In message
, at
04:30:25 on Sun, 7 Mar 2010, MIG remarked:
On 7 Mar, 12:09, Roland Perry wrote:

No. They are needed when travelling on National Rail and using PAYG
to go beyond the validity of an Oyster travelcard.

That's curious - I use PAYG all the time when I'm Oystering, and
have never once
been informed that my Oyster is invalid because I don't have an OEP
on the way back
to St Margarets from Waterloo.

And I've been gripped a few times - they just ask me where I'm going.

Do you have a Travelcard on your Oyster that's valid to not further than
Zone 3 (St Margarets is in Zone 4).

The OEP is only required as a form of "permit to travel" (ahead of
paying when you exit) for your trip from the relevant Travelcard limit
(eg Putney, the furthest Z2 station) to St Margarets.

The total lack of logic with OEPs is demonstrated by the fact that if
you are gripped within the zones of your travelcard, there is no more
proof that you don't intend to go beyond your zones without touching
out than there would be if you were beyond your zones already. Nor
outside of the zones altogether.

No one with a valid ticket anywhere can prove that they don't intend
to travel to Thurso.

But in my example, you only need the OEP if you are gripped between
Putney and St Margarets.

I don't agree with the scheme (and the way it's publicised), but in this
respect it's no different to having a Season to Putney, and in your
pocket a single from Putney to St Margarets, and needing to show
different things depending on whether you are gripped before or after
Putney.

The issue, of course, is people who don't touch out at St Margarets and
therefore get a free ride from Putney. It's a real problem, even if OEPs
are maybe the wrong solution.
--
Roland Perry