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Stranded boys on a train

I was once making a train journey on a Crosscountry train, and found some boys onboard who were intending to travel to Cambridge and then bunk a cab to get home as they lost their wallets.

A fight broke out (involving one of the boys and some drunken idiot on the train). An off duty driver (who I will call John) noticed this, most likely attempted to break it up, but ended up taking a few punches to the head. He subsequently used the passenger alarm to alert the driver, who then alerted the conductor, in addition to also alerting the Signaller who would have then alerted the Police who attended the train at the next station.

I attempted to report the situation involving the group of boys to the Police, however they were busy dealing with one of the people involved, and were not therefore able to take my report. I considered approaching the driver, conductor or dispatcher to report the issue, but being distracted by a conversation with John I forgot to do so promptly (i.e. before the train was dispatched, and departed towards Cambridge).

I therefore thought to do so after John's train turned up, at which point I approached the dispatcher hoping that I could quickly get my word in. However John responded (himself being a bit tipsy to say the least!) by talking over me, this made it impossible for me to report it to her until the train had been dispatched, at which point I had to walk up to the dispatcher on duty on the other platform at that station. So I did so, and reported the matter, I was told that it did not concern them as that was their responsibility to approach the station staff at Cambridge.

Was their response correct, or could the station staff have done better? What should I have done?

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I'm not quite sure what you were trying to report to the station staff?!
Reply 2
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Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by black tea
I'm not quite sure what you were trying to report to the station staff?!


To clarify what I meant was the situation involving the boys being stranded with no way to get home, thus resulting in one of them wanting to bunk a taxi to get home. The off duty driver kept saying (something along the lines of) "If the situation is an immediate danger to your welfare (i.e. not that of another person) then by all means contact the Police, if you wish to make a statement then contact the Police tomorrow" which was irrelevant bull**** in my opinion.
Original post by Anonymous
To clarify what I meant was the situation involving the boys being stranded with no way to get home, thus resulting in one of them wanting to bunk a taxi to get home. The off duty driver kept saying (something along the lines of) "If the situation is an immediate danger to your welfare (i.e. not that of another person) then by all means contact the Police, if you wish to make a statement then contact the Police tomorrow" which was irrelevant bull**** in my opinion.


I don't see how it's the station staff's responsibility.
Reply 4
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Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by black tea
I don't see how it's the station staff's responsibility.

It is their responsibility, because the majority of the boys were underage. Therefore it is a Police matter, and the staff are employed to ensure that Police matters like that are reported to the Police.
Original post by Anonymous
It is their responsibility, because the majority of the boys were underage. Therefore it is a Police matter, and the staff are employed to ensure that Police matters like that are reported to the Police.

If you thought it was a police matter, why didn't you call the police?
Reply 6
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Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by black tea
If you thought it was a police matter, why didn't you call the police?

Because my phone battery was flat and I didn't want to make an unnecessary 999 call using the help point.
Original post by Anonymous
Because my phone battery was flat and I didn't want to make an unnecessary 999 call using the help point.

So you thought it was unnecessary to call the police then.

If the boys wanted help, they would have asked for it. I honestly don't see how this is a police matter.
Reply 8
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Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by black tea
So you thought it was unnecessary to call the police then.

If the boys wanted help, they would have asked for it. I honestly don't see how this is a police matter.

1) No I didn't. There is a difference between calling 0800405040 (British Transport Police (BTP) direct, a number for non-emergencies) and calling 999 (which covers all emergency services including the Police (who can in turn contact the BTP), but only in a genuine emergency). Some boys being stranded clearly warrants a BTP call (as it happened on the railway), but not a 999 call as it is not an imminent danger to life or limb. It would be possibly different if they were asleep in the middle of the night, but they weren't.
Original post by Anonymous
It is their responsibility, because the majority of the boys were underage. Therefore it is a Police matter, and the staff are employed to ensure that Police matters like that are reported to the Police.

What were the boys underage for
Original post by josie71202
What were the boys underage for

Being allowed to sleep rough without it being a Police matter. That age is 18. The boys were mostly under 18, and only one of them was 18. Even he was 1) on the Autistic Spectrum 2) high on marijuana that he had been smoking earlier. He was in no fit state to be taking responsibility for underage young people.
Original post by Anonymous
Being allowed to sleep rough without it being a Police matter. That age is 18. The boys were mostly under 18, and only one of them was 18. Even he was 1) on the Autistic Spectrum 2) high on marijuana that he had been smoking earlier. He was in no fit state to be taking responsibility for underage young people.

