On Nov 25, 5:18*pm, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008, MIG wrote:
On Nov 24, 8:06*pm, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Nov 2008, wrote:
In article , (Andrew
Heenan) wrote:

wrote:
None of this helps us provincials who use perhaps a tenner a year
on PAYG.
That being the case, what on Earth are you doing even considering
auto top-up. That's insane.
I think I was slightly confusing auto with online top-up which has
similar issues.

Fair 'nuff.

Online top up really is a pain, especially for small amounts.

But it's pretty well the only option if you live in the USA.

People who live in the USA aren't really part of the target demographic
for Oyster. Unless the Crossrail plans have changed radically since i last
looked.

Why would that be?

Because most people who live in the USA don't use Transport for London
routes. What with them being in London, which is in Britain, which is not
in America.

Some people who live in the USA do come to London, it's true - and when
they're here, they have access to the same ticket machines we do. They may
not be able to use online or auto top-up, but then plenty of Londoners
don't (including me), and don't have any particular problems getting
around. I just don't see that the inability of non-residents to do online
top-up is a big deal.

Is it because TfL doesn't do business with tourists, or is it because
TfL wants to discourage tourists from using Oyster so that it can fleece
them?

Yes, something like that, i'm sure. It's all a plot.

Except that I was only pointing out the implications of your
suggestion about the "target demographic".

It seems to me that the target demographic is anyone who uses public
transport in London, wherever in the world they come from, and also
that being a major tourist attraction, that includes a lot of people
from overseas, eg USA.