Parents confess that they lie about their children’s age to get discounted tickets
More than one third of parents have lied about their children’s age to get discounted tickets for travel, entertainment or events, according to research.
A poll of 1,500 mums and dads also found one in 10 have trained their kids to lie about their age if questioned – even practising lines in advance.
Other tactics include hiding their little ones from ticket inspectors, asking them to feign sleep to avoid questioning and telling them to affect a younger sounding voice.
One tenth of the population claim they’ve gone to “extreme” lengths to get reduced fares for their families.
And more than a quarter believe it’s completely acceptable to try and make their child look younger to get discounts on tickets of entry to events.
On average, parents who are happy to be fast and loose with the truth have fibbed about their children four times to save money.
And unsurprisingly, dads are more likely than mums to encourage underhand behaviour to save cash.
Those in the North-East were found to be the most honest when it comes to fibbing to save money, with residents of Yorkshire and the Humber most likely to try and get away with a scam.
Young parents aged 18-24 are more than twice as likely to try and bend the rules for cheaper tickets than those aged 55 or older.
The research was commisioned by Heathrow Express, who partnered with iconic Scottish comedy duo The Krankies to launch their campaign.
Together they created a video that saw Wee Jimmy Krankie go undercover to try and blag a free ticket on the Heathrow Express.
Ian Tough, star of the Krankies, said: “We’ve loved bringing back Janette’s character to see if the Oldest Kid in Town can even try to pull off what so many parents continue to do across the country.
“Thanks to Heathrow Express and their free tickets for children 15 and under, we were able to just about pull it off.”
Fraser Brown, director at Heathrow Express, added: “It’s been a lot of fun working with the Krankies to see if they can still pull off the legendary Wee Jimmy Krankie character.
“For those travelling on the Heathrow Express with children, there is no need to tell any fibs because all children aged 15 and under get free tickets.
“You can also get your tickets for a cheaper fare too if you book in advance – head to the website today to book.”
To see the video featuring The Krankies visit: