The Big Man

The mainstream media is reporting that the 'big man' who threw a student off a Scotrail train because he did not have a valid ticket is to be charged with assault! Is this not just typical of our justice system?


Here we had a young man defying the ticket inspector, using abusive language and delaying everyone else. The big man in question, Alan Pollock, is actually seen asking the ticket inspector if he wants the lad off the train. The official answers in the affirmative and the rest is history.


In hindsight it could have been handled better and I'm sure that we all know that. The ticket inspector should not have delayed the train. There must be less confrontational approaches to fare dodgers than the one that he used. The student should not have used bad language in public (surely an offence) and I believe if he had been apologetic and reasonable then his name and address would have been sufficient.


The 'big man' asked the ticket inspector if he required assistance so what did he do wrong? He had been given authority to remove the offender. Other passengers applauded his action. I think that he was offended by the language and attitude of the student who only had himself to blame. When will our legal system learn common sense? Of course it will now get controversial and expensive and only the lawyers will win.