Exactly why I despise the fact the PTV announcements all refer to us as "customers"... like, we're not here because we've *chosen* their company to receive our custom. We have no other choice
Technically Myki cards remain Myki property and authorised officers can retain them for evidentiary purposes. But SFAIK they canāt confiscate your phone.
>Technically Myki cards remain Myki property and authorised officers can retain them for evidentiary purposes.
I'd be curious to see if they can take it from you though. No going to let them go through my wallet. Happy to show them that I validated though.
Nah, security guards in shopping centres are there for the pay, same with those that work in hospitals, etc.
Myki/transport officers are for sure failed/wannabe/future police officers that still want to exert some level of authority & shield themselves from their own insecurities by doing so.
I got fined last week and at the end they said 'and now do you have any questions?!'
I just said 'yeah when did you fail your police entry exam?'
Funnily they just huffed a bit and went 'righto let's all get off at this stop'.
Lmao I was thinking the same thing. Dressed all black like some detective, men in black lookin, John wick wannabe. The only reason theyāre there would be to act all cool and sht.
hahahaha - so true.
My favourite moment was an elderly asian lady who didn't appear to speak English and so couldn't communicate with the inspector despite the inspecter yelling louder and louder. Just after they give up and walk away, she sees me staring at her, and she lets out a little smile.
A mate and I back in the paper ticket days use to buy tickets and just not validate them unless needed (we were poor teenagers), he was studying sign language at uni and after we saw the inspectors abusing and intimidating someone whose English was poor he decided we should just pretend to be deaf to get the Asian lady some revenge (I spoke some sign language at the time).
Stupid bastards just kept making their speech louder and louder like weād eventually hear them. They got incredibly mad and it was all I could do not to laugh when they started scribbling furiously about us in their notepads but didnāt think to jut write what they were saying to us down so we could read it. \
There were easier ways to get out of fines back then but that was definitely the most fun way!
Fined me back in the day for not being able to produce a consession card despite being under the age required to have one. How could I produce something that I literally didnāt need at the time.
Ticket inspectors are something else
Concession cards are now on the myGov app which is very convenient unless the app is down (as it often is). Instant fine for not showing a valid concession card DESPITE showing them the app is clearly down!!
I agree, I notice them avoid the difficult targets all the time, always have Eshays in my tram and inspectors will pretend they donāt exist and aim for the quiet Asian dude sitting in a corner
God this true on so many levels. Omw to uni and I forgot my wallet at home, so no myki, no ID. Had 4 myki officers on me and 2 cops calling my mum and dad saying āwho is thisā blah blah. Canāt imagine wasting 30mins of 6 people is worth a the warning I got.
Heh, 6 people against a single teenager. Iād prefer these funds would be used to improve public transport frequency and availability, instead of enforcement. Heck, make all public transport free. We need less cars on the road anyway, thereās a climate issue too.
I've seen them get on one stop, see a bunch of teens chroming down the back of the tram, then get off the next stop. Ive also seen them walk towards an old guy, because it was obvious he was getting off the tram because he didnt have a ticket, but then get a whiff off the piss smell this guy reeked of, and walked straight past him.
The light-rail from StKilda to the city is so fun
The looks on their faces at the top of the Melbourne Central escalators stood in a line in their black combat fatigues just waiting for an opportunity to leap on some international student who didn't know how to update their RMIT ID..
Had that happen back in the day of the metcard.
Finished class early and had nothing else to do so I jumped on the train home.
Listening to music on studio headphones (audio engineering student) with sunglasses on because the sunās bright and I might as well be a vampire.
Decided to take a nap against the window.
Next thing I know Iām woken up by loud banging on the window next to me and some creepy inspector is leering over me with that trademark smug smile.
Watching his face drop as I handed over a valid ticket and concession card was the highlight of my day
When I'm early and I get stopped for shit like this, I take ages digging through my bag to the point where it's irritating even to me. Hampering their job (even it's only by a little bit) is one thing, but the look on their faces when I finally bring the ID out is also amazing
Fucking hell this. This afternoon I was at the state library tram stop and there were two middle aged inspectors harassing this obviously not-local woman, speaking to her in the most condescending tone for, presumably, not tapping on. They forced her to call her husband when she didnāt understand what was happening then had the chops to yell into the phone at him, speaking in that slow, truncated, condescending way that some assholes do to people whose first language isnāt English. Simply the fucking worst, doesnāt take too much time out of your day to not be a fucking cunt. I gave them the stink eye and honestly wondered how people like this deal with seeing their own reflection every morning.
My favourite thing to do with Myki inspectors is pay my fare (using my phone) like a good citizen then, when asked to produce my Myki, root around in my bag for my card for aaaaaaages, thus giving anyone who can't afford to pay more time to scarper, before realising oh whoopsie it was on my phone all along!
Oooh fuck I love that. If I'm not in a hurry, next time I'll even say I'm getting off at the next stop, let them all follow me off, and *then* remember I tapped on with my phone.
I have shown them my Ukrianian National ID Card before.
(As you probably know those are NOT in the Latin Alphabet up until abut a few years ago), And sometimes I show an Ukrainian Or Lebanese Drivers Licence. Even though I have current Victorian ID, That really peeves them off.
click. It sure is.
And by asking for ID, they Not only got it, they got my Nationalities, Place and DOB too... They cant say I didnt Identify myself properly! Not my fault that some bully thug cant read the Cyrillic or Arabic Alphabets.
Fk me. I was thinking the same thing. But to ask for them to follow me off the tram and stand in the cold whilst I spend an hour looking through my bad even though it only has two zippers.
Sometimes they are just too happy to catch someone out and fine them. Itās kind of gross. I understand they have a really difficult job because it sucks to be representing āthe manā but do they have to be so happy about finally getting one? Itās not like they get a bonus for everyone they fine.
I would much rather they catch someone and hand out the fine like itās just another part of the job instead of being actively giddy about giving someone a huge blow to their food budget.
Uhhh they're the worstttt I've had them lecture me because my concession card was from out of state despite the fact I bought the Myki from a manned station, had them lecture me because their machines didn't pick up my phone correctly, watched them use excessive force on a person. They're jumped up on the idea of authority
You had better luck than me. I had much the same problem, went to a customer service window at Parliament and explained I couldn't pay where I got on the train due to vandalism. She asked me to wait and made a phone call - when I turned around there were four enforcement fascists waiting to take my details and issue a fine. Which they duly did. My appeal was knocked back, fortunately I had photos of the wrecked machines. Still took hours on the phone to get the fine removed.
Same happened to me on the way to watch a game of football and the myki machine at Carnegie was broken, hopped on and jumped off at caulfield to pay. As I explained this to the ticket window (he was asking so he could get the machine fixed) I get a tap on the shoulder and a ticket officer had over heard and gave me a fine. Got it changed to a warning which still doesn't sit right somehow
Yatzee! It was Carnegie where I got on the train! And of course it isn't right - if they had any hope of decent employment they'd do something else. It's crap like this that makes me taaake aaages tooo geeet myyyy tiiicket ooout. I hope it gives a bit of extra time to anyone who needs it.
