Back from holiday, this morning I wanted to renew my bus pass on my
Oyster card and top up my pre-pay, which is running low.

Why, oh why, can you not do that at one of the machines in the
Underground station? I held up the person behind me quite badly trying
to work out how to do both of those things in one transaction, but it
simply doesn't seem to be possible. If you ask to renew your pass, it
takes you straight to that screen and demands money, and if you ask to
top up pre-pay, it demands money for that. Wouldn't it be possible to
program the machines so that, if you ordered a new pass, it asked you
whether you wanted to top up your pre-pay before you paid for the pass?
It seems a very simple programming task to me.....

I am sure I could do it if I went to the newsagent instead of the ticket
machines, but he doesn't take Visa so you have to write out a cheque,
and when in a hurry, as I was this morning..... sheesh..... so I still
have far too little pre-pay on my card, but luckily I don't need it for
a day or so.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Similarly, many ATMs do not ask if you want another service after you ask
for cash. Considering that most people just want cash, the calculation must
be that things are speeded up by not giving people too many choices (have
you seen how long people stare blankly at the screen when asked an
unexpected question!).

I assume you wanted to pay by card in a second transaction so you were
stuck, but on balance I don't think I would have programmed the thing
differently. Using the machines for (single!) oyster transactions is dream -
I can top up my prepay in about 10 seconds, precisely because I'm not
standing there answering questions.

j



"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
Back from holiday, this morning I wanted to renew my bus pass on my
Oyster card and top up my pre-pay, which is running low.

Why, oh why, can you not do that at one of the machines in the
Underground station? I held up the person behind me quite badly trying
to work out how to do both of those things in one transaction, but it
simply doesn't seem to be possible. If you ask to renew your pass, it
takes you straight to that screen and demands money, and if you ask to
top up pre-pay, it demands money for that. Wouldn't it be possible to
program the machines so that, if you ordered a new pass, it asked you
whether you wanted to top up your pre-pay before you paid for the pass?
It seems a very simple programming task to me.....

I am sure I could do it if I went to the newsagent instead of the ticket
machines, but he doesn't take Visa so you have to write out a cheque,
and when in a hurry, as I was this morning..... sheesh..... so I still
have far too little pre-pay on my card, but luckily I don't need it for
a day or so.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Jim wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 17 Jun 2005:

Similarly, many ATMs do not ask if you want another service after you ask
for cash.

No, but they assume, correctly in most cases, that if you want to check
your balance you'll do it first (and most check your balance for you
when getting cash, anyway). But with Oyster, neither works first......

Considering that most people just want cash, the calculation must
be that things are speeded up by not giving people too many choices (have
you seen how long people stare blankly at the screen when asked an
unexpected question!).

Er, not when they are used to using the machines, only if they're my
mother! Who, in her late 70s, finds it awkward (my father, in his 80s,
has discovered the joys of cashback in the supermarket!).

I assume you wanted to pay by card in a second transaction so you were
stuck,

Which is the case.

but on balance I don't think I would have programmed the thing
differently. Using the machines for (single!) oyster transactions is dream -
I can top up my prepay in about 10 seconds, precisely because I'm not
standing there answering questions.

Yes, but how long does it take to push a button saying "No, thank you"
and proceed to checkout.....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Mrs Redboots wrote:
Jim wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 17 Jun 2005:


Similarly, many ATMs do not ask if you want another service after you ask
for cash.


No, but they assume, correctly in most cases, that if you want to check
your balance you'll do it first (and most check your balance for you
when getting cash, anyway). But with Oyster, neither works first......

But the analogy holds, cos you CAN check your Oyster balance before your
transaction.

It's two transactions that is the issue. However, if you are saying that
you can only use your payment card ONCE in the machine on the same day,
then I see how it could be a pain - at least with an ATM, you can put
your card in again a second time.

In article , Jim wrote:
Similarly, many ATMs do not ask if you want another service after
you ask for cash. Considering that most people just want cash, the
calculation must be that things are speeded up by not giving people
too many choices (have you seen how long people stare blankly at the
screen when asked an unexpected question!).

They had problems with people taking the cash and leaving the card
behind, so the default now is to make you take your card first; only
then the cash is dispensed.

--
Tony Bryer

Mrs Redboots typed


Back from holiday, this morning I wanted to renew my bus pass on my
Oyster card and top up my pre-pay, which is running low.

Why, oh why, can you not do that at one of the machines in the
Underground station? I held up the person behind me quite badly trying
to work out how to do both of those things in one transaction, but it
simply doesn't seem to be possible. If you ask to renew your pass, it
takes you straight to that screen and demands money, and if you ask to
top up pre-pay, it demands money for that. Wouldn't it be possible to
program the machines so that, if you ordered a new pass, it asked you
whether you wanted to top up your pre-pay before you paid for the pass?
It seems a very simple programming task to me.....

I am sure I could do it if I went to the newsagent instead of the ticket
machines, but he doesn't take Visa so you have to write out a cheque,
and when in a hurry, as I was this morning..... sheesh..... so I still
have far too little pre-pay on my card, but luckily I don't need it for
a day or so.

Was the Ticket Office unstaffed Annabel? Sometimes the people there are
quite helpful...

I agree it should be possible to do more than onr thing to an Oyster
Card though.
(I have sometimes used a credit card for one item and a debit card for
another though)

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Dave Newt wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 17 Jun 2005:

But the analogy holds, cos you CAN check your Oyster balance before
your transaction.

That's true.

It's two transactions that is the issue. However, if you are saying that
you can only use your payment card ONCE in the machine on the same
day, then I see how it could be a pain - at least with an ATM, you can
put your card in again a second time.

And yes, they only do let you use your payment card once. As a fraud
prevention measure, I suppose, but wouldn't you have thought that with
the same Oyster card, it would likely be the same person paying?
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Mrs Redboots wrote:
Dave Newt wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 17 Jun 2005:


But the analogy holds, cos you CAN check your Oyster balance before
your transaction.


That's true.

It's two transactions that is the issue. However, if you are saying that
you can only use your payment card ONCE in the machine on the same
day, then I see how it could be a pain - at least with an ATM, you can
put your card in again a second time.


And yes, they only do let you use your payment card once. As a fraud
prevention measure, I suppose, but wouldn't you have thought that with
the same Oyster card, it would likely be the same person paying?

One would hope that when they roll out chip n PIN, they will be able to
drop this restriction on the machines.

At present, with no user authorisation on them (put your card in and
that's it), the restriction is annoying but understandable, but with
chip and PIN this would no longer be needed (like at ATMs).

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 17 Jun 2005:

Was the Ticket Office unstaffed Annabel? Sometimes the people there are
quite helpful...

There was a queue, and I was in a hurry. Only took longer than I meant
trying to see if I could do the two things at once (I've been caught by
the "card" thing before).

I agree it should be possible to do more than onr thing to an Oyster
Card though.
(I have sometimes used a credit card for one item and a debit card for
another though)

So have I, but I'd rather do one payment for both.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Mrs Redboots typed


So have I, but I'd rather do one payment for both.

Sad truth is you'll have to queueueueueueue for ticket staff to do this,
at least for the time being. There was no trouble when I bought an
Annual Bus Pass with £20 Oyster Prepay from a human...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.