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A fare dodger tried to make a run for it when he was confronted about his declined payment.
Fare dodging continues to make headlines – and not only because of the bizarre vigilante stunt by the shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick trying to catch them himself.
Cracking down on fare dodging is expensive for Transport for London, and it continues to flare up emotions as paying commuters shell out chunks of their income on travel.
One suspected fare evader was caught in action at Kingston station, which is a hotspot for fare dodging.
The man was snatched at the ticket barriers when he tried to use a card to tap out after he said his ‘card doesn’t work.’
The standoff was captured on the upcoming episode of Channel 5 series ‘Fare Dodgers: At War With the Law,’ which airs on Monday.
Jane, a South Western Railway revenue protection officer, beckons him to tap out after he said he had put money on the card.
‘It doesn’t work, that’s what I’m trying to tell you,’ he responds after claiming that ‘the guy let me through at Clapham Junction.’
Jane says that it is ‘because it has been blocked by the issuer.’
When he taps his card, it was declined.
He then bursts through the barrier – but directly into the arms of police officers standing by the gates.
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Three officers have a tussle with him as he swings his arms, swears and spits, while Jane appears unfazed by his behaviour.
The man eventually paid, and his case was closed. The police took no further action on the assault.
The latest confrontation comes after a string of fare evaders have been caught on camera.
One man claimed he had used a card his friend gave him after racking up £3,500 in unpaid fares.
An investigation revealed the card had no money on it, but he was able to push the barriers open on his way to and from work.
A brazen ‘short farer’ evaded paying £20,000 over three years before he was caught.
The man avoided paying £35 for his commute from Surrey to London Waterloo by buying a ticket only from Vauxhall to Waterloo.
He also had a 16-17 Saver Railcard, which gives a 50% discount on tickets, despite not being eligible for one.
Jenrick, a minister under the previous Tory government, shared a video last week showing him running up to suspected fare dodgers at Stratford station in east London.
In one clip, he walks a man to the enforcement staff, who then politely ask him to step aside so they can deal with it.
One suspected fare evader tells him to ‘f*** off,’ while another allegedly told him he was carrying a knife.
It later emerged that Jenrick may not have had permission from TfL to film on station property, according to LBC.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander commented on Jenrick’s video: ‘I’m not sure what the country needs is politicians who masquerade as have a-go-heroes… his video last week was perhaps more about his future candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party, rather than a genuine desire to tackle fare evasion.’
The next episodes of Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law on Channel 5 air at 7pm on Wednesday, June 4, and at 9pm on Monday, June 2, on TV and on the streaming platform.
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