Whatever happened to the Ticket Inspector?

Despite the fact that I have never travelled without paying the fare, I always feel guilty and defensive at the sight of Thameslink's revenue protection people. Tonight they were waiting at the entrance to St P platform 12. Their brusque manner always manages to convince me that they really think that all passengers are potential criminals, and guilty unless proven – beyond all possible doubt – to be innocent.

I think that part of the problem is just the name ‘Revenue Protection’. In the old days, we had ‘ticket inspectors’: friendly people whose job it ways to stamp our ticket, and ensure that any difficulties (eg with the wrong ticket) were cleared up quickly and amicably. ‘Revenue Protection’ makes me think of the taxman, excise and Customs, all wrapped up in one. I feel the same way walking through the green 'nothing to declare' channel at airports.

This does nothing for my sense of being a valued Thameslink customer. I’ve only been commuting to ten or the last fourteen years from St Albans, and I feel variously treated as a four year old, then as a criminal. I always arrive stressed, angry, tired or late (or some combination of these), and when I think of how much money I pay Thameslink every year in order to be treated like this, I can’t help but feel the way I do.

So how about bringing back a few old-fashioned courtesies, and remembering who it is that pays for Thameslink.