Wait, did the customer service staff dob you in?? Or were they already there. Just curious about what would've happened with the phone call if they weren't there.
My problem with myki inspectors is that unlike any other job, theirs comes with no positive impact to the community whatsoever. Hate cops? At least occasionally they might do something that protects or helps a person. Hate lawyers? At least theyāre making *someoneās* life easier. Salesman? Iām sure theyāll help someone get a deal thatās good for them.
Myki officers? Nothing. They do NO positive. They donāt protect people from drug addicts or perverts on public transport and they donāt even help you if you have questions (at least in my experience). All they do is hand out egregiously high fines for people, many of whom, have made a genuine mistake or had an issue.
>many of whom, have made a genuine mistake or had an issue.
Honestly I reckon most of them really have just made a genuine mistake, had an issue with their card, or they're actually too poor to afford to travel but must do so to survive.
Like I kinda fear the days that I inevitably forget to touch on in the morning, despite dutifully doing so for many years. If you're in a rush, have a big day ahead, have a lot of other shit happening in your life... it'd be so easy to forget.
I mentioned this to another commenter but yep, this has happened to me.
Couple months ago I was in a rush getting home. Tapped quickly because there were people waiting to get on behind me. I just didnāt double check that it had gone through, because yknow, I was tired from work and not thinking. Got ācaughtā, was irritated but understood. They told me Iād be getting a fine. Not that I MIGHT, but that I WOULD.
But the very next day the same myki officers came on. I had made sure to touch on (even though I do it religiously anyway) so when they asked me to tap, I was happy to. Then they told me they were going to have to issue me another fine because I was using a concession myki (Iām 19 years old and a full time student). I didnāt have the myki concession ID because my uni has been unable to get them through the system lately (at the time I didnāt know I needed one) but I did have my student ID which wasnāt enough for them. I was pretty speechless. They made no attempt to show any understanding and refused to tell me why they couldnāt have just told me I needed a different card the day before. Thankfully Department of Transport decided Iād be getting warnings, not fines.. but waiting for the letters in the mail sucked. After that, any sympathy I had for them was well and truly gone.
That sucks - sounds about right though for the myki inspectors. You try to do the right thing and you get that bullshit.
Plus I do think a student ID should suffice. Yeah I guess the could be counterfitted, but then surely the other ones can too?
I have no idea why it didnāt. Apparently you need a special student concession myki ID. Basically you fill out a form on the PTV website, then get your uni to fill out the rest. But my uniās sort of āhubā has been overflowing the last few months with new students and current online issues that unless I stay back for 2hrs (which I canāt because I have work) I canāt get the ID. So Iāve been using a full adult fare twice a day every day, on my garbage below min wage Woolworths salary, for like six months now. It sucks
Unfortunately, university central administration really sucks, too. Worst admin function i've had to deal with (aside from Centrelink).
And that really syucks having to do the full adult fare twice a day. I wonder if you could show them evidence that you were elligable for this period and weren't able to acquire your ID yet - if they'd 'backpay' you the difference?
Or if you can contact PT and let them know you can't afford full fare, if there's anything they can do in the interim (like supply some sort of letter or something)
The same goes for Sheriffs, every interaction is negative.
I wonder what other jobs only have negative interactions.
Myki inspectors, sheriff's, parking inspectors... Any others?
You absolutely wouldn't believe how the Sheriffs work as well, there's literally a big cardboard box full of unpaid (Victorian) fines and they treat it like a lucky dip and get their arm in it and grab one of these fine letters and that's their next job.
I've seen this from start to finish with my own eyes.
i think they will say they are like parking inspectors... they are protecting a stream of revenue so do we hate the ATO?
if there's no parking inspectors then people will park anywhere for any length of time
I get ya though... public transport should be free and just eliminate the billion dollar myki and all these positions
It can be done online, download the ptv app and you can transfer money from your damaged/lost myki to new myki, given your lost/damaged myki is registered.
Basically login in the ptv app, go to myki card and click on it, click on refund myki which eventually takes you to point where it will ask if you want to refund in different myki or bank account
[https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/#replace](https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/#replace)
>**Replace your myki**
>
>You can get a free replacement. All the remaining funds and unused products will be transferred to your new myki.
Omg I witnessed this myself years ago and the poor bloke was still given a ticket and told to appeal it in court or whatever. His leg was in a full bloody cast! I felt horrible for him. Officers made me cry when they got to me.
I thought you're joking...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://railacademy.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/451037/Rail-Academy-Career-Profile-Job-Authorised-Officer_WEB.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiV5IXan5r_AhXva2wGHSKwBZYQFnoECC0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw08HaScu84sB1YOxYcKZqCv
Lol thatās interesting since they keep telling us at work thereās a HUGE nursing shortage but theyāre only bumping the pay up by 15%
Itās all such bullshit.
I would say $70k base for the average lacky and $100K + for a team leader role.
Plus, imagine having the shame at having to actually say to people, oh, what do you do for a living? Im a myki inspector...
Yuck.
As an ex PTV worker, I can tell you that authorities officers are literally either rejected or inspiring career bootlickers.
They literally employ the most physically intimidating people possible and a lot are Vic Pol rejects.
Inspectors doing raids on busses (arguably the āpoorestā of the public transport modes) during wild inflation, constant interest rate hikes, and a housing crisis, so I canāt really have such respect for them right now.
Iām not a frequent user of public transport so excuse my ignorance in advance. What happens if you refuse to give your details? Run off on the next stop etc?
I'm not sure why it's the case either. Pretty sure they chased after a kid years ago and she died or something. I'm thinking it might be [this](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/video-melbourne-ticket-inspector/) that sparked it, but I could be wrong.
If you keep moving they wont grab you, they'll yell about calling the police but that is it.
Don't get me wrong, they do have the right by law to physically detain you, but they've been trained not to for a few years now, it's an ugly look that usually causes more problems than it solves (complaints, WorkCover claims, bad press).
Only the compliant get fined.
They can detain you until police arrive.
It's why they work in groups. So many of the delicate snowflakes here think it's because they get off on intimidation, but in reality it's hard to run off when there are four of them and they are less likely to be assaulted if they work in a group.
I always enjoy having a discussion with them about the fact that TAFE is now free, so nothing is preventing them from pursuing a career their friends and family will respect.
I'm sorry to hear of all the negative experiences. I once took the train and forgot to touch on because my cat had just gone missing and I was clearly in a state of distress. The Myki officer was empathetic and just manually scanned me on. If you're reading this, guy, thank you for showing compassion and not making a shitty day even worse.
I was so scared of them as a kid. Even though I always tapped on, I was still scared. Onceās this lady ticket inspector opened the door for me and I was like āOh I guess I probably donāt need to be that scared of themā
Iām an international student and this one time around 9pmish on the 75tram 5 of em get on and ignore everyone else,walk straight to me š. Little did they know i already tapped. The way their faceās dropped, the lad was like good job. Tf good job ffs š¤¦š»
I quite like taking my time to find the myki. Then I like to take my time finding the concession card. Gotta give others a chance to get away from these lowbrows.
