B-141211, DEC. 2, 1959
Highlights
THAT THE TIME SHOWN FOR THE TRAIN'S DEPARTURE DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER IT WAS DAYLIGHT OR STANDARD TIME. SINCE RAILROAD SCHEDULES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN STANDARD TIME. HE ASSUMED THE TIME SHOWN WAS STANDARD TIME. HUBER ALSO SAYS THAT THE RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION OFFICER DID NOT FEEL HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MISSING THE TRAIN AND WIRED THE CONDUCTOR RELEASING THE SPACE. YOU INFORM US THAT THE UNUSED RAIL TICKET HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE CARRIER FOR REFUND AND IS NOT AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT MR. HUBER'S STATEMENT THAT THE TICKET DID NOT SPECIFY WHETHER DAYLIGHT OR STANDARD TIME WAS QUOTED. HUBER CANNOT FIND THE TIME SCHEDULE FURNISHED HIM WITH HIS TICKET BY THE FOREST SERVICE RESERVATION CLERK AND THAT NO COPIES OF THESE INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES ARE RETAINED BY THE RESERVATION CLERK.
B-141211, DEC. 2, 1959
TO MR. PAUL J. GRAINGER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:
WE REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 4, 1959, IN WHICH YOU REQUEST OUR DECISION AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT, UNDER THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES HEREINAFTER RELATED, IN VIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 1.1 OF THE STANDARD GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, A VOUCHER SUBMITTED BY MR. WILLIAM W. HUBER FOR $6.60. THE AMOUNT CLAIMED REPRESENTS TAXI FARES ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 8, 1959, FROM RESIDENCE TO RAIL STATION TO CATCH A TRAIN FOR AN OFFICIAL TRIP AND RETURN TO RESIDENCE AFTER MISSING THE TRAIN. YOU SAY THAT MR. HUBER DEPARTED BY PLANE ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 9, 1959, AND THAT HE HAS BEEN REIMBURSED FOR THE TAXI FARE FROM RESIDENCE TO AIRPORT IN CONNECTION WITH THAT DEPARTURE.
MR. HUBER STATES ON THE TRAVEL VOUCHER THAT HE MISSED THE TRAIN BECAUSE OF A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHEDULED TIME. HE ALLEGES THAT THE TICKET DID NOT PROPERLY INDICATE THE TIME; THAT THE TIME SHOWN FOR THE TRAIN'S DEPARTURE DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER IT WAS DAYLIGHT OR STANDARD TIME; AND THAT, SINCE RAILROAD SCHEDULES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN STANDARD TIME, HE ASSUMED THE TIME SHOWN WAS STANDARD TIME. MR. HUBER ALSO SAYS THAT THE RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION OFFICER DID NOT FEEL HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MISSING THE TRAIN AND WIRED THE CONDUCTOR RELEASING THE SPACE.
YOU INFORM US THAT THE UNUSED RAIL TICKET HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE CARRIER FOR REFUND AND IS NOT AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT MR. HUBER'S STATEMENT THAT THE TICKET DID NOT SPECIFY WHETHER DAYLIGHT OR STANDARD TIME WAS QUOTED. YOU ALSO INFORM US THAT MR. HUBER CANNOT FIND THE TIME SCHEDULE FURNISHED HIM WITH HIS TICKET BY THE FOREST SERVICE RESERVATION CLERK AND THAT NO COPIES OF THESE INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES ARE RETAINED BY THE RESERVATION CLERK.
SECTION 1.1 OF THE STANDARD GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT:
"EMPLOYEES TRAVELING ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS * * * ARE EXPECTED TO EXERCISE THE SAME CARE IN INCURRING EXPENSES THAT A PRUDENT PERSON WOULD EXERCISE IF TRAVELING ON PERSONAL BUSINESS.'
THE VERIFICATION OF THE TIME OF THE DEPARTURE OF A TRAIN OR OTHER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION ON WHICH ONE EXPECTS TO DEPART, RATHER THAN AN ASSUMPTION OF THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, IS INDICATED IN THE EXERCISE OF PRUDENCE IN SUCH A CASE NOT ONLY TO PREVENT INCURRING ADDITIONAL EXPENSE BUT ALSO TO PREVENT THE ATTENDANT INCONVENIENCES OF MISSING A TRAIN OR OTHER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. THEREFORE, THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED, MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.