百万英镑的故事
黄燕 | 2008年04月25日,03:57
《百万英镑》在伦敦的最新情形再现！只不过，这一回，百万富翁不是因为票子太大，而是……根本没带票子！
我检索到Daily Mail的网络版报道，有15个跟帖，无一例外地对此表示不满，对这位前首相涉嫌"搞特殊化"不买账：
网友A：一般人出现这种情况，肯定要被罚款或拘留了。规则面前，人不平等。
网友B：什么人去美国还不带钱包？他以为他是谁啊？
网友C：就在不久前，一个年轻女孩因为坐车时用了一张余额不足的Travelcard（交通卡），还被留下一个犯罪记录，凭什么布莱尔就能逃过一劫？
网友D：能告诉我们那个查票员的名字吗？我也想要他拒绝我买票哩。
网友E：他（布莱尔）要是没钱，就应该以游民论处！
网友F：找出那个查票员，开掉他！
......
看起来，前首相放下身段搭公交出行并未感动英国人以及一些外国人（留言网友有标称来自美国、土耳其、保加利亚、巴哈林和西班牙的），反而"因故"免票而惹出麻烦，以至于他的发言人要出面作出解释。
谁让他是前首相、一位政客呢？
来英国半年多，我没逃过票，却免费坐过几次车：第一次是刚来不久，自己没数儿，没注意到Oyster Card（地铁、公车一卡通）余额不足，早上急急忙忙出门送孩子去学校，上车拍卡不应，这才发现问题。当时，司机已经开车出了站，我不能跟司机说话，又担心被他误认为不想买票，便一直站在旁边，等到了站，立即向他道歉：对不起，不知道卡里没钱了。同时，递上20镑钱要补票。没想到，司机大咧咧地摆摆手，不要我买票，就让我们下车了。
后来，又遇到两次上车拍卡不应的情况，可明明卡里的钱是足够的啊。我正纳闷呢，司机说话了：读卡器坏了，别管它了。于是，大家都乐呵呵地白坐一趟公车。
当然，我也赶上过"公事公办"的时候。一次，的确又是我的卡余额不足，于是老老实实交给司机2镑钱（拍卡只需0.9镑），自此也长了个记性，随时给卡充值，确保出行畅通。
最不可思议的一次是，我上车拍卡，读卡器显示有错误，再拍一遍，还是一样。我很不解，前面的人拍卡不是好好的吗？怎么到我这儿就不行了呢？司机也没给我什么解释，只是示意我上车。
听到在我后面上车的人"滴-"的一声拍卡成功，我更感费解了。
这个谜一直没解开，直到一两天之后，我在写字台抽屉里找东西，忽然看到自己那张蓝色的Oyster Card就躺在里面。天哪，敢情那天我在公车上"面不改色心不跳"拍的，都是些乱七八糟的信用卡、借记卡、学生卡、超市积分卡什么的，根本就没交通卡！
幸运的是，没有谁因此揪着我不放，呵呵。
看来，在英国，做个草根儿，还是比较自在的。至于做官嘛，就不见得啦。
售票员特别免票避免尴尬
富翁布莱尔坐了“霸王车”
英国前首相托尼·布莱尔乘坐专线列车前往机场途中，发现身上既没带钱，也没带银行卡。好在售票员网开一面，为他特别免票，避免了尴尬。
面子虽保住，但英国媒体毫不客气地给“有钱人”布莱尔扣上“逃票”的帽子。
坐进头等车厢才发现没钱
英国《每日邮报》23日报道此事时先讽刺说，布莱尔去年6月离任以来，通过演讲等方式，大约有50万英镑（约合100万美元）入账，因此可以认为他绝对“买得起”24．5英镑一张的头等厢车票。
不幸的是，布莱尔21日乘“希思罗快车”前往伦敦希思罗机场，准备远赴美国发表演讲时，身上既没带钱，也没带卡。
“希思罗快车”允许乘客先上车后买票。布莱尔走进头等车厢后，售票员上前售票。《每日邮报》写道，“布莱尔发现，助手前一天晚上给他准备的车票钱已不在口袋里”。
随行一名保镖见状欲替布莱尔埋单解围。“好心的”售票员说，没必要那么做，布莱尔可以免票。
就这样，布莱尔未付分文，一刻钟后抵达机场。
像女王般不带钱？
布莱尔的一名发言人事后辩解说，车票免单这件事上，布莱尔没有过错。
“买票遭拒，”这名发言人说，“售票员当时说，‘不，不用为票担心’。布莱尔当时愿意买票，事实上现在仍愿意买票。”
《每日邮报》说，布莱尔的发言人没有说明，布莱尔是否像英国女王一样，出门身上从不带钱。
“希思罗快车”的老板似乎不清楚免票事件的来龙去脉。起初，公司一名发言人说，布莱尔乘坐的是9时40分的车，一名助手在车上为他买了票，“布莱尔先生是贵客。我们欢迎所有前首相乘坐‘希思罗快车’。不幸的是，我们不向他们提供特别折扣”。
但得知布莱尔并没买票后，这名发言人说，公司方面正在联系当事男售票员，向他了解情况。“我们的经营策略是，无论什么身份，人人都得买票乘车。如果售票员的确没收票款，我们将展开调查，”他说。
事实上，布莱尔与“希思罗快车”颇有渊源。1998年，布莱尔和时任副首相约翰·普雷斯科特启动了“希思罗快车”。
免费“特权”激怒乘客
“希思罗快车”提供预售票服务。提前买票的一些乘客告诉《每日邮报》，布莱尔免费乘车让他们感到愤怒。
33岁的萨拉·塔克准备经希思罗机场返回美国。她说：“他（布莱尔）应该与其他人享受同等待遇。车票花了我15．50英镑，乘车时间仅为15分钟……如果他主动买票，那么售票员本应该收下票款。”
“他没有像其他有钱人那样坐出租车，我感到惊讶，”另外一名女乘客说，“这看起来不公平。我认为回头应该把车票账单寄给他。”
Where's his Blairfare? How our millionaire former prime minister got a free train ride after boarding without cash or cards
Last updated at 09:51am on 23rd April 2008
Comments (15)Since leaving Number Ten, Tony Blair has earned £500,000 on the speaking circuit as well as racking up consultancy positions worth millions of pounds.
So you would expect him to have enough money for a £24.50 train fare.
Yet when a ticket inspector asked him to pay up on the Heathrow Express the former prime minister was forced to admit he had no cash or cards.