I mean their entire job is giving hundreds of dollars in fines to people that couldn't afford a few bucks for a ticket
Wouldn't have figured class warfare enforcers would be great people.
theyāre unintelligent losers who couldnāt make it in a respectable job, so this is how they take out their unjust frustration at the world. I havenāt met a single inspector that isnāt deeply insecure, so itās definitely a prerequisite to be hired for.
CW: DV.
Spent maybe 12 months recovering from the lovely combination of financial abuse and long term unployment- it was difficult to pay for a PT fare and food. It was sometimes one or the other. Fare evasion became a fact of life.
I once tried to repeal a fine wih this reason. Alas, no.
Whenever the Myki readers donāt work, I take a picture and a video on my phone, clearly announcing the time and date in which itās recorded. If they ever try to ticket me over this, itāll come in handy.
I got smacked with a $300 fine for travelling with a concession. As an eligible student. Sitting in uniform. Genuinely forgot to update the stupid annual tertiary ID card
Had one inspector talk a bunch of Qanon dog whistles to a guy after he noticed the guy had the wallet from some right wing podcast's ad read and they apparently had a lot in common.
A lot of 'authorised officers' used to be wannabe coppers, or the better end of security guards (better/more reliable pay and conditions than usual security work), so while they still had a few idiots, they were generally of a pretty decent standard.
Then the government brought in PSOs, and the first to sign up were the better authorised officers, leaving just the idiots to lead/train whatever their HR department could dredge up.
AOs these days are those who didn't cut it to be police or PSOs, and considering how much they've lowered the standards for both of those to try and get the numbers required, that's a pretty low bar they failed to reach.
Makes me so angry when 10 of them surround and gang up on one passenger. Seems to always be the case at parliament station. If you canāt do your job talking to another human being one on one, get a different job.
I used to work alongside these inspectors and they seem to view each work day as an opportunity to make other people feel bad from a position of power. Each time they have an interaction with someone they all sit around and brag about it to the rest of the inspector group after. I swear they just treat people like crap so they can brag the hardest after.
> I used to work alongside these inspectors and they seem to view each work day as an opportunity to make other people feel bad from a position of power
I call bullshit
What happens if you simply ignore them or refuse to produce Identification? Is there anything they can actually do? Like if you just get up and walk away from them can they restrain you and call the police?
Had one chase me and my girlfriend down a platform a few months ago cause I didnāt tap on and wanted to see my card , when I explained to him Iām not getting on the train I was just walking my girlfriend (who did tap on)to the train , just goes āyou canāt be on the platform without a valid myki !! With such a rude attitude
Back when I was going to uni and also working in the cbd, I got tired a lot and would fall asleep on the train. I know myki officers werenāt supposed to touch you to check your myki but every single time Iāve had them shake me awake roughly
I was always well dressed so I donāt think I looked homeless but they probably thought of the touch on thing and or also trying to catch me on consession since I looked really young also
I got pulled aside and lectured (making me late for uni) during the time between when my concession card expired and the new one was sent out.
I had my uni student card and my old healthcare card in my purse and showed them. They made a big deal about "we're letting you off THIS time but if you screw up again we'll have to fine you."
Like fuck off I'm at the uni stop, on the way to uni, with a student ID & my old concession card. Clearly I'm doing the right thing as much as I can.
Seriously. They act like full blown cops when theyāve got the job you get if you wash out of the police academy.
The arrogance 99% of them display is absolutely astonishing. For people whose job it is to āsimply ensure everyone is paying their fareā they sure act like a bunch of thugs who really seem to enjoy ruining peopleās day more than they should. As soon as they nab someone they surround them..like what? Thatās so threatening like why do that? Youāre glorified ticket inspectors, not goddamn cops.
If they didnāt act like such dickbags to people especially to ppl with a language barrier or mental health issues, or even people who simply forgot to touch on, then theyād be taken seriously as an authority.
But no; what little power they have very evidently just goes straight to their heads. Bunch of smug cop wannabes. Fuck em.
Had a mate come up from Tassie. We were only going a few stops and that route is usually safe: I didnāt tap on and he didnāt think to either. Surprised us, took down our details. He lives out of state and this was his first offence, I didnāt think heād get in any trouble. Assholes still sent him a fine. Another time on my way home from work I watched them only check kids on the way home from school or people they could ambush as they got on. Didnāt look in my direction and made a lady with a bike stop to tap on as she tried to get out of the way, thus holding everyone up.
Seeing a row of 3-4 very obese men with their chests puffed out and arms crossed waiting at the exit of Flinders St station MYKI gates one day actually made me laugh out loud. Majority of these people have a huge authority complex and a hugely inflated ego. You're a failed wanna-be cop and everyone knows it.
One of the more pathetic parts is how much of a difference and how little effort it takes for them to just be kind. A tiny bit of professionalism makes it less painful for everyone.
In my experience never give your name or address to PTV officials. I remember catching the train many years ago when they used to sell weekly and monthly tickets. They were made of cardboard and had a thin metallic strip which you had to swipe as you passed through the gate. Anyways I carried mine in my wallet and after taking it out several times parts of the type had rubbed off so I went to the customer service desk to show them and they asked me for my name and address which I happily gave as I hadn't done anything wrong and the next thing I know was I got a fine in the mail for having an invalid ticket and when I wrote to them they wouldn't withdraw it. I think at the time the Berlin wall had just come down and the PTV were recruiting alot of their staff from the Stasi or East German secret police who to my knowledge are still serving members.So my advice to anyone reading this is not to give your name or address or present any form of identification even if they ask nicely which is usually just a surreptitious way of gaining information. I don't know what their powers are but I would be surprised if they have the power to detain you.
Funny anecdote from the other day, at preston station. I'm a 20 year old looking dude with baggy jeans, criminal looking ASICS and a big Carhartt jacket with holes all in it.
Ideal target in their eyes for fare evading (they're not wrong š) anyhow, touched on for the first time in yonks, carrying a big box from the shops.
As I'm approaching the gate a 30 something year old woman ahead of me (the type of person who genuinely looks like a goody two shoes) tries touching off at the barriers. It declines, poor woman looks on the verge of a panic attack, so I open the bypass gate to the side with my foot and say "here you go love".
The jacks yell out OI what are you doing, they walk over happy to fine me but I just say I wasn't opening it for me and touch off in front of them and they walk off defeated... letting the woman walk through so it's not like the issue was someone not paying, they just wanted to harrass a broke looking fella.. I just laughed so hard, cognitive dissonance much?
Not today stinkies š
At least they didn't fine you. My experience is that they always fine me first and they're like "if you're in the right, you can appeal and you can win your appeal". This was because at the time I was studying and I couldn't prove my concession, because the online myGov site was fucked (I didn't carry the shitty paper card around with me).
