On 3 Jan 2006 16:01:05 -0800, " wrote:

Paul Corfield,

Many thanks for the explanation.

Not a problem although even I am beginning to lose the will to live and
I have a staff pass. The level of public confusion is not acceptable.

As a lawyer, used to some pretty complicated concepts, I still find the
whole Oyster thing mind-boggling, and the more I learn about it (to say
nothing of having to explain to some jobsworth where I got on and where
I am going to, should the reader have failed to register my Oyster, and
the traceability of my journey, which is nobody's business but mine)
the less I want to have to do with it. I'll still be buying One Day
Travelcards at my corner shop for the foreseeable future. Much simpler
all round - and simple proof of payment for the taxman.

When the concept is boiled down to its basic elements and some examples
of how things like validities and capping work are provided it is not
that hard. I do think people need to be able to work it through for
themselves in order to have confidence in the underlying systems and
processes. I don't really see how that is being achieved or will be
achieved. It is, however, necessary.

You're obviously entitled to your view about privacy but I have no real
issue about that information being captured by TfL. Perhaps that's
because I know how the system was designed and partly because I work for
TfL and can't see how they can use the information in some malign way.

I think Oyster is a good product and that Londoners will accept it once
the current obstacles to its effective use are removed. It just needs
more work and a better response from the staff who administer it.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!