As a preface to this I should mention that I always pay for luas tickets, even if I'm only going one stop. I like to support it because hey, at least it's not Dublin Bus.
This morning, I push my hard earned change into the luas machine and snatched the resultant piece of cardboard as I turned to force my way into the grimacing throng. So far so normal, just another day where my route to work is dicated by the pulsing pain from my sprained ankle.
I near my destination, one stop away from Spencer dock and I spot a ticket inspector. The first one I'd seen in over a week of using the service, fine, I thought and slipped the ticket from my wallet.
Only it wasn't a ticket. The damn ticket machine had decided to dispense a previous customers debit card receipt instead of a valid ticket. Deaf to my protests the inspector took my details and slapped a 45e fine on me. "You can appeal." He said to shut me up.
Well, I was going to appeal but isn't it funny that while I can go online and pay the ticket in moments completely painlessly appealing requires that I purchase an ENVELOPE and other paraphernalia and do everything in writing. It's messed up. That combined with a countdown where the fine doubles in a number of days! Well, let's just say I coughed up the cash.
It was an honest mistake which wouldn't have happened if their machine hadn't messed up but they took my money all the same. Thankfully 45e is not the end of the world for me but for many I could see being treated like this would be a big deal.
Allow people to appeal online at least! I can't wait to going back to walking 45 minutes to work every morning instead of using Irish public transportation.
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