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All tickets ready please


Towards the end of the 1930's and beginning of the 1940's, my brother Donald and I enjoyed many train journeys, from Edinburgh to the Blair Athol or Cairngorm areas.

When arriving at Perth, we noted that there was a slight delay, while the Glasgow train arrived, and it's coaches coupled to the rear of our train.

Some of the Glasgow passengers would then look into the Edinburgh section to see if there was more room, the passengers having wished and alighted in Perth.

In due time the train left Perth for the north.

With the foregoing in mind we heard a story about a group of eight young students from Glasgow, heading north for a weekend hill walking.

When walking along the Perth platform, looking for an empty compartment, one of the students, unknown to himself, dropped his rail ticket.

One of the other students, picking up the ticket and with one finger over his lips, indicating the others had to say nothing about the dropped ticket.

As the train approached Pitlochry, a voice could be heard from the corridor, “All tickets ready please". Yes it was the ticket inspector.

The students brought out their tickets, except the one who had dropped his one. Muttering in a bit of a panic, he said to his fellow students, you can all vouch for me that I did have a ticket.

The other students said that the inspector would probably not accept that, and would insist on full payment.

The student who found the ticket suggested that his friend hides himself under the seat, but this was rejected... well until the voice could be heard getting nearer "All tickets ready please"

It was too much and the unfortunate student succumbed, and struggled to get under the seat. His friends used jackets and small haversacks, to hide the parts still showing.

At this point the one with the found ticket collected the others from his companions, and it was just moments later that the compartment door slid open and the voice "All tickets ready please".

The tickets were then handed to the inspector who said, "There are eight tickets, and only seven of you"... to which a jacket was moved to show the face of the one under the seat, and the reply given was, "Oh our friend prefers to travel this way".

Giving a knowing smile the inspector slide the door closed and was again heard to say "All tickets ready please".

I never did hear what happened next in the compartment with the students.

Good clean fun....

Ranald



 


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