Fellow train passengers, there seems to be lots of people trying to get through the barriers on platform 2 Perry vale side of forest hill station without tickets and the train men are letting them through to avoid confrontation.
Today I went to FH to go collect my son from school I am 39 weeks pregnant so I use the bigger barrier to get through, upon doing this 2 white young tracksuit wearing boys decide to walk through after not getting anywhere with the train man and barge into me. I said excuse me me please and I got told that's life and called a fat slag. When I turned round (which I know I should of kept my mouth shut) to say your very ignorant get some manners I got chewing gum thrown at me and verbally abused with lots of swear words. I asked the train man if he was just going to let them through like that and just verbally abuse someone the way they did and I just got a blank expression while he sat in his cabin. I wasn't expecting him to be a hero and jump up and fight them but maybe even a few words to them could of been said. It ended up with me waking off swearing at them as I was very angry and I complained at the station and I was given a comments form. The ticket office told me that the same thing happened on Monday to the same man on the same side (Perry vale) with people not being let through for free getting shirty. Please be weary when leaving this exit morning/day/night.

Wow, that's a horrible experience. I hope you and baby are ok after that.
Does seem the way these days that confrontation is best avoided, and just give in to the nasty scum who behave in such a way.
Has this been reported to the police at all? Just a thought that they might be regular, and identifiable by the station staff.

Certainly something that the BTP should have been made aware of by the station.

Your right I should report it to the BTP, il have a look later and call them. I know I should of avoided confrontation eps being pregnant but I had to say something for the pure reason they barged into me after them going through on my ticket. But I shouldn't expect anything less from people who call pregnant ladies fat S**gs and won't buy a train ticket. Thank you for your concern also.

I have passed the link to this to our local @MPSForestHill on Twitter, they are now aware. BTP were also copied in. Still worth a call for sure. Not saying you should or should not have done anything, the station should have taken care of that if they witnessed or were made aware.

As for you not reacting, you were perfectly entitled to, and I would have done the exact same. Sometimes it's to release some stress and emotion, rather than letting it get to you.

My comment about not rising to confrontation was more about the way staff are trained to deal with matters like this. Not quite turn a blind eye, but not to antagonise the aggressor. Following the assault in 2013 I bet most staff at the station are quite rightly not keen to get involved.

Here's to getting the little scrotes caught at some point. And you feeling safe in your travels.

Thank you very much for passing on the info.
Hopefully no more people get abuse or assaulted in the future.
Thanks 😊

Revenue inspectors visit stations without barriers. Obviously, they need to visit Forest Hill occasionally.

Sometimes I find people treading on my shoes as they tailgate through the barriers.

Good on you Snazy for contacting the BTP. This kind of thing is completely uncalled for. Hope you're ok Laura.

Sherwood, they do do visits with the BTP from time to time, in large numbers too. Sounds like it's time for a revisit though I agree.

Benderish, I merely pointed them to Laura's post, along with the local Met. But thank you all the same.

Really would love to see this current trend of "entitlement" stamped out though. It's poisonous to society as a whole.

Laurab82 Hope you are okay and I would have done the same if I were in your situation.

Shocking that the TFL employer said nothing though, I did pop by on my way home tonight around 6ish after seeing this and asked the chap if he was working that barrier around 4ish today but said he wasn't otherwise he would have got a mouthful from me about your dilemma.

I'll mention this to our local PCSO's when they pop by next, they are pretty good with this sort of thing.

As long as you are okay that's all that matters.

Yes Sherwood this has happened to me as well. I pointed it out to the chap in the box who just looked disinterested. Maybe a rogues gallery from CCTV footage could be compiled?

And maybe add the station guy to the rogue's gallery, he's the real villain as far as I'm concerned.....letting the idiots through the barrier, and not defending poor Laura, what a ****

Pippi, all very well to say on a keyboard but given a member of his team was seriously assaulted a little while ago I am not surprised he was reluctant to get involved. Two on one with people who don't care, good luck.

Indeed let's not forget http:// http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8642

While I would not expect them to play the hero, you would hope for a show of compassion and concern when all dies down. If the situation allows it.

It is indeed easy to say what we would all do, but so many don't actually follow through in reality.

Main thing is Laura is doing OK, and able to pursue any avenues she chooses.

That's horrible.


Sorry to hear.


I've seen it before at other stations though. People just walking up to the barriers, yelling at the staff to open them, abusing them and they just open it. They are obviously told to avoid confrontation for their own safety. And if BTP aren't there on the spot there's not much they can do.


Having chewing gum thrown at you, isn't that assault?

Hmmm, I guess! That poor guy (from the thread of two years ago). I am horribly scrappy myself unfortunately, and when I think of some of the situations I've jumped into without thinking I do have to thank my stars that nothing serious has happened to me (so far, touch wood)!
It's so vexing to think we speak up for ourselves/others without fearing for our lives tho'!

With you on that one Pippi, I jump in and realise later that the consequences could be negative for me. Still, I dont like to see people being abused or people taking the P**s.

Same here usually, wade in, then think later, and consider all the outcomes that may have been. Makes life a little interesting.

I would guess that the company policy is to avoid escalation, minimise the risk of injury to all, and just make a note and report the incident. There probably is a rogues gallery at the BTP offices I'm sure.

Sad really that some people feel the need to behave in such a way. Such a false feeling of self importance, and the belief they command respect. Fools!

There are some weird company policies out there, both written and unwritten.
A friend was a bus driver and was told if a car pulls out, DON'T brake hard, just in case you avoid a collision but cause an injury on the bus.
Apparently the thinking on this one was, if you hit the car, its their fault, and compensation for injuries on the bus fall to the car drivers insurance, and not the bus. Heard that from a few friends all at different garages.
Thankfully human nature probably over rules that one a lot of the time.

I hope you're ok after such an unpleasant experience Laura. Someone squeezed roughly through the barrier behind me once-the station man was standing there watching so I asked him about it and he said he didn't see anything!
I didn't realise a member of staff had been assaulted - why not just take the barriers away and let us all travel free!!!!!!!!!!

I've also seen the "youths" loiter by the larger exit gate at the Perry Vale side and then squeeze through when someone else has tapped out. The guard does nothing but, in his defence, I doubt that he sees the offence as he is thoroughly engaged with his phone.

I think that having the back exit unmanned and therefore having the revenue inspectors visit occasionally would be a better solution.

I have previously wondered about the cost benefit of having the rear entrance - three gates requiring one attendant who doesn't want to be there. Exiting via the front entrance and using the underpass is not an unpleasant option and the underpass would feel even more safe with the additional footfall. Personally, I would happily trade closing the rear entrance if there was a possibility of increasing the capacity of the front entrance and adding another ticket machine there. I'm sure that the guards would much prefer to work in groups if they wanted to challenge the fare dodging youths.

What a horrible experience! I'm really sorry to hear you were put through that, Laura, and I hope your nerves and blood pressure have recovered!

I understand the ticket guy not wanting to be a hero, but surely he should have (a) shown compassion and made sure you were okay and (b) contacted the office across the tracks to immediately arrange for the CCTV recording to be relayed to British Transport Police. This was certainly, as someone said here, an assault, even without the chewing gum - not just a common or garden fare dodge.

Obviously not at all in the same league - but you remind me that I was astonished the other day to see someone exit The Glades shopping centre car park in Bromley by tailgating right after someone who had paid, nipping through before the barrier came down! Unbelievable nerve, some people have.