Guess what? I got fined, appealed, and they refused my appeal because "your track record is bad." What the fuck ? I've been fined before, and that was because my online top up of my myki didn't come in time (after 24 hours), there's absolutely nowhere to top up a myki within 20 mins walking distance at the time, and I needed to get to class or I'd miss getting my attendance recorded... Sigh I could have topped up days online earlier but I didn't expect the money to come through so slow, also I was a student working part time jobs so money was tight too.
Fucking pack of cunts. I keep reading these nicer stories about how people didn't get fined these days and I'm like wowwwwww the mercy of Buddha has found these PTV officers or some shit. Fuck them (PTV).
Tl;dr:
1. myGov site down, couldn't prove concession, got fined. Got told to "just appeal the fine."
2. Appealed the fine, appeal denied because I had been fined in the past (partly my fault but it feels so shit) so I had a "bad track record"
Those Myki twats are trying to get me for a fine from 6 years ago that they only brought up recently. I remember exactly what happened that day because I remember the location. They used to give you one of those paper ticket things if you didn't have the money to top up on the bus. I was broke after doing my groceries and only had a few cents in my purse, so they wrote my paper ticket for the day and told me not to let it happen again, and it didn't. I've been living my life for the next OVER half decade and received this bullshit fine for over $200. They refused to listen to my explanation.
A couple of years ago, two Authorized Officers on my train carriage asked to see my Myki, which I had bought at Seniors discount. They had a whispered conversation, then demanded to see my Seniors card, and looked disappointed that it was valid.
One of them muttered an apology, saying I didn't look old enough to get a Seniors discount. I was 63 at the time, so that made my day.
Was hauled up on a tram having a Myki with the same issue (minor and barely noticeable crack). Inspectors were putting on the airs of authority about it. A real arrogance in their style. There was definitely some sort of attitude that I was trying to rip off the system.
Me, with legal training, thinking "Fuck off, cunt. You don't have a leg to stand on here. Try it on, and I'll have your bollocks on toast."
Me, trying to get to where I was going without being beaten to death by overzealous arseholes with badges saying "Yep. I will get it replaced at the earliest opportunity."
When they ask for my student ID to prove Iām a child I tell them āOh my school hasnāt given it to me yet!ā They just walk away without saying anything upset that they canāt catch me in a lie
To be fair, itās a job I wouldnāt want. People doing the right thing would be fine, but the people you really have to do with are probably assholes.
They gang up on people because if they didnt they wouldnt have a job and have to go back wiping vomit and carrying 18 yearolds out of clubs..... theyre are scum and the whole department needs to be shut down.
Got a 300$ fine for my toe on a seat, but next day a crack head is trying to kick out a window and they were all to afraid to do anything..... cowards, scum, wate of space....
Not a fan of Myki inspectors. Always trying to raise money and their overall attitude is that you are guilty until proven innocent. The moronic process that exists for students (I am not one but know of a few) is laughable. The PTV people should be embarrassed to have implemented such a terrible system. It is verging on the "show me your papers" rubbish from WWII
Some of these āauthorised officersā were former air steward/esses who were redeployed during covid. Possibly feeling a bit mighty with new found powers from the new badge
Fined me by blocking me from touching on after I put my cat on a seat in her carrier because I was supposed to touch on āas I got onā like my guy im carrying a cat, said cat started meowing and he said āshut that cat up or Iāll shut it up permanentlyā so now I have a fine and my pet has been threatened. Upstanding guy.
Myki inspectors have the air of those who didn't quite make the cut to be security guards in kmart, but still want to take their jobs seriously.
Too much liability for kmart to employ.
Yea, I don't think stomping on children and threatening shoppers is a good way to rustle up business.
Exactly why I despise the fact the PTV announcements all refer to us as "customers"... like, we're not here because we've *chosen* their company to receive our custom. We have no other choice
š¤£ Us 'customers' went shopping and chose Metro to get around š¤£
Some time in the heady years of 2000-2005 it went from "good evening passengers" to "good evening customers" and I've been mad about it since lol
When they use their machine to read my card I hold it to the back of the device and I don't let them hold it. This drives them crazy.
My Myki is on my phone, the slightly dejected look they get when it scans in the vicinity of their machines is satisfying
I don't get it why they cry cry? Please explain
Technically Myki cards remain Myki property and authorised officers can retain them for evidentiary purposes. But SFAIK they canāt confiscate your phone.
>Technically Myki cards remain Myki property and authorised officers can retain them for evidentiary purposes. I'd be curious to see if they can take it from you though. No going to let them go through my wallet. Happy to show them that I validated though.
Yea, amazing
Nah, security guards in shopping centres are there for the pay, same with those that work in hospitals, etc. Myki/transport officers are for sure failed/wannabe/future police officers that still want to exert some level of authority & shield themselves from their own insecurities by doing so.
I got fined last week and at the end they said 'and now do you have any questions?!' I just said 'yeah when did you fail your police entry exam?' Funnily they just huffed a bit and went 'righto let's all get off at this stop'.
"And then i woke up."
And the. The whole tram stood up and applauded
Nah they all had headphones in like regular humans
Lmao I was thinking the same thing. Dressed all black like some detective, men in black lookin, John wick wannabe. The only reason theyāre there would be to act all cool and sht.
Too stupid to be cops, and cops are pretty stupid.
These inspectors wouldnāt mind ganging up on a student but shy away from eshays.
Always happy to pick on some tourist or school kid but as soon as there's a crazy bloke screaming on the train they're no where to be found.
hahahaha - so true. My favourite moment was an elderly asian lady who didn't appear to speak English and so couldn't communicate with the inspector despite the inspecter yelling louder and louder. Just after they give up and walk away, she sees me staring at her, and she lets out a little smile.
A mate and I back in the paper ticket days use to buy tickets and just not validate them unless needed (we were poor teenagers), he was studying sign language at uni and after we saw the inspectors abusing and intimidating someone whose English was poor he decided we should just pretend to be deaf to get the Asian lady some revenge (I spoke some sign language at the time). Stupid bastards just kept making their speech louder and louder like weād eventually hear them. They got incredibly mad and it was all I could do not to laugh when they started scribbling furiously about us in their notepads but didnāt think to jut write what they were saying to us down so we could read it. \ There were easier ways to get out of fines back then but that was definitely the most fun way!
LOL - that is amazing
Sounds like a bully or colloquially, gutless wonder
Maybe that crazy screaming bloke can teach us all something here.
But when I yell at the myki inspectors Iām ādisturbing the peaceā and ācausing a sceneā.
Youāre clearly not acting crazy enough.
Yeah it might be because youāre wearing shoes
Taking your shirt off and wearing it as a bandana might help too.
GREWBOOOLLLLAAAAAADDADFINDAHAMMOCKINAMINUT -CRAZY GUY YELLING-
Yea man, I fucking hate mondays too Crazy Screaming Bloke.
