I did read your post, and FWIW I think anyone that is clearly over the age shouldn't need an in date card to travel.
BUT rules are there for a reason. Maybe this fella was a little more lax in the past and had gotten a warning for it, so no plays by the rules, we have no idea.
The work I do requires competence cards, you scan them and all the relevant jobs you are trained to undertake are on there with dates of expiry. A nice fella up in Shrewsbury lost his tickets because he let a fella he knows on track to do some work, his competence has lapsed but he was on a course in the next few days. An incident occurred that shift on another job within the same worksite, all men were brought off and a part of the process is to check cards, this fella has his card scanned and it shows he is out of date, questions raised how he even got on track etc and the fella that let him on ends up losing his job. Rules are there for a reason
You can call me all the names you like, all you had to do was have the dates written down and do it on time.
I know I have 3 points expiring on May 27th, because I have a note of it.
I know when my final car payment is due, because I have a note of it.
Pays to be organised.
The jobsworth, as you refer to him, probably has a family to feed and needs his job, and guessing by your reaction he made the right choice in not letting you on. Imagine sending an email, threatening his job security over something g so trivial, you ought to be ashamed.