Probe after passenger throws fare-dodger off train

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An investigation has been launched after a fare-dodger was hauled off a train by a passenger who stepped in to help the conductor.

The incident on the Edinburgh to Perth train was filmed and has received more than 300,000 hits on YouTube.

The footage, taken by a passenger on Friday, shows a youth refusing to pay for his ticket or get off the train.

A big man then gets up, grabs the youth and appears to throw him onto the platform at Linlithgow, West Lothian.

The man then twice stops the teenager getting back on the train before returning to his seat to a round of applause from passengers.

[There is a video of the incident on the webpage below, as well as the source for this article.]

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-16143909
 
Hurrah for that good samaritan. The conductor is elderly and perhaps the teen thought he could resist any action taken by the conductor. Sure, the police could be called but the would the train be delayed to wait for their arrival or would the police simply be waiting at the next stop? If the latter, then the teen might have achieved his objective of free transport.

The actions of the man ensured that disrespect for authority was not allowed to happen without incident.
 
I actually thought it was an over reaction on the passengers part, and he could be looking at assault charges. He had no right to physically throw someone from a train. The student should not have swore and perhaps explained his situation better.

The student claims he did have a ticket but had two single tickets instead of a return one given to him by mistake. His face does have a prety sore looking cut and he was thrown off the train without his bag, including his phone, money and diabetic medication.

The passenger should have left it for the train officials or the police to sort out in my opinion.

news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16130075
 
I thought this was similar to a typical South African occurrence where fare paying passengers get ejected from fast moving trains by hoods and drug dealers.

No doubt the big guy will get branded a sociopath and will get a suspended jail term and a large fine. He will no doubt also have to apologise to the poor teenager.
 
Benjamin12 said:
I actually thought it was an over reaction on the passengers part, and he could be looking at assault charges. He had no right to physically throw someone from a train. The student should not have swore and perhaps explained his situation better.

The student claims he did have a ticket but had two single tickets instead of a return one given to him by mistake. His face does have a prety sore looking cut and he was thrown off the train without his bag, including his phone, money and diabetic medication.

The passenger should have left it for the train officials or the police to sort out in my opinion.

news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16130075
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Yeah, but you don’t mess with the Scots.

I remember coming back from a Celtic game with my da, and a fellow across the aisle was about to light up a cigarette, when the man across from him says, “This is a no smoking train.”
The man with the unlit cig in his mouth looks around and says, “I don’t see no see no smoking sign.”
The fellow across from him leans in and smiles and replies, “I’m the wee no smoking sign.”
I howled laughing and da says to me, “Shut up, ya want tae get us thumped?”

It still makes me smile to this day. Aye, ya donnae want to mess with the Scots lad.
 
empacae said:
Yeah, but you don’t mess with the Scots.

I remember coming back from a Celtic game with my da, and a fellow across the aisle was about to light up a cigarette, when the man across from him says, “This is a no smoking train.”
The man with the unlit cig in his mouth looks around and says, “I don’t see no see no smoking sign.”
The fellow across from him leans in and smiles and replies, “I’m the wee no smoking sign.”
I howled laughing and da says to me, “Shut up, ya want tae get us thumped?”

It still makes me smile to this day. Aye, ya donnae want to mess with the Scots lad.
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Funny story, and there was no violence involved thankfully. Scottish or not, it does not give this passenger the right to do what he did. I am sure if the fare dodger was his own size he would have just stayed in his seat.
 
Benjamin12 said:
I actually thought it was an over reaction on the passengers part, and he could be looking at assault charges. He had no right to physically throw someone from a train. The student should not have swore and perhaps explained his situation better.

The student claims he did have a ticket but had two single tickets instead of a return one given to him by mistake. His face does have a prety sore looking cut and he was thrown off the train without his bag, including his phone, money and diabetic medication.

The passenger should have left it for the train officials or the police to sort out in my opinion.

news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16130075
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The youth had no right to be on the train either.
 