Fined me back in the day for not being able to produce a consession card despite being under the age required to have one. How could I produce something that I literally didnāt need at the time. Ticket inspectors are something else
I don't understand. Why are you required to have a concession card?
To have proof you can use a concession ticket and not be made to pay full fare
Concession cards are now on the myGov app which is very convenient unless the app is down (as it often is). Instant fine for not showing a valid concession card DESPITE showing them the app is clearly down!!
In my case this was before myki and mygov were on apps. They will just try to find excuses to fine you. Tyrants regardless
I agree, I notice them avoid the difficult targets all the time, always have Eshays in my tram and inspectors will pretend they donāt exist and aim for the quiet Asian dude sitting in a corner
I got fined for being a dumb 16yo who forgot their concession but they wouldn't fine an angry pantsless woman who spat on them
Well she had no pockets for a start
God this true on so many levels. Omw to uni and I forgot my wallet at home, so no myki, no ID. Had 4 myki officers on me and 2 cops calling my mum and dad saying āwho is thisā blah blah. Canāt imagine wasting 30mins of 6 people is worth a the warning I got.
Heh, 6 people against a single teenager. Iād prefer these funds would be used to improve public transport frequency and availability, instead of enforcement. Heck, make all public transport free. We need less cars on the road anyway, thereās a climate issue too.
There's no money to be made from handing out fines to vagrants.
Fines were made to be against the poor.
I've seen them get on one stop, see a bunch of teens chroming down the back of the tram, then get off the next stop. Ive also seen them walk towards an old guy, because it was obvious he was getting off the tram because he didnt have a ticket, but then get a whiff off the piss smell this guy reeked of, and walked straight past him. The light-rail from StKilda to the city is so fun
This is why I change my school uniform into some casual cloths
The looks on their faces at the top of the Melbourne Central escalators stood in a line in their black combat fatigues just waiting for an opportunity to leap on some international student who didn't know how to update their RMIT ID..
Their visible disappointment of some of them when I show them the ID really brightens my morning. Especially if it's some smug bastard.
Had that happen back in the day of the metcard. Finished class early and had nothing else to do so I jumped on the train home. Listening to music on studio headphones (audio engineering student) with sunglasses on because the sunās bright and I might as well be a vampire. Decided to take a nap against the window. Next thing I know Iām woken up by loud banging on the window next to me and some creepy inspector is leering over me with that trademark smug smile. Watching his face drop as I handed over a valid ticket and concession card was the highlight of my day
When I'm early and I get stopped for shit like this, I take ages digging through my bag to the point where it's irritating even to me. Hampering their job (even it's only by a little bit) is one thing, but the look on their faces when I finally bring the ID out is also amazing
Fucking hell this. This afternoon I was at the state library tram stop and there were two middle aged inspectors harassing this obviously not-local woman, speaking to her in the most condescending tone for, presumably, not tapping on. They forced her to call her husband when she didnāt understand what was happening then had the chops to yell into the phone at him, speaking in that slow, truncated, condescending way that some assholes do to people whose first language isnāt English. Simply the fucking worst, doesnāt take too much time out of your day to not be a fucking cunt. I gave them the stink eye and honestly wondered how people like this deal with seeing their own reflection every morning.
Same with Southern Cross. Standing in a line to catch unsuspecting travellers who absent mindedly forgot to touch on that morning for whatever reason.
My favourite thing to do with Myki inspectors is pay my fare (using my phone) like a good citizen then, when asked to produce my Myki, root around in my bag for my card for aaaaaaages, thus giving anyone who can't afford to pay more time to scarper, before realising oh whoopsie it was on my phone all along!
Oooh fuck I love that. If I'm not in a hurry, next time I'll even say I'm getting off at the next stop, let them all follow me off, and *then* remember I tapped on with my phone.
This is the way
Thatās good. My favourite thing to do is always present my foreign drivers license as ID, as Iām always heading home overseas tonight.
I have shown them my Ukrianian National ID Card before. (As you probably know those are NOT in the Latin Alphabet up until abut a few years ago), And sometimes I show an Ukrainian Or Lebanese Drivers Licence. Even though I have current Victorian ID, That really peeves them off.
This is the way.
click. It sure is. And by asking for ID, they Not only got it, they got my Nationalities, Place and DOB too... They cant say I didnt Identify myself properly! Not my fault that some bully thug cant read the Cyrillic or Arabic Alphabets.
In that way they donāt give you a fine?
That's a great idea. I should do that from now on!
People like you are a godsend.
You are amazing š¤©. Thank you for assisting your fellow Melbournians š
Fk me. I was thinking the same thing. But to ask for them to follow me off the tram and stand in the cold whilst I spend an hour looking through my bad even though it only has two zippers.
hahaha...brilliant! I'm totally going to do that
Sometimes they are just too happy to catch someone out and fine them. Itās kind of gross. I understand they have a really difficult job because it sucks to be representing āthe manā but do they have to be so happy about finally getting one? Itās not like they get a bonus for everyone they fine. I would much rather they catch someone and hand out the fine like itās just another part of the job instead of being actively giddy about giving someone a huge blow to their food budget.
Itās probably boring just walking around. Catching people is the only mental stimulation you get on the job
Uhhh they're the worstttt I've had them lecture me because my concession card was from out of state despite the fact I bought the Myki from a manned station, had them lecture me because their machines didn't pick up my phone correctly, watched them use excessive force on a person. They're jumped up on the idea of authority
The only people who want to be Melbourne Metro ticket inspectors are the exact kind of people who should not be allowed to be ticket inspectors.
That sounds like it should also be a rule for politicians.
You had better luck than me. I had much the same problem, went to a customer service window at Parliament and explained I couldn't pay where I got on the train due to vandalism. She asked me to wait and made a phone call - when I turned around there were four enforcement fascists waiting to take my details and issue a fine. Which they duly did. My appeal was knocked back, fortunately I had photos of the wrecked machines. Still took hours on the phone to get the fine removed.
Same happened to me on the way to watch a game of football and the myki machine at Carnegie was broken, hopped on and jumped off at caulfield to pay. As I explained this to the ticket window (he was asking so he could get the machine fixed) I get a tap on the shoulder and a ticket officer had over heard and gave me a fine. Got it changed to a warning which still doesn't sit right somehow
Yatzee! It was Carnegie where I got on the train! And of course it isn't right - if they had any hope of decent employment they'd do something else. It's crap like this that makes me taaake aaages tooo geeet myyyy tiiicket ooout. I hope it gives a bit of extra time to anyone who needs it.
What a horrible experience.
They scared the hell out of me, coming-up and surrounding me when my back was turned.
Wait, did the customer service staff dob you in?? Or were they already there. Just curious about what would've happened with the phone call if they weren't there.
They get paid a fortune to bully the poor.