Gravy train: Tony Blair with former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the Atlantic Council Awards dinner in Washington DC on Monday evening
Astonishingly, however, the first class fare was waived and Mr Blair had the 15-minute journey for free.
His embarrassment came on Monday on his way to catch a plane to make a speech in the U.S.
He apparently discovered that the money an aide had given him the night before was no longer in his pocket.
According to Mr Blair's spokesman, a member of his security team offered to pay for him before the inspector insisted it was not necessary.
Passengers can buy Heathrow Express tickets in advance or on the train.
Travellers using the service yesterday said they were outraged that Mr Blair had been given a free ride.
Sarah Tucker, 33, who was returning from a trip to the U.S., said: "He should be treated the same as everyone else.
"It cost me £15.50 for a regular single fare and it only took 15 minutes.
"If he offered to pay then they really should have taken the money."
Another woman traveller said: "I'm surprised he didn't get a taxi like all the other rich people.
"It doesn't seem fair and I think he should be sent the bill."
Mr Blair's spokesman said the former premier was not at fault for the unpaid fare.
"Payment was offered and was refused," he added.
"The ticket inspector said, "No, don't worry about it". He would have been happy to pay and in fact still is happy to pay."
The spokesman was not however able to resolve whether Mr Blair, like the Queen, carries no cash.
Bosses at Heathrow Express were unclear about how Monday's incident unfolded.
At first a spokesman said Mr Blair had taken the 9.40am train and that an aide had purchased a ticket for him on board.
"Mr Blair is a valued customer and we welcome all former prime ministers on Heathrow Express.
"Unfortunately, we don't offer them special discounts," he said.
Confronted with evidence that no ticket had in fact been bought, the spokesman said attempts were being made to contact the inspector for his version of events.
The spokesman added: "Our policy is that everyone pays regardless of who they are.
"If it turns out that payment was not taken we will investigate."
As well as being a Middle East envoy, Mr Blair has landed advisory roles with finance giants JP Morgan and Zurich, which earn him more than £2million a year.
He opened the Heathrow Express service with John Prescott in 1998.
Costing £550million to build, the 17-mile route was designed to lure airline passengers away from the M4 and the Piccadilly Line.
英文出处：http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=561351&in_page_id=1770
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好逗啊，只是这种事不会发生在中国。