SamH said:
The youth had no right to be on the train either.
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Well that may be the case, but he reckons he did have the right to be on the train. Even if he did not have a ticket, the correct procdure should have taken place, being that the Transport Police picked him up at the next stop. People without tickets should never be manhandled off the train withut their belonging which included his phone, money and medication, by a member of the public. The conducter should have told the passenger to stay in his seat and let him and the police deal with it.
 
SamH said:
The other passenger reckoned he didn’t - and he was right.
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So he deserves to be assaulted and thrown off without his stuff? You would be ok it that was your son or daughter or mother? I wouldnt be.
 
Benjamin12 said:
So he deserves to be assaulted and thrown off without his stuff? You would be ok it that was your son or daughter or mother? I wouldnt be.
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Yes.

If it were my son I would have done it myself then apologized to the other passengers for his actions…
 
SamH said:
Why not?
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Well I don’t agree with students, pensioners or anyone being assaulted by a fellow passenger and thrown off a train without their belongings. You think that is what should happen and I am sure lots of people agree as it is an issue that divides opinion.
 
I’m personally offended by this post-modern, lawyer-driven mentality that you can commit any civil offense or provocation you please and suddenly become “an innocent victim” when someone lays hands on you. Trying to ride in a train, cab, or trolley without a proper ticket or fare is unacceptable. Attempts to do so should result in being removed by the minimum force necessary to accomplish the task.

And if you’re worried about losing your possessions when being tossed off the train then get off when you are lawfully commanded to do so by the conductor. You’re bringing the misfortune on yourself.
  • Marty Lund
 
mlund said:
I’m personally offended by this post-modern, lawyer-driven mentality that you can commit any civil offense or provocation you please and suddenly become “an innocent victim” when someone lays hands on you. Trying to ride in a train, cab, or trolley without a proper ticket or fare is unacceptable. Attempts to do so should result in being removed by the minimum force necessary to accomplish the task.

And if you’re worried about losing your possessions when being tossed off the train then get off when you are lawfully commanded to do so by the conductor. You’re bringing the misfortune on yourself.
  • Marty Lund
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I don’t think the student was an innocent victim, I think he is an inconsiderate idiot. However, he should have been dealt with by the proper authorities and given the maximum fine if appropriate. I disagree with the passenger taking it upon himself to basically assault him by throwing him off. He and the fare dodger should be dealt with and the conductor given more training perhaps. If the student refuses to get off, have the police take him off at the next stop.
 
I disagree. Listening to the dialog they weren’t going to start the train because the kid was going to ride to the next stop and then run away. There’s no pressing reason to refrain from using force to evict him, and I don’t see anything especially wrong with a passenger volunteering to enforce the conductor’s authority to remove the perp either.

It’s a symptom of our lawyer-plagued, post-modern era that every problem needs to resolved by either tolerating a provocateur or having the police come arrest someone.
  • Marty Lund
 
Benjamin12 said:
Well I don’t agree with students, pensioners or anyone being assaulted by a fellow passenger and thrown off a train without their belongings. You think that is what should happen and I am sure lots of people agree as it is an issue that divides opinion.
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I have physically bounced many unruly people from establishments, young, old, male and female. I fail to see the issue.
 
mlund said:
I disagree. Listening to the dialog they weren’t going to start the train because the kid was going to ride to the next stop and then run away. There’s no pressing reason to refrain from using force to evict him, and I don’t see anything especially wrong with a passenger volunteering to enforce the conductor’s authority to remove the perp either.

It’s a symptom of our lawyer-plagued, post-modern era that every problem needs to resolved by either tolerating a provocateur or having the police come arrest someone.
  • Marty Lund
Click to expand...
From what I could make out the conductor was suggesting that they were not moving until he got off, which in my opinion was a mistake. I have been on plenty of trains were fate dodgers get challenged and the best option is to have them removed correctly by the police at the next stop. That means other passengers are not disrupted and is unlikely to result is a frustrated passenger taking action himself like in this case. I agree the lad will now probably try to make a few quid on the back of this, but that is the risk you take if you lay hands on someone and injure them. All could have been avoided if you ask me
 
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