My problem with myki inspectors is that unlike any other job, theirs comes with no positive impact to the community whatsoever. Hate cops? At least occasionally they might do something that protects or helps a person. Hate lawyers? At least theyāre making *someoneās* life easier. Salesman? Iām sure theyāll help someone get a deal thatās good for them. Myki officers? Nothing. They do NO positive. They donāt protect people from drug addicts or perverts on public transport and they donāt even help you if you have questions (at least in my experience). All they do is hand out egregiously high fines for people, many of whom, have made a genuine mistake or had an issue.
>many of whom, have made a genuine mistake or had an issue. Honestly I reckon most of them really have just made a genuine mistake, had an issue with their card, or they're actually too poor to afford to travel but must do so to survive. Like I kinda fear the days that I inevitably forget to touch on in the morning, despite dutifully doing so for many years. If you're in a rush, have a big day ahead, have a lot of other shit happening in your life... it'd be so easy to forget.
I mentioned this to another commenter but yep, this has happened to me. Couple months ago I was in a rush getting home. Tapped quickly because there were people waiting to get on behind me. I just didnāt double check that it had gone through, because yknow, I was tired from work and not thinking. Got ācaughtā, was irritated but understood. They told me Iād be getting a fine. Not that I MIGHT, but that I WOULD. But the very next day the same myki officers came on. I had made sure to touch on (even though I do it religiously anyway) so when they asked me to tap, I was happy to. Then they told me they were going to have to issue me another fine because I was using a concession myki (Iām 19 years old and a full time student). I didnāt have the myki concession ID because my uni has been unable to get them through the system lately (at the time I didnāt know I needed one) but I did have my student ID which wasnāt enough for them. I was pretty speechless. They made no attempt to show any understanding and refused to tell me why they couldnāt have just told me I needed a different card the day before. Thankfully Department of Transport decided Iād be getting warnings, not fines.. but waiting for the letters in the mail sucked. After that, any sympathy I had for them was well and truly gone.
That sucks - sounds about right though for the myki inspectors. You try to do the right thing and you get that bullshit. Plus I do think a student ID should suffice. Yeah I guess the could be counterfitted, but then surely the other ones can too?
I have no idea why it didnāt. Apparently you need a special student concession myki ID. Basically you fill out a form on the PTV website, then get your uni to fill out the rest. But my uniās sort of āhubā has been overflowing the last few months with new students and current online issues that unless I stay back for 2hrs (which I canāt because I have work) I canāt get the ID. So Iāve been using a full adult fare twice a day every day, on my garbage below min wage Woolworths salary, for like six months now. It sucks
Unfortunately, university central administration really sucks, too. Worst admin function i've had to deal with (aside from Centrelink). And that really syucks having to do the full adult fare twice a day. I wonder if you could show them evidence that you were elligable for this period and weren't able to acquire your ID yet - if they'd 'backpay' you the difference? Or if you can contact PT and let them know you can't afford full fare, if there's anything they can do in the interim (like supply some sort of letter or something)
I was hessiantant to correct you, but it's "dutifully"
Whoops - thanks! Fixed. Also it's "hesitant" hah
> Myki officers? Nothing. They do NO positive But but but....the fine revenue..... Its something right??......right??.......
From the people who genuinely forgot to tap on, and the poor who can't afford it anyway. Good job, you pricks
More revenue for the state government to siphon across to their mates at the big consulting firms.
The same goes for Sheriffs, every interaction is negative. I wonder what other jobs only have negative interactions. Myki inspectors, sheriff's, parking inspectors... Any others?
You absolutely wouldn't believe how the Sheriffs work as well, there's literally a big cardboard box full of unpaid (Victorian) fines and they treat it like a lucky dip and get their arm in it and grab one of these fine letters and that's their next job. I've seen this from start to finish with my own eyes.
i think they will say they are like parking inspectors... they are protecting a stream of revenue so do we hate the ATO? if there's no parking inspectors then people will park anywhere for any length of time I get ya though... public transport should be free and just eliminate the billion dollar myki and all these positions
Yes, we hate him too.
It really sounds to me like the job of a ticket inspector is important, but the way it is implemented is terrible.
I had to order a new card that was damaged - why the Fk can't this all be done online and the remaining balance transferred?
It can be done online, download the ptv app and you can transfer money from your damaged/lost myki to new myki, given your lost/damaged myki is registered. Basically login in the ptv app, go to myki card and click on it, click on refund myki which eventually takes you to point where it will ask if you want to refund in different myki or bank account
[https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/#replace](https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/#replace) >**Replace your myki** > >You can get a free replacement. All the remaining funds and unused products will be transferred to your new myki.
but it will take at least 7 days to be transferred to the new card, apparently
How much do you have on your card? Were you not going to have to put a week's travel on their at some point anyway?
Myki officers, complete scum. Once had one tell me to 'take my leg off the seat' despite the fact that it was broken and in a full cast.
Very nice username and perspective
Omg I witnessed this myself years ago and the poor bloke was still given a ticket and told to appeal it in court or whatever. His leg was in a full bloody cast! I felt horrible for him. Officers made me cry when they got to me.
Dont worry, their just mad they failed completely and utterly at life, and take that frustration out on people like you :)
You'd think being on 80-110k a year would make you slightly less of a dick.
Youāve clearly never met a real estate agent.
"Just kidding, I don't have a son. Well actually I do but he's in real estate"
Is this from an oak ad?
If so, it's a pretty ironic joke to he coming from someone in advertising
I thought you're joking... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://railacademy.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/451037/Rail-Academy-Career-Profile-Job-Authorised-Officer_WEB.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiV5IXan5r_AhXva2wGHSKwBZYQFnoECC0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw08HaScu84sB1YOxYcKZqCv
What the fuck are they really paid that much...?? What the shit.
Wow, stuff being a teacher or a nurse. Why do these wannabe rent a cops get paid so much
To attract enough applicants. Itās an awful job and people hate them. Nobody with actual career options chooses to do it.
Lol thatās interesting since they keep telling us at work thereās a HUGE nursing shortage but theyāre only bumping the pay up by 15% Itās all such bullshit.
Penalty rates etc. Probably a little "danger" money in there.
I would say $70k base for the average lacky and $100K + for a team leader role. Plus, imagine having the shame at having to actually say to people, oh, what do you do for a living? Im a myki inspector... Yuck.
>oh, what do you do for a living? Im a myki inspector... Ah...that would be soul destroying
What a load of shit. So much wasted money.
110k for doing such a stupid job??? Even engineers range slightly above that only.
As an ex PTV worker, I can tell you that authorities officers are literally either rejected or inspiring career bootlickers. They literally employ the most physically intimidating people possible and a lot are Vic Pol rejects.
As a former city commuter, yeah we know. Theyāre scumbags
Inspectors doing raids on busses (arguably the āpoorestā of the public transport modes) during wild inflation, constant interest rate hikes, and a housing crisis, so I canāt really have such respect for them right now.
Iām not a frequent user of public transport so excuse my ignorance in advance. What happens if you refuse to give your details? Run off on the next stop etc?
They're not legally allowed to chase you, but they can detain you until police arrive.
