On Apr 27, 6:55 am, MIG wrote:
If you have any other form of period Travelcard, then not getting it
on Oyster is just bizarre masochism.

Have you still not heard that National Rail stations don't sell or
update Oyster cards? Or that not everyone has an Oyster shop between
their home and their nearest station?

Given I bought my annual z1-2 season ticket (with associated Gold
Record Card) on my Oyster card three weeks ago at a National Rail
station, I'm sceptical about your first claim.

No need to be, it must be easy enough to check. Some have a card only
machine. Some have no facility at all.

I read your claim as "[all] National Rail stations" rather than
"[some] National Rail stations" - apologies.

Can you tell me of any NR stations which are not served by LU (eg
Wimbledon) which do sell Oyster? At least, which have anything more
than a Credit Card only machine? Some have neither. Putney springs
to mind as an example of a relatively major station with absolutely no
Oyster facility apart from the gates.

My local one does (Finsbury Park, FCC side). I haven't tried
elsewhere.

When it comes to your latter claim, I'm still sceptical that there is
anyone who both requires daily travel within London, and lives and
works so far away from an Oyster-enabled ticket office or shop, that
dragging themselves to an Oyster venue once a month or once a year to
renew is a genuine problem.

What if you are in a hurry to get to work in the mornings? (Some
people are.)

Renew the night before.

What if you pay by preprinted company cheque (eg a loan)
and don't know the payee at an Oyster shop, or whether they'd accept
it? Your season's about to expire. You are standing in the Accounts
department. What do you tell them to put on the cheque?

London Underground Limited, then go to the nearest Tube station. Or go
to the newsagent, ask him his business name, and then return to the
accounts department.

Real life practicallity intervenes in the ideal model of what's
possible.

Only if your forward planning skills are dangerously limited.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org