7thMan Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I was SkyTraining to work, this morning, and a was checked for proof of payment, nothing out of the usual. The only difference, today, was that I was using a prepaid ticket. I don't think I've ever used one of these on a SkyTrain, before, so it didn't occur to me that I needed to validate it. So, when I was checked, the transit police guy told me that it wasn't valid and he would have to write me a ticket, but that I could dispute it if I wanted. The fine is $173. The guy also told me I had to validate it after getting the fine, which is a bit absurd seeing as it means I'm paying and getting fined. Has anyone here disputed a TransLink ticket? Should I bother? Will my sob story make any difference, or should I just suck it up and pay through the nose for an honest mistake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberries Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 This was about to happen to me. I was really drunk so i started to run off, and i fell down the stairs good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustavo Fring Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Suck it up, Adrian Dix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 That's so untrue...on the back of your (blue) ticket it tells you how to dispute it and it's time sensitive (30 days from issue). You simply write in to Victoria, indicating that you're disputing it and include a copy of the ticket. You'll then get correspondence telling you when to appear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7thMan Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 Suck it up, Adrian Dix Actually, he was let off with a warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Habitat Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I disputed one two years ago. The ticket machines were broken so I went to ask an attendant. The skytrain cop gave me a ticket. I disputed it. A few months later I got a court date. I went and my cop didn't show up. Judge asked me how I pleaded.. Not guilty . She said " since the officer didn't show up I believe you are telling the truth" And got off. No payment Also you don't have to write to Victoria. Just take your ticket to any icbc office and say you're disputing the entire ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Also you don't have to write to Victoria. Just take your ticket to any icbc office and say you're disputing the entire ticket. that's pretty much what you do. if a cop is writing you a ticket, they'll even say go to the icbc if you want to dispute the ticket, but most of the time, people are just caught not paying fair. i get a fair amount of people making photocopies of their tickets and disputing they got ticketed for traveling 1 stop, 1 zone over. really depends what kind of cop you get. i never get ticketed and usually it's because the ticket maching kept spitting out my coin, so i have to travel to the next stop to see if it works there but understand that transit police hear all sorts of stuff from people, like "i've never used one of these prepaid things before and didn't know i had to punch it in the thing" lesson learned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opmac Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 but understand that transit police hear all sorts of stuff from people, like "i've never used one of these prepaid things before and didn't know i had to punch it in the thing" Maybe it's cause I have been a regular transit user for a long time, but isn't it obvious you will have to do something to the FareSaver ticket? It's blank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Maybe it's cause I have been a regular transit user for a long time, but isn't it obvious you will have to do something to the FareSaver ticket? It's blank... well of course, which is why it would be near impossible for a cop to believe "i never used one of these things before, so i didn't know i had to validate" and they're thinking, "buddy. come on, now" it's funny because one of my friends was ticket 3 times 2 years ago and when he was ticketed again a couple of months ago, they ran a quick background check on him, usually when tey do that it's so see if you have other transit offenses, or... anything else. he came up clean and they let him off with a warning and he thinks that if you just don't pay it all together they just trash it. it's weird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7thMan Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 Maybe it's cause I have been a regular transit user for a long time, but isn't it obvious you will have to do something to the FareSaver ticket? It's blank... In retrospect, it's pretty obvious and I feel dumb for not thinking to do it. Still, I only started taking the SkyTrain regularly recently and I didn't even know how to validate a ticket when I was told to do so. Sometimes, ignorance isn't bliss. I have other proof of purchase tickets lying around that I just never threw away, so I don't just ride on one blank FareSaver ticket. I can prove that I only started working downtown recently and I only started using the SkyTrain heavily then. The question is: will they care? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 they don't really show any sympathy at all. what most people get are, "well, you'll remember next time to validate your ticket" but if you really decide to dispute just pray the cop who issued the ticket doesn't show up then they'll just let you go and waive it i was ticketed once for traveling in a 2 zone on a 1 zone ticket and just went and paid it. really didn't want the hassel of disputing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I was SkyTraining to work, this morning, and a was checked for proof of payment, nothing out of the usual. The only difference, today, was that I was using a prepaid ticket. I don't think I've ever used one of these on a SkyTrain, before, so it didn't occur to me that I needed to validate it. So, when I was checked, the transit police guy told me that it wasn't valid and he would have to write me a ticket, but that I could dispute it if I wanted. The fine is $173. The guy also told me I had to validate it after getting the fine, which is a bit absurd seeing as it means I'm paying and getting fined. Has anyone here disputed a TransLink ticket? Should I bother? Will my sob story make any difference, or should I just suck it up and pay through the nose for an honest mistake? The thing is you didn't have a validated ticket, regardless of you forgetting or not. So it is 100% your fault for not figuring it out yourself. Fine stands. Sorry. Cause in the end, your responsible for figuring this out. So yes, you are 100% at fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opmac Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 In retrospect, it's pretty obvious and I feel dumb for not thinking to do it. Still, I only started taking the SkyTrain regularly recently and I didn't even know how to validate a ticket when I was told to do so. Sometimes, ignorance isn't bliss. I have other proof of purchase tickets lying around that I just never threw away, so I don't just ride on one blank FareSaver ticket. I can prove that I only started working downtown recently and I only started using the SkyTrain heavily then. The question is: will they care? The ticket is for not having a proof of payment in a fare paid zone. If you can prove you had proof of payment then it's disputable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Habitat Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Also even if the cop shows sometimes they will reduce your ticket by half Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denguin Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Isn't it kind of obvious you need to validate a ticket? By your thought process, you could use the same ticket forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 A bit off-topic... What if you have no ID's on you... how would they give you a ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Ed Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Couple years ago an officer checked me. I barely ever rode the train and usually only on the weekends where one zone counts for three. Well it was a Friday and I got caught one zone over pulled off and lectured. I disputed it as the ticket was similar to yours in amount and I felt it was an overreaction to a citizen who had paid they're fare, but made a simple mistake. Plus I was unhappy with the way I was treated by the officer. The judge agreed to only reduce it to around 40$ but I was still disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 A bit off-topic... What if you have no ID's on you... how would they give you a ticket? they still give you the ticket but make you go and pay your fare and if you can't, well you're either walking home or taking the chance of going downtown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTania Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Definitely dispute it. Also even if the cop shows sometimes they will reduce your ticket by half That is true for many kinds of tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\/ijay Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Just dont pay it, the tickets aren't enforced because they don't have the authority to do so. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/03/27/bc-translink-fines.html As well the ticket acts as fare for the day so no you shouldn't have validated your pass after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.