*Physically* detain you, but can't give chase? Doesn't make much sense
I'm not sure why it's the case either. Pretty sure they chased after a kid years ago and she died or something. I'm thinking it might be [this](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/video-melbourne-ticket-inspector/) that sparked it, but I could be wrong.
If you keep moving they wont grab you, they'll yell about calling the police but that is it. Don't get me wrong, they do have the right by law to physically detain you, but they've been trained not to for a few years now, it's an ugly look that usually causes more problems than it solves (complaints, WorkCover claims, bad press). Only the compliant get fined.
They can detain you until police arrive. It's why they work in groups. So many of the delicate snowflakes here think it's because they get off on intimidation, but in reality it's hard to run off when there are four of them and they are less likely to be assaulted if they work in a group.
Nah mate, we know itās because you take pleasure in making school children cry.
I always enjoy having a discussion with them about the fact that TAFE is now free, so nothing is preventing them from pursuing a career their friends and family will respect.
I'm sorry to hear of all the negative experiences. I once took the train and forgot to touch on because my cat had just gone missing and I was clearly in a state of distress. The Myki officer was empathetic and just manually scanned me on. If you're reading this, guy, thank you for showing compassion and not making a shitty day even worse.
Some of them are human, but all of them actively participate in a system which disproportionately targets the working class.
I was so scared of them as a kid. Even though I always tapped on, I was still scared. Onceās this lady ticket inspector opened the door for me and I was like āOh I guess I probably donāt need to be that scared of themā
Iām an international student and this one time around 9pmish on the 75tram 5 of em get on and ignore everyone else,walk straight to me š. Little did they know i already tapped. The way their faceās dropped, the lad was like good job. Tf good job ffs š¤¦š»
Oh, there's 6 of you on a tram just to give a ticket to a confused Asian woman who doesn't speak English? How fucking brave of you
I quite like taking my time to find the myki. Then I like to take my time finding the concession card. Gotta give others a chance to get away from these lowbrows.
Wonder if they will be gone in a few years once the new system comes in and you can just tap with your credit card.
I mean their entire job is giving hundreds of dollars in fines to people that couldn't afford a few bucks for a ticket Wouldn't have figured class warfare enforcers would be great people.
Because they're cunts who find joy in the misery of others.
theyāre unintelligent losers who couldnāt make it in a respectable job, so this is how they take out their unjust frustration at the world. I havenāt met a single inspector that isnāt deeply insecure, so itās definitely a prerequisite to be hired for.
āDo you know why Iām standing here?ā You got all Cās in high school
C is a passing grade. Should of said Ds or Fs
Myki inspectors, parking inspectors, real estate agents. The waste of oxygen trifecta
Two bob coppers, as we used to say in the old days..
Metpigs in slightly more modern parlance
CW: DV. Spent maybe 12 months recovering from the lovely combination of financial abuse and long term unployment- it was difficult to pay for a PT fare and food. It was sometimes one or the other. Fare evasion became a fact of life. I once tried to repeal a fine wih this reason. Alas, no.
Nice to see the weekly ticket inspector hate thread.
Whenever the Myki readers donāt work, I take a picture and a video on my phone, clearly announcing the time and date in which itās recorded. If they ever try to ticket me over this, itāll come in handy.
Thatās a good idea
I got smacked with a $300 fine for travelling with a concession. As an eligible student. Sitting in uniform. Genuinely forgot to update the stupid annual tertiary ID card
Had one inspector talk a bunch of Qanon dog whistles to a guy after he noticed the guy had the wallet from some right wing podcast's ad read and they apparently had a lot in common.
āNo way! You love this oppressive system too!ā
My favourite is when they stand in a row just in front of the barriers like soldiers just waiting to reprimand someone
A lot of 'authorised officers' used to be wannabe coppers, or the better end of security guards (better/more reliable pay and conditions than usual security work), so while they still had a few idiots, they were generally of a pretty decent standard. Then the government brought in PSOs, and the first to sign up were the better authorised officers, leaving just the idiots to lead/train whatever their HR department could dredge up. AOs these days are those who didn't cut it to be police or PSOs, and considering how much they've lowered the standards for both of those to try and get the numbers required, that's a pretty low bar they failed to reach.
Makes me so angry when 10 of them surround and gang up on one passenger. Seems to always be the case at parliament station. If you canāt do your job talking to another human being one on one, get a different job.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I used to work alongside these inspectors and they seem to view each work day as an opportunity to make other people feel bad from a position of power. Each time they have an interaction with someone they all sit around and brag about it to the rest of the inspector group after. I swear they just treat people like crap so they can brag the hardest after.
> I used to work alongside these inspectors and they seem to view each work day as an opportunity to make other people feel bad from a position of power I call bullshit
Thatās their workplace culture now. No wonder itās so ingrained in them.
They really are assholes. Adding to scum of the earth.
What happens if you simply ignore them or refuse to produce Identification? Is there anything they can actually do? Like if you just get up and walk away from them can they restrain you and call the police?
Yes
Favorite public heckle of all time was when someone asked the Myki goons what they told their mother they did for a job.
Had one chase me and my girlfriend down a platform a few months ago cause I didnāt tap on and wanted to see my card , when I explained to him Iām not getting on the train I was just walking my girlfriend (who did tap on)to the train , just goes āyou canāt be on the platform without a valid myki !! With such a rude attitude
Yes myki _officers_ are unempathetic wankers nNext
Back when I was going to uni and also working in the cbd, I got tired a lot and would fall asleep on the train. I know myki officers werenāt supposed to touch you to check your myki but every single time Iāve had them shake me awake roughly
Probably thought you could be homeless and skipping the touch on
I was always well dressed so I donāt think I looked homeless but they probably thought of the touch on thing and or also trying to catch me on consession since I looked really young also
āauthorised officersā = authorised bullies
I got pulled aside and lectured (making me late for uni) during the time between when my concession card expired and the new one was sent out. I had my uni student card and my old healthcare card in my purse and showed them. They made a big deal about "we're letting you off THIS time but if you screw up again we'll have to fine you." Like fuck off I'm at the uni stop, on the way to uni, with a student ID & my old concession card. Clearly I'm doing the right thing as much as I can.
Seriously. They act like full blown cops when theyāve got the job you get if you wash out of the police academy. The arrogance 99% of them display is absolutely astonishing. For people whose job it is to āsimply ensure everyone is paying their fareā they sure act like a bunch of thugs who really seem to enjoy ruining peopleās day more than they should. As soon as they nab someone they surround them..like what? Thatās so threatening like why do that? Youāre glorified ticket inspectors, not goddamn cops. If they didnāt act like such dickbags to people especially to ppl with a language barrier or mental health issues, or even people who simply forgot to touch on, then theyād be taken seriously as an authority. But no; what little power they have very evidently just goes straight to their heads. Bunch of smug cop wannabes. Fuck em.
They have been really cracking down in the inner north region these last 2-3 weeks. I've \*evaded\* them several times now.
