On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 01:47:11 +0100, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:

Another situation that springs to mind is the potential for someone to
turn up with a card only to find the card machine is out of order and
they have no coins for a PTT if the machine is there. (The PTTs also
predate the widespread use of cards in machines, particularly outside
the biggest stations, and I'm guessing the wording quoted elsewhere on
the thread hasn't changed since those days.) I've got a feeling the
wording of the CoC basically expects all card relying passengers to
carry some coins on them as back-ups but it could be messy (and possibly
ruled unfair conditions?) if the regular method of purchase and the
emergency back-up are using completely separate methods of payment.

Last summer I went to Fratton to catch a train to Chichester. I wanted
PlusBus, Fratton TO was closed and the TVMs couldn't sell PlusBus.

The PORTIS (are they still called that) that the conductor / guard on the
train was carrying wouldn't accept my electron card (the account requires
immediate bank validation for all transactions), so I had to buy the
return ticket from Fratton to Chichester PlusBus at Chichester and then
hand the outward portion to the Chichester barrier staff.

So, I guess the system works.

Rgds

Denis McMahon