"Andy" wrote in message
...