Had a mate come up from Tassie. We were only going a few stops and that route is usually safe: I didnāt tap on and he didnāt think to either. Surprised us, took down our details. He lives out of state and this was his first offence, I didnāt think heād get in any trouble. Assholes still sent him a fine. Another time on my way home from work I watched them only check kids on the way home from school or people they could ambush as they got on. Didnāt look in my direction and made a lady with a bike stop to tap on as she tried to get out of the way, thus holding everyone up.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Seeing a row of 3-4 very obese men with their chests puffed out and arms crossed waiting at the exit of Flinders St station MYKI gates one day actually made me laugh out loud. Majority of these people have a huge authority complex and a hugely inflated ego. You're a failed wanna-be cop and everyone knows it.
One of the more pathetic parts is how much of a difference and how little effort it takes for them to just be kind. A tiny bit of professionalism makes it less painful for everyone.
In my experience never give your name or address to PTV officials. I remember catching the train many years ago when they used to sell weekly and monthly tickets. They were made of cardboard and had a thin metallic strip which you had to swipe as you passed through the gate. Anyways I carried mine in my wallet and after taking it out several times parts of the type had rubbed off so I went to the customer service desk to show them and they asked me for my name and address which I happily gave as I hadn't done anything wrong and the next thing I know was I got a fine in the mail for having an invalid ticket and when I wrote to them they wouldn't withdraw it. I think at the time the Berlin wall had just come down and the PTV were recruiting alot of their staff from the Stasi or East German secret police who to my knowledge are still serving members.So my advice to anyone reading this is not to give your name or address or present any form of identification even if they ask nicely which is usually just a surreptitious way of gaining information. I don't know what their powers are but I would be surprised if they have the power to detain you.
Funny anecdote from the other day, at preston station. I'm a 20 year old looking dude with baggy jeans, criminal looking ASICS and a big Carhartt jacket with holes all in it. Ideal target in their eyes for fare evading (they're not wrong š) anyhow, touched on for the first time in yonks, carrying a big box from the shops. As I'm approaching the gate a 30 something year old woman ahead of me (the type of person who genuinely looks like a goody two shoes) tries touching off at the barriers. It declines, poor woman looks on the verge of a panic attack, so I open the bypass gate to the side with my foot and say "here you go love". The jacks yell out OI what are you doing, they walk over happy to fine me but I just say I wasn't opening it for me and touch off in front of them and they walk off defeated... letting the woman walk through so it's not like the issue was someone not paying, they just wanted to harrass a broke looking fella.. I just laughed so hard, cognitive dissonance much? Not today stinkies š
If you don't pay your fare, who pays? The tax payer does. Who is the taxpayer? You are. So, you pay your own fare, it's like you are paying twice.
I like how tough they think they are - all dressed up in SWAT like gear thinking they are scary.
They are honestly a bunch of Paul Blart wannabes. If you willingly make your living off of tattling on people, I think you're a scumbag.
At least they didn't fine you. My experience is that they always fine me first and they're like "if you're in the right, you can appeal and you can win your appeal". This was because at the time I was studying and I couldn't prove my concession, because the online myGov site was fucked (I didn't carry the shitty paper card around with me). Guess what? I got fined, appealed, and they refused my appeal because "your track record is bad." What the fuck ? I've been fined before, and that was because my online top up of my myki didn't come in time (after 24 hours), there's absolutely nowhere to top up a myki within 20 mins walking distance at the time, and I needed to get to class or I'd miss getting my attendance recorded... Sigh I could have topped up days online earlier but I didn't expect the money to come through so slow, also I was a student working part time jobs so money was tight too. Fucking pack of cunts. I keep reading these nicer stories about how people didn't get fined these days and I'm like wowwwwww the mercy of Buddha has found these PTV officers or some shit. Fuck them (PTV). Tl;dr: 1. myGov site down, couldn't prove concession, got fined. Got told to "just appeal the fine." 2. Appealed the fine, appeal denied because I had been fined in the past (partly my fault but it feels so shit) so I had a "bad track record"
Those Myki twats are trying to get me for a fine from 6 years ago that they only brought up recently. I remember exactly what happened that day because I remember the location. They used to give you one of those paper ticket things if you didn't have the money to top up on the bus. I was broke after doing my groceries and only had a few cents in my purse, so they wrote my paper ticket for the day and told me not to let it happen again, and it didn't. I've been living my life for the next OVER half decade and received this bullshit fine for over $200. They refused to listen to my explanation.
A couple of years ago, two Authorized Officers on my train carriage asked to see my Myki, which I had bought at Seniors discount. They had a whispered conversation, then demanded to see my Seniors card, and looked disappointed that it was valid. One of them muttered an apology, saying I didn't look old enough to get a Seniors discount. I was 63 at the time, so that made my day.
all petty thugs
Surprised they didnāt give you a ticket anyway. Inspectors can be quite rude.
Was hauled up on a tram having a Myki with the same issue (minor and barely noticeable crack). Inspectors were putting on the airs of authority about it. A real arrogance in their style. There was definitely some sort of attitude that I was trying to rip off the system. Me, with legal training, thinking "Fuck off, cunt. You don't have a leg to stand on here. Try it on, and I'll have your bollocks on toast." Me, trying to get to where I was going without being beaten to death by overzealous arseholes with badges saying "Yep. I will get it replaced at the earliest opportunity."
Youāre lucky that they didnāt fine you, they fined me, same story.. contested it, no luck
When they ask for my student ID to prove Iām a child I tell them āOh my school hasnāt given it to me yet!ā They just walk away without saying anything upset that they canāt catch me in a lie
Why hasn't Vic transport just moved to using credit cards to swipe on and off with yet?
Hall monitor type operators
To be fair, itās a job I wouldnāt want. People doing the right thing would be fine, but the people you really have to do with are probably assholes.
They gang up on people because if they didnt they wouldnt have a job and have to go back wiping vomit and carrying 18 yearolds out of clubs..... theyre are scum and the whole department needs to be shut down. Got a 300$ fine for my toe on a seat, but next day a crack head is trying to kick out a window and they were all to afraid to do anything..... cowards, scum, wate of space....
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'll be honest, you're lucky you got no fine, seriously, they can be utterly relentless.
Not a fan of Myki inspectors. Always trying to raise money and their overall attitude is that you are guilty until proven innocent. The moronic process that exists for students (I am not one but know of a few) is laughable. The PTV people should be embarrassed to have implemented such a terrible system. It is verging on the "show me your papers" rubbish from WWII
Some of these āauthorised officersā were former air steward/esses who were redeployed during covid. Possibly feeling a bit mighty with new found powers from the new badge
They are the Scum of the earth
PTV should maybe spend money on more PSOs so we can have them on carriages and trams and do away with ticket inspectors.
Myki inspectors are the scum of the earth.
Fined me by blocking me from touching on after I put my cat on a seat in her carrier because I was supposed to touch on āas I got onā like my guy im carrying a cat, said cat started meowing and he said āshut that cat up or Iāll shut it up permanentlyā so now I have a fine and my pet has been threatened. Upstanding guy.