Lauren in tears over tram ordeal

A TEENAGE girl was thrown off a tram and fined £100 because she hadn’t bought a ticket.

Lauren Dale, of Burnley Lane, Chadderton, was travelling home from work in Manchester to Oldham Mumps at 9.40pm.

When she told a conductor she didn’t have a ticket as she thought she could buy one on the tram, he told her to get off at Monsall and demanded a £50 fine.

She told him she didn’t have £50 on her so he handed her a ticket for a £100 fine to be paid within 21 days.

Lauren complained to Metrolink and explained it was a genuine mistake. The fine has since been rescinded — but the incident has left the 18-year-old shaken.

Her mum Barbara Dale said: “Lauren thought the tram would be safer than the bus late at night. But it’s not safe when you get thrown off at that time in an area you don’t know.

“She wasn’t trying to pull a fast one. She genuinely thought you could buy a ticket on the tram. They treated her really harshly.

“She was in floods of tears when she eventually got home. I was disgusted with the way my daughter was treated.”

Susan Wildman, Transport for Greater Manchester’s communications and customer services director, said she was sorry for any distress caused.

She said Lauren’s fine had been cancelled because Oldhamers are still getting used to the system — but pointed out that many signs remind passengers they must buy a ticket before boarding.


READ the full version of this story only in our print and eChron editions

Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle