"Robert Woolley" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 19:17:20 -0400, Roland Perry
wrote:

In article , Clive D. W. Feather
writes
But I know the gate's in use - I'm standing in it!!!!

You shouldn't be. I don't stand in gates - I put my ticket in and (if
the gate
takes it) grab it and walk through the still-open gate without breaking
stride.

I used to do that. Don't any more. About a year ago a gate failed to
open and I banged into it with sufficient force to cause ongoing
discomfort.

Think of the person behind you. You've grabbed your ticket and walked
through
the gate. If they've got an Oyster, it's important they don't swipe it
until the
gate is ready, hence the red light.

If I have a paper ticket and they have an Oyster, I don't understand why
it can't cope with processing the Oyster as soon as they are near
enough.

If I have an Oyster and they have an Oyster, does it go GREEN-RED quick
enough for them to see?

It goes Green - Yellow.

Does any of this really matter? The real annoying issue is that when an
Oystercard is used, the barriers make a beep similar to when a child ticket
is used ...