"John B" wrote in news:1143043547.888482.166630
@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

kytelly wrote:
Are you still supposed to beep in on the bendibuses if you have an
Oyster travelcard or do you only need to do this if your using pre-pay?

The latter. Ditto the Tube (assuming you don't need to do so to open
the barriers), DLR and rail.

Sometimes an inspector may suggest otherwise, as once happened to my
flatmate. In this case you should - while remaining polite throughout -
point out the real situation, ask for the inspector's details, and
write a formal letter of complaint to TfL about employing staff who
don't know how to do their jobs.


I wish I knew this. I got bollocked on DLR for not beeping, when I had! I
had a year season ticket on my Oyster, zones 1-3 (hence eligible to use the
entire DLR anyway).

I had taken the tube at Old Street (using the barriers), gone down to Bank
on the Northern Line, the DLR was about to leave so I didn't beep on the
little yellow thing (I didn't even know I had to, as I'd beeped in Old
Street).

The inspector's handheld machine did not show I had entered in Old Street,
it said that I was on the DLR illegally, and it didn't show that I had a
year season ticket for zones 1-3 - all it said was that I should have been
there.

The guy gave me a humiliating bollocking and was going to issue me with a
penalty, but eventually let me off telling me not to do it again - he
clearly believed I was genuine (I didn't look like a faredodger, I was
wearing a smart suit FFS!)

I wish I'd known that little tidbit as I'd have asked him for his details.
I will next time!!


I'm not sure though whether your advice about not having to beep on the
Tube either is particularly safe. Surely, if you have £20 extra on top of
your season ticket (in case you ever go out of zone) then if you don't
beep, the system will assume you have come from or are going to zone 6 and
will charge you accordingly? I'd always assumed that, and hence always
beeped, even when the barriers were open or out of order.

Furthermore, if an inspector came on and you hadn't beeped to get through
the barriers on your original station, would his handheld device not query
it and could he not suggest you are trying to come from a zone further out?