Appealing an Irish Rail Fixed Penalty Charge

eirbear1989

Hi,

I have already sent in the appeal but I am worried it will be rejected so I am asking people here for help.

I was in Dublin on Saturday night and I lost my purse (drunk as you do) I have yet to go to the guards as I am really hopping it will turn up - if I go to them they will know I don't have a vaild driving licence so I want to hold off until tomorrow.

Anyway, I was getting the train back to Galway yesterday and I had my student ticket with me - as I had lost my purse I didn't have my student card. I explained this to the ticket inspector about loosing my purse and I showed him a letter I had from DIT in my bag but there was nothing he would do so wrote me the fine for €132.70 but told me to appeal it.

I got back to Galway and my student card was sitting on my sitting room table. I took a photo of it and the fine and sent it in.

Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and was the fee waved or did it stand. Being a student €132.70 is nearly a months spending money after other bills so I can't wait until too long has pasted to find out if I have to come up with the money.

Thanks in advance!!

goingnowhere

No student card no entitlement to the discount, card must be presented when asked

You knew before you boarded you did not have the student card, but travelled regardless

Watertight case on Irish Rail's side

savagethegoat

what's more the lost purse bit doesn't really affect it. You left the card at home.

sorry but it seems you are "bang to rights" as they say.

eirbear1989

savagethegoat wrote: »

what's more the lost purse bit doesn't really affect it. You left the card at home.

When i was on the train I though I had it in the purse - that was a mistake on my part which I explained to them.

Ticket was pre-purchased and I hadn't the cash to buy another one. Car was in Galway so it was the only way I could get home.

Thought appealing was worth a try but apparently not.

Yakuza

Such blind adherence to rules without any flexibility is very petty in my opinion. OP proved she had a student card (sorry, going on the word "purse" and your avatar I'm assuming you're female ) after the journey. This will have an issue date on it (some time in the past). Logically, then, she had a student card when the journey was made (just didn't happen to have it on her person).

Surely some logic / common sense can be applied to the situation and the fine be waived? OP - I'd appeal, nothing to lose.

Of course the ticket inspector was 100% right to issue the fine as anyone can spoof they have a student card, but once the card has been proven to exist, then the fine should be waived (or at least reduced down to a fraction of it to cover the processing of the ticket). To not do so would be unfair in my opinion.

savagethegoat

Yakuza wrote: »

Such blind adherence to rules without any flexibility is very petty in my opinion. OP proved she had a student card (sorry, going on the word "purse" and your avatar I'm assuming you're female ) after the journey. This will have an issue date on it (some time in the past). Logically, then, she had a student card when the journey was made (just didn't happen to have it on her person).

Surely some logic / common sense can be applied to the situation and the fine be waived? OP - I'd appeal, nothing to lose.

Of course the ticket inspector was 100% right to issue the fine as anyone can spoof they have a student card, but once the card has been proven to exist, then the fine should be waived (or at least reduced down to a fraction of it to cover the processing of the ticket). To not do so would be unfair in my opinion.

Your logic is flawed. The reason why you have to have the card with you is so that someone else can't be illicitly using it elsewhere.

eirbear1989

savagethegoat wrote: »

Your logic is flawed. The reason why you have to have the card with you is so that someone else can't be illicitly using it elsewhere.

if you saw the pic on my student card you'd realise no one else would want to use it!! Its like a passport only worse.

My student card is in date until December 2016 as I graduate this year. I know I should have had it on me, but I am forever loosing purses (yes I am a woman ) so when I am going out I sometimes just bring my cards with me - hence why the student card was left sitting on the table. i was using it on Thursday and obviously never returned it to my purse before heading to Dublin on Friday.

I best keep the fingers crossed and get my Granny to light a candle for me.

Peppa Pig

eirbear1989 wrote: »

they will know I don't have a vaild driving licence so I want to hold off until tomorrow.

eirbear1989 wrote: »

Car was in Galway so it was the only way I could get home.

Maybe it's just as well it's the train you were caught on. Can we expect a "got fined for having no driving licence" post next

Yakuza

How can someone else be illicitly using a photo ID?

schemingbohemia

Yakuza wrote: »

How can someone else be illicitly using a photo ID?

I dunno, maybe ask all the kids using their older siblings passports as ID every night of the week in pubs and clubs all around the country?

schemingbohemia

OP seems to very very unlucky, always getting fined when it's not her fault

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=98813879&postcount=23

savagethegoat

something they should teach at university is accepting responsibility for your own actions.

Maybe the story of the driving license will be told. ?