On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:05:36 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:53:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...
Why not just show it to him then?

I did, whilst explaining to him in great detail why it was pointless.

Well, if you claim to have an Oyster card but can't provide one, that
means you owe a fare.

If you have an Oyster card which can't be checked, then you might not
owe a fare.

So I wouldn't fault the guard for doing a small bit of diligence to
check that you actually have a card.

What's the difference between me showing an Oyster wallet (reasonably
distinctive, I would think) and actually showing him the card? None.

I have a couple of empty cards at home that I use for prepay when I
have guests visiting London. I could quite happily travel free on HC,
apparently.