View Single Post
  #6   Report Post  
Old June 18th 09, 02:47 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Mizter T Mizter T is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity at LondonBanter: May 2005
Posts: 6,077
Default Oyster Card - Balance Check


On Jun 18, 3:37*pm, "tim....." wrote:

"Ben Birkner" wrote:

On 18 Jun., 13:03, Mizter T wrote:

On Jun 18, 11:47 am, Ben Birkner wrote:
[...]
Also, when you finish a journey on the Underground then both the fare
paid for that journey and your remaining balance flashes up on the
display of the gate - though how easy this is to see really depends on
whether the gate is an older or newer model, and anyway you do need to
know what to look for. Also when boarding a bus the display shows the
remaining balance - but again you need to know what to look for, and
you've got to be quick.


Thanks, Mizter T. I frankly have never noticed any displays at gates
or in buses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No, that's because it's only there for a micro second and impossible to read
as you are pushed forward by the next person waiting to use the machine, I
don't think I can name a dumber design on a piece of electronic intended for
use by the consumer


The bus ticket machine LCD displays [1] seem to have been designed
with longer cash transactions in mind, when you'd have time to see the
display. Get on the bus last and you'll be able to scrutinise it
though, as it doesn't disappear immediately. They should be backlit
and far easier to read of course.

The displays on the newer gates meanwhile are easy to read if you know
where to look - when you exit a gate, the top figure is the fare
deducted, the bottom figure is the remaining balance. (When you enter
I think it just displays your balance before any fare is deducted, but
I must admit I can't remember.)

The LCD displays standalone Oyster validators suffer from the same
problem as the bus displays in that they're not backlit.


-----
[1] Yes I have just referred to Liquid Crystal Display displays, so
shoot me!