Train needs more guards onboard (From Dorset Echo)

Have you sent this letter to the train company?

In the dock section recently named a few who were prosecuted.

Lets have more guards, but don't moan when they put the prices up!

The flip side of this is, when you do have a ticket and you are trying to sleep - say on the 06:07 from Dorchester South - you are woken up every 5 minutes by somebody checking the bally thing!

I don't really understand this comment, how do you witness many people using the train without buying tickets? People can buy tickets in numerous ways, they don't need to buy tickets at the ticket office, they can buy them on line for instancea nd either have them delivered by post or pick them up at the ticket machine sometime prior to their journey, that is what I tend to do. When I have been on the train the guard has usually checked my ticket before Dorchester or Wool at the latest. I would suggest that one guard on the usual four or five carriage train to London is sufficient.

This is a silly letter and why did the echo print it. There is a guard on the trains, perhaps the person is calling for RPI's (revenue protection inspectors) to be present. When I travel if I see someone who doesn't fit the right profile for my carriage and acting odd. I'll tip the guard off. Yet I have an annual season ticket in 1st class.

Comment on lloyds echo letter

After reading this letter, I would like to put my point across by saying that I totally agree with Mr Mitchem's point. Yes there are many other ways in which you can purchase train tickets- we all know this! What I believe he is getting at here is that it is becoming a common occurance that when travelling by train there are always one or two passengers in carriages (more than half the time in my experience) who make 'excuses' as to why they do not own a ticket, which is rather annoying seeming as there are many people, including myself, who always buy a ticket and half of the time it is never checked by the guard onboard. Those people who have clicked onto the fact that tickets aren't always checked, should be penalised and perhaps then the next time they travel they will actually buy a ticket like the rest of us honest people. On one occasion I have travelled and got off at Weymouth with guards checking all tickets before passing through the gates. This should be done on a regular, consistent basis whereby those who think they've got away without paying for a short journey will in fact get a fine of £20 or more. In all my train travelling times, I have only witnessed guards on the actual platform checking tickets once! This will only make it fair on those who are consistently purchasing travel tickets and sticking to the rules and I can only imagine more of these problems cropping up when the Olympics bring more people to the town. It's a disgrace and if not dealt with soon, before we know it, more and more people will take advantage of there only being one guard on board. It takes minutes to check all tickets- especially on a four/five carriage train, so why are so many people getting away with not paying their way? And the Dorset Echo clearly choose what gets put in the paper, so it must have some importance for them to print this piece. I say good on Mr Mitchem for speaking out on behalf of many of us.

valid points, but the letter would be better directed to an organisation that can actually do something about it.

After all, no one would write to South West Trains to complain about the Asda lights (or would they...)