Tristán White wrote:
Yesterday I went from Canning Town to Bounds Green.

Used my PAYG to go through barrier at Canning Town, then used PAYG as I
went past the swipe thingy on the Silverlink/NLL platform. I was going to
go to Highbury and Islington and change.

I then remembered from the recent thread on UTL that the PAYG is not meant
to be used from Canning Town north of Stratford so I went back to the tube
(I'd just missed the Silverlink anyway). No more swipes or barriers. And
completed the journey on the tube.

Will I have been overcharged - ie charged for a Silverlink journey I never
actually took? I wasn't sure whether, when deciding afer all not to use
Silverlink, I should swipe at Canning Town again or ignore it. So I didn't
swipe out, in case the system (since I'd been on the platform for half and
hour) would think I'd done a round-trip Canning Town-Stratford-Canning Town
or something.

Hmm, difficult to say...

The validator on the Silverlink platform is probably only for passengers
changing between the NLL and the Tube (i.e. those coming from stations
east of Custom House or west of Stratford where PAYG isn't valid).

This gives three possibilities as to what it has recorded on your card:
1. Canning Town - (unresolved)
Canning Town - Bounds Green
2. Canning Town
Canning Town - Bounds Green (revalidation)
3. Canning Town - Canning Town
(unresolved) - Bounds Green

I think the first and third scenarios would both overcharge you by £1.
The second scenario would be fine, and is similar to the way that
Stratford works with its secondary gateline for the Jubilee.

If I have been overcharged, any way of getting them to reimburse me? Or do
I (somewhat unfairly) have to put it down to my own fault for changing my
mind about my route after realising I couldn't legally do it on PAYG but
after honestly swiping the card on the thingy (what's the technical term
for these swipe thingies) at Canning Town platform?

Check if you've been overcharged, and if you have, you should definitely
ask for a refund (which is most easily done using the email service on
the website, IME) - just explain the situation clearly and I'm sure
they'll understand.

It's also worth complaining about how unclear the procedure is for when
you should or should not use validators - maybe that will get them to
put some extra signage with them!

A similarly confusing situation exists at Paddington H&C, where there is
a validator on the platform with few instructions next to it, and a
gateline elsewhere - it turns out you're not supposed to use the
validator unless changing to/from FGWL services on particular platforms
inside the barriers. How on earth anyone is supposed to work that out
upon arriving at Paddington by H&C for the first time is beyond me.
Farringdon is equally confusing, as is King's Cross Thameslink... and in
fact anywhere you might change to or from National Rail. Argh!

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London