Money Moral Dilemma: Should I report my fare-dodging colleague?

A question about : Money Moral Dilemma: Should I report my fare-dodging colleague?

This week's dilemma:

I work with someone who's bragging about dodging the fare on their train to work in the morning. He thinks it's very clever, but some of us are getting irritated - after all, we pay our way, why shouldn't he? A couple of us are tempted to report him anonymously - should we?

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Best answers:

• Report him to who? The conductor? Right in front of him, presuming you travel together? He won't get away with it forever, he will be caught without a ticket one day.
• This might not be the correct answer but personally I would not want to get involved, it would create a very awkward atmosphere at work if he suspects it was you. Karma will catch up with him eventually anyway. He is shooting himself in the foot by bragging about this at work, it will get back to management, who won't want a thief working for them.
• Something to note - unless you buy a ticket in advance it's a legal requirement to buy a ticket at the first opportunity when you arrive at the station to travel. Only if there are no ticket selling facilities available are you permitted to board a train without a ticket (unless staff advise you otherwise.) So if you board the train and lie to the rail staff on board about the ticket machine at the station not working and then buy the correct ticket from the rail staff on board you've actually committed a criminal offence even though you paid for a ticket.
• Life's too short to play the moral policeman in your colleagues' lives. It's not really good form to commit fraud (nor to brag about it), but if you're the kind of person to get so worked up over such petty matters that you feel the need to intervene... Well... Life is just going to drive you crazy in the end. There is plenty of injustice in the world, and too many dishonest people for you to take on. Taking "revenge" against one person's immoral actions isn't going to do much but raise your stress levels (and potentially make life awkward at work if he discovers that you have "grassed him up").
  The best thing to do is simply to express what you feel -- that you're not impressed, that he's making a fool of himself by boasting of his crime, that you don't approve, and simply aren't interested in hearing about how clever he thinks he is. Maybe not quite in those words.
  Breathe in... breathe out... :-)
• I personally wouldn't bother. If he wants to travel without a ticket and take the risk of being caught that's entirely up to him, as it is entirely your choice to purchase a ticket.
• Yes, you should report him anonymously IF you can resist letting on to others you have done so. He is not being clever; he is stealing and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.
  Yes, as it has been said, if the subject comes up, say you think it is wrong but protect yourself too.
  ''All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.''
• Yes, go on, if it's anonymous, why not?, see what happens. It'll be good fun
• Blackmail them into paying half your fare.
  Yes. I'm joking.
• Find out how he does it then do it yourself. If you get caught give them his name and address instead of your own.
• Of course you should! I have reported people in the past and I will always do so in the future. Not only that, but if I see ANYONE dodging their fare I make sure that they are caught, whether I know them or not.
• First of, why are you listening to this bragging, and staying quiet! Tell him he is being dishonest! If you can't do that, walk away when he starts his story, telling him that if you hear it again you MAY just have to contact the authorities - that might stop him!! However, he'll get his comeuppance one of these days - dishonesty never pays, and he will be caught at some point.
• What if the station he boards has not ticket machine and neither does the one he gets off at? Do you expect him to actively find the conductor to pay him? Surely not. I have gone to work on the odd occasion in a similar circumstance. ...
• I wouldn't report him but I would challenge him in the office that if he thinking stealing is acceptable that's up to him.
  Stay away from such people.
  We had someone at my workplace who bragged about committing an act of fraud and over a period of time they shot themselves in the foot.
  Eventually these people hang themselves.
  Stay out of it and remain an honest citizen yourself.
• If you reported him I think I would think less of you than him. Avoiding paying for a train ticket is something I would never do but if people want to take that risk then be it on their heads. I really don't understand why you are annoyed? It doesn't bother me when I see it happen, it's almost like you're jealous you don't do it yourself
• I recall someone on my daily commute bragging about a similar thing, and he had in fact been fined on a number of occasions.
  The reality was that the fines didn't amount up to the same value of his fare (he got challenged maybe once or twice a month) so there was no incentive to stop. By all means feel free to report him but I doubt it'll change his behaviour.
• Bragging about criminal conduct is very unlovely.
  I might go as far as to ask at my station if the enforcement folks are due along soon (conductors are an endangered species it seems, but fare compliance enforcement folks are outsiders working in pairs, if I recall correctly). That way you have you concern gently placed before the proper authorities without any names or pack drill, but after that I'd leave it be & if he mouths off, just wander off.
  After all, he might be lying & be in possession of a ticket - but can't resist winding folk up.
• Quite frankly,mind your own business and get on with your life! If you really do feel duty bound to report him,tell him that's what you intend to do.