In message , at 10:51:51 on Sat, 6 Jun
2015, Clive Page remarked:
Perhaps
the time has arrived for all grippers to use properly coded grips, as some
continental countries do, and for a claim to only be accepted on production
of an appropriately marked ticket? Season ticket holders would have to be
given some sort of voucher on the train.

But there are vast numbers of routes where there are rarely any
on-train ticket checks and nothing but ticket barriers at each end.
How then to get proof of which train you took?

Also many unbarriered stations (even big ones like New Street), plus
those where the barriers are frequently left open (like Kings Cross)
even when it's not late in the evening [barrier lines have to be manned,
and not many are manned very far into the evening].

Also (and slight thread convergence here) places where you can change
from tube to National Rail without going through a barrier. I did that
at Finsbury Park this week - no barriers on that NR platform, and no
tube barriers for the big spiral stairs.
--
Roland Perry