On 02/06/2011 23:52, Mizter T wrote:

"Neil Williams" wrote:
Been using Boris bikes the past few days, and the terminals are
extremely slow, often timing out multiple times before I manage to
extract a bike.

Is there any plan to address this? I have sent for a key fob which
should sort it for me, but the casual hire IT infrastructure seems
below par.

Haven't come across the terminals timing out before, though I've got a
fob so I only really get a first-hand feel of the casual hire
arrangements when with others who're taking advantage of it (the 82
pages or whatever it is of T&Cs that are offered on screen for a wannabe
user's appraisal and agreement often seems to amuse!). I can't recall
any super-extended waits, so maybe this is some sort of current glitch,
or the demand has picked up with the weather (as predicted) and the
backend is subsequently struggling.

You should be able to sidestep things somewhat with a key fob, though
perhaps best not to expect perfection - there still seems to be some
degree of sketchiness to the system. One observation is that if the
payment terminal is sick for whatever reason, presenting the key fob to
the individual docking point generally still seems to work in terms of
getting hold of a bike.

I signed up for a fob when it was launched, and although I've only used
it a few times, I've found it can takes a few attempts to get a bike out
the rack. At least I now know it's not just me.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK