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Student taken to court for putting feet on train seat
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2382757.ece
A student is being prosecuted after she briefly put her flip-flops up on a train seat.
Despite immediately apologising to the “rail enforcement” officer who reported her, Kathleen Jennings, 19, has been summoned to appear before magistrates today.
Miss Jennings, who is studying mathematics at Manchester University, has been accused of “wilfully interfering with the comfort or convenience” of other rail passengers.
Miss Jennings, a Cub Scout leader who also works with disabled children, said that she had just put the tips of her flip-flops on the unoccupied seat in front of her when the official approached her and said to her, “Are you comfortable?”
She said last night of the incident in June: “I said sorry and moved my feet back to the floor. Then he said that he wanted to see me when I got off the train. I got off the train at Chester and he was waiting on the side. I was scared throughout the journey.”
On the platform, Miss Jennings, who lives in Oldham, was given an official caution by the Merseyrail enforcement officer, who noted down her description, phone number and occupation. She later received the summons to appear before magistrates in Chester.
Miss Jennings added: “I was crying my eyes out. I am not the sort of person who would do anything wrong. I have never been in trouble before and, working with children, I do not want a criminal record.”
She could face a fine and prosecution costs of up to £150 on top of her own legal bills.
Her father, Tony, said: “It’s ridiculous. Why couldn’t a fixed-penalty notice be given? She could end up with a criminal record on her CV, which could affect her future. It’s madness.
“Kathleen has always been an A* student and is a good, considerate girl. She’s never been in trouble.”
Merseyrail is the only rail company that prosecutes passengers for putting their feet on seats. It has taken about 250 people to court since its scheme began in February.
In May Babiker Fadol, 45, from Chester was prosecuted for the same offence. He admitted the charge and was given a one-year conditional discharge with £50 costs.
A company spokesman said yesterday that it could not comment on the individual case because of the impending court proceedings, but that the policy had been widely publicised through signs and loudspeaker announcements.
It has previously said that the policy was introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour and in response to “passenger feedback”. Enforcement officers use closed-circuit television “head cams” to provide evidence for prosecutions based on railway by-laws.
The company also has spent £32 million refurbishing its fleet.
A student is being prosecuted after she briefly put her flip-flops up on a train seat.
Despite immediately apologising to the “rail enforcement” officer who reported her, Kathleen Jennings, 19, has been summoned to appear before magistrates today.
Miss Jennings, who is studying mathematics at Manchester University, has been accused of “wilfully interfering with the comfort or convenience” of other rail passengers.
Miss Jennings, a Cub Scout leader who also works with disabled children, said that she had just put the tips of her flip-flops on the unoccupied seat in front of her when the official approached her and said to her, “Are you comfortable?”
She said last night of the incident in June: “I said sorry and moved my feet back to the floor. Then he said that he wanted to see me when I got off the train. I got off the train at Chester and he was waiting on the side. I was scared throughout the journey.”
On the platform, Miss Jennings, who lives in Oldham, was given an official caution by the Merseyrail enforcement officer, who noted down her description, phone number and occupation. She later received the summons to appear before magistrates in Chester.
Miss Jennings added: “I was crying my eyes out. I am not the sort of person who would do anything wrong. I have never been in trouble before and, working with children, I do not want a criminal record.”
She could face a fine and prosecution costs of up to £150 on top of her own legal bills.
Her father, Tony, said: “It’s ridiculous. Why couldn’t a fixed-penalty notice be given? She could end up with a criminal record on her CV, which could affect her future. It’s madness.
“Kathleen has always been an A* student and is a good, considerate girl. She’s never been in trouble.”
Merseyrail is the only rail company that prosecutes passengers for putting their feet on seats. It has taken about 250 people to court since its scheme began in February.
In May Babiker Fadol, 45, from Chester was prosecuted for the same offence. He admitted the charge and was given a one-year conditional discharge with £50 costs.
A company spokesman said yesterday that it could not comment on the individual case because of the impending court proceedings, but that the policy had been widely publicised through signs and loudspeaker announcements.
It has previously said that the policy was introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour and in response to “passenger feedback”. Enforcement officers use closed-circuit television “head cams” to provide evidence for prosecutions based on railway by-laws.
The company also has spent £32 million refurbishing its fleet.
Comments
Pretty much the same thing happened to one of my brother's friends a couple months ago. He was riding the train in NYC at around 3 am because he was coming home from work or something. (He works at his college radio station, so that's why he was on the train that late, not because he was like out doing something bad or roaming the streets haha.) And so there was like 2 other people on the whole car and he was really tired so he put his feet up on the seat across from him and was laying down when a cop came by and told him to put his feet down and was like yelling at him. And the cop was obviously an asshole and fined him a lot of money. I don't remember how much, but it was a lot. And like, why does it matter? I can understand if there's no more seats and there's people standing, but it was 3 in the morning and plenty of seats left. It was so stupid.
Come on. It wasn't even her ENTIRE FEET. Potentially ruining someone's future just because they put their feet on a train seat is heartless. Not to mention extremely picky. Who came up with that anyway?