London Banter - View Single Post

asdf · October 12th 06, 07:28 AM posted to uk.transport.london

On 11 Oct 2006 13:21:37 -0700, wrote:

When I asked how else I could have credited my card the station
assistant at Bow Road today said that I'd best queue at the station
ticket office when I want to credit pay as you go! Just the very thing
I am trying to avoid (as others have stated)!

Why not use the machines?

See above. Also, I hardly want to be feeding notes into a machine
which may reject them and cause a whole load of hassle.

The machines also accept cards. Many stations also have an Oyster-only
credit-card-only machine with a much shorter queue.

What a bloody ridiculous system. Why, if the system shows that I have
not "touched out" at any station, does it not refund the £1 initially
debited automatically, say after 2 hours?

Because that would be a fare-dodgers paradise, as you well know if you
would think about it for a second.

Well, the system is hardly failsafe is it?! With that £1 debit, I
could have spent the whole day riding around the Underground with
impunity - just as much of a fare dodgers' paradise.

Erm, only if by fare dodger you mean someone who rides around on the
Tube all day without paying just for the thrill of it...

As for fare-dodging, when I topped up, the gates were open for about 5
or 6 seconds, during which time anyone else could have walked in or out
with impunity.

This is hardly a huge hole in the system (and you're not even
"supposed" to top up in the manner described).

As an interesting aside, what would have happened if I'd topped up,
then gone through the barrier and immediately left by an adjacent gate,
by touching out?

The gate would have refused to let you out, displaying a "seek
assistance" message.