How do you know they were sleeping rough?
Original post by Theloniouss
How do you know they were sleeping rough?

By logical reasoning. I could hear that they were unable to get home. If they didn't manage to bunk a cab fare (which is highly illegal in itself, not to mention immoral), then there would've been nowhere else for them to sleep other than rough on the streets of Cambridge. Even if they had succeeded in getting the cab driver to take them home, they could end up in court later on a Fraud charge, and end up being taken to a YOI from there. This is a situation that I would rather prevent, not to mention an urgent safeguarding matter.

Reporting that I witnessed a possible evasion of a cab fare about to happen the day after would just be pointless and silly. No one likes a snitch anyway.
Original post by Anonymous
By logical reasoning. I could hear that they were unable to get home. If they didn't manage to bunk a cab fare (which is highly illegal in itself, not to mention immoral), then there would've been nowhere else for them to sleep other than rough on the streets of Cambridge. Even if they had succeeded in getting the cab driver to take them home, they could end up in court later on a Fraud charge, and end up being taken to a YOI from there. This is a situation that I would rather prevent, not to mention an urgent safeguarding matter.

Reporting that I witnessed a possible evasion of a cab fare about to happen the day after would just be pointless and silly. No one likes a snitch anyway.


That's assuming they couldn't, for example, walk home or get a parent to drive them.
Original post by Theloniouss
That's assuming they couldn't, for example, walk home or get a parent to drive them.

Given that they would have travelled multiple train stations away from their home station (somewhere in the Leicestershire area), walking just isn't a viable option. I don't know about getting a parent to drive them, but it's unlikely that many parents would be willing to drive cross country in the middle of the night. Hence why I was told, by the guy in charge of them, that he would be planning on bunking a cab fare.
Original post by Anonymous
Being allowed to sleep rough without it being a Police matter. That age is 18. The boys were mostly under 18, and only one of them was 18. Even he was 1) on the Autistic Spectrum 2) high on marijuana that he had been smoking earlier. He was in no fit state to be taking responsibility for underage young people.

I'd understand if they were being a nuisance or asking for help from you but it's literally none of your business plus you don't know their ages unless they showed you their IDs
Original post by josie71202
I'd understand if they were being a nuisance or asking for help from you but it's literally none of your business plus you don't know their ages unless they showed you their IDs

1) One of them was rolling up joints on the train, which he intended to share with the other boys. You're not legally allowed to possess marijuana full stop. 2) I was told their ages, I don't need to see them.
Original post by Anonymous
1) One of them was rolling up joints on the train, which he intended to share with the other boys. You're not legally allowed to possess marijuana full stop. 2) I was told their ages, I don't need to see them.

if you could see it you can report it. I thought you were just assuming
Reply 18
Avatar for Surnia
Surnia
20
So, based just on what you've been told,
you believe that instead of contacting anyone before starting the journey, these boys have maybe got through a barrier at their home station, all lost their wallets, not got a mobile phone between them, were going to evade any conductors on the train wanting to see tickets, avoid the barriers at Cambridge and bunk a cab? And you didn't report anything about them having joints when you saw that happen?

Mmmm....
Original post by josie71202
if you could see it you can report it. I thought you were just assuming

Yes exactly. Thanks.
Original post by Surnia
So, based just on what you've been told,
you believe that instead of contacting anyone before starting the journey, these boys have maybe got through a barrier at their home station, all lost their wallets, not got a mobile phone between them, were going to evade any conductors on the train wanting to see tickets, avoid the barriers at Cambridge and bunk a cab? And you didn't report anything about them having joints when you saw that happen?

Mmmm....

1) They were intending to travel somewhere else, they had tickets that far (I presume) so could've get through the barriers. 2) They all lost their wallets. 3) They most likely had a phone between them but irrelevant as their parents weren't going to come down. 4) The conductor wasn't doing revenue duties. 5) The barriers were most likely wide open at that time at night. Not a whole lot that barrier staff can do. 6) Yes they intended to bunk a cab fare.
7) Is that any of my business? No.

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