On Feb 22, 11:39*am, wrote:

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:24:49 -0800 (PST)

Andy wrote:
The penalty fare becomes the journey fare (to the next stop at least)
it is certainly not entirely separate. If it was separate, it would be
called a fine, not a fare.

If thats the case then how come you can get a penalty "fare" next time
you touch in if you forgot to touch out? I don't know of many people who
pay a fare for a journey they made the previous day or even weeks before.

Its a fine.

If one is purely using PAYG, what happens is that an 'entry charge' is
taken when one touches-in, and the appropriate amount is refunded so
the passenger ends up paying for the correct fare.

If one is using an Oyster card loaded with a Travelcard and intending
to travel outside the zones covered by that Travelcard, *and* one sets
an OEP as is notionally required by the rules [1], then again an
'entry charge' is deducted when one touches-in and the appropriate
amount is refunded when one touches out.

The charge, fine, whatever you want to call it is thus levied
immediately, it's not taken the next day or whenever the next time the
passenger travels.

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[1] If one is diligent enough, understands the rules enough, and is
able to actually find somewhere where an OEP can be set.
(And yes I think the whole thing is silly, and if I'm in a situation
where an OEP is supposedly required but nonetheless can't get one
easily I'd happily travel anyway, and happily and politely tell any
inspector I encounter en route to get stuffed should they wish to
issue a PF as a result.)