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[email protected] · January 14th 04, 10:05 PM posted to uk.transport.london

(dan) wrote in message . com...
"Lawrence Myers" wrote in message ...
"dan" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

If you go out of zone on a journey without sufficient pre-pay on your
oystercard (with a season ticket on it), the relevant extension fare
will be charged to your card and you'll have a negative balance.

You can't use the tube again with that travelcard until the negative
balance is paid off, but, what about using the bus? Is this allowed?

If not, this could potentially be very annoying, if you run out of
prepay balance without noticing and then board a bus. has anyone
encountered this situation?

d
No. Prepay does not start on busses until a date still to be announced.
problems still to be ironed out. Presume we've got to wait until 2man busses
go.

But this is not about using prepay in the buses, but an oyster season
ticket which has picked up a negative balance after being used outside
of its valid zones on the tube - i.e. a problem which can be
encountered now. Has anyone had this particular problem yet or is
everyone on this newsgroup careful to keep their balances topped up?!

Not having used prepay yet I hadn't realised that it was possible to
run up a negative balance on oyster. This seems like a crazy idea - if
you travel out of zone then why aren't the gates programmed not to let
you through (as at present would happen with an out of zone
travelcard). You'd then go to the assistance window and buy an
extension or be penalty fared (depending on the mood of the staff that
day...)

Anyone know the thinking behind this?