A while ago, when we were coming home from the Adelaide Cup, in fact, we had a bit of a run-in with a ticket-checker guy, who was, to be perfectly honest, a total wanker. He refused to accept my international (as in, accepted everywhere in the world ever) student card, and threatened to fine The Pom.
Cut to yesterday morning. My multi-trip card has run out, so I put in four dollars (four dollars!) for a day trip ticket. Which the machine did not spit out at me. Whatever.
Cut to yesterday afternoon. No way am I putting in another four dollars for another ticket that I probably won't get. Of course, Wanker Ticket Guy chooses this day to be a wanker on my train. (Wankers On A Train: In Theatres This April.)
Essentially, he didn't believe I'd tried to buy a ticket, which, why should he? He pointed out that if it happens again, it won't look very good. Quite frankly, WTG, I don't care how it looks. The fact is (it is still a fact even if I can't prove it) that the machine was at fault, not me.
What really pissed me off was that he asked to see my student card (which I now have and would have been travelling on had the four bucks bought me something more than sweet FA and a headache), then kept it to copy down all my details. He demanded my address and date of birth, which, as I told him, I was not comfortable giving out. He couldn't give me a reason why I had to give it, instead asking if I was listening to him. Yes, Wanker, I am, but you're clearly not listening to me. More threatening of fines. In the end, I gave it to him, because I couldn't discuss without sounding like I was arguing.
I plan to keep travelling on multi-trip tickets, to avoid all this ticket-buying hassle. If, however, the machine doesn't work again, I will not be giving them yet another four dollars. If they ask to see my ticket, I will again explain the situation. If they don't choose to believe me, I will fight it. I am not going to be out $120 for something that was not my fault.
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