On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:18:44 +0000, Cliff Frisby
wrote:

Richard wrote:

On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:32:06 +0000, Cliff Frisby
wrote:

I don't know whether I am mis-remembering something, but I thought it was
obligatory for a bus operator to issue paper proof that you have paid for
the journey you are making, assuming you don't already have it. The
purpose, I always assumed, was that it protected the innocent passenger
against false accusations of fare-dodging.
[...]
A piece of plastic with the information buried in an embedded chip and/or
a remote computer under the sole control of the operator doesn't provide
any sort of objective evidence, as far as I can see.

I would argue that the proof of payment is still there, it's just in
the card and can be read with appropriate equipment.

Well, I think that really misses the point. Proof of payment does not exist
if the ability to reveal it depends on the integrity of the party demanding
the proof.

I really don't think it does. As I work in IT, and have done a small
amount of work on Oyster itself (although that got nowhere) I'd be
quite happy arguing my case with any revenue inspector. I can quite
understand that others wouldn't be so keen -- maybe that's you, or
maybe you have more of an ideological objection to this, which I also
respect.

It's as though I bought something in a shop and, when asking for my receipt
to ensure there are no problem passing the security guard on the exit, am
told I don't need one because the shop has all the evidence it needs to
satisfy itself that I paid for the goods.

There's also a parallel with the move from signing credit card
authorisations to chip-and-pin.

Another parallel might be getting cash from a machine -- do you always
request a receipt? Or if the machine has a problem and doesn't give
you any cash but there's no message to indicate why... has your
account been debited?

We are being coerced into having to trust potential adversaries.

I like the pithiness of that statement, it brings to mind recent
revelations about how our governments and others are spying on us
routinely... I think it just depends upon where you place a transport
operator/authority on that "adversary" scale, and I don't, really.

Richard.