect ticket, which means you do not have a ticket entitling you to ride that particular train, and hence your removal from it is justified.

What isn’t justified is having a nonsensical and foul-mouthed rant at the conductor who is just doing his job to enforce the rules everyone else has to abide by, and is expected to bend for one person. He refused to either pay for the correct ticket or leave the train. There’s no consideration for the other passengers who are being delayed by the refusal to leave the train, there’s no consideration for the small children who have to witness swearing. It’s all about trying to weasel out of the situation without having conformed to the expectations and requirements of the train company – whose train it is you’re on. The whole technicality of the situation is summed up by the title of a video response: No Fare, No Right to Keep Your Seat.

Here’s the second issue this whole thing raises. It strikes me that there’s a sense of entitlement without effort, and it’s worryingly prevalent in this country.

It’s all about people’s  “rights”, but the balancing “responsibilities” are less popular. Happened with the riots, happened with the barmy cuts protests – it’s as if people feel they are entitled to everything despite putting nothing in. In this case, it’s a train ride, and an honest mistake if two singles have been bought in error. But the way the young guy deals with the situation is wrong. Instead of admitting a mistake to the representative of the company whose train it is and apologising, he decides to argue the toss when the evidence is against him.

Good on the man who decides to save people little time and other people from being delayed by bundling Main off the carriage, after asking the guard if he needed help. Yeah, it was a rough experience to be bundled out of his seat and thrust onto the platform, but after non-compliance with the officials, what else can you do?

Did it not occur to Main that his graze wouldn’t have been caused if he’d had some sense and gotten off the train when the guard had asked him to? Of course not, that would require two things: 1) admitting he was wrong and had to take some responsibility and 2) relinquishing the entitlement he felt he had to ride someone else’s train without the correct ticket. Those grazes were the direct result of his stupidity! And now his parents – who are obviously completely biased into the viewpoint espoused by their Sweet Boy Who Wouldn’t Put a Foot Wrong – are out to get “justice” for “poor Sam.”

Boo-friggin’-hoo, is what I say.

It turns out the man who bundled Main off the train is being investigated quite seriously for assault. This makes me despair – it flies in the face of common sense! It may be a bit of a stereotype but again, the have-a-go-hero gets penalised while the delinquent gets treated with kid gloves. Does the prosecution of the “big man” constitute a prosecution in the public interest? No. Does it go to reinforce the mistaken belief in some young people that they are entitled to anything they want and cannot be countenanced? Yes, sadly so.

More train hilarity: Ticket inspector stabbed after asking two people to leave a train after being found travelling without valid tickets. Sigh.