Fare dodger wants to atone for his sins 50 years on

A Swiss man has written to a regional train company admitting to fare dodging a handful of times 50 years ago. He asked the company to send him an invoice so he can clear his conscience.

The man said he had bought a ticket in 1967 from Stettlen, just outside Bern, which was never stamped by the conductor. He took advantage of this, re-using the ticket “three to five times”.

In his letter, he said he regretted doing so, apologised and “wanted to clear the matter before people and God”.

A spokesman for the RBS train company said they had “never heard anything like it”, adding that they would write to the man and thank him for his honesty but they wouldn’t be sending him an invoice. “Our books are closed for 1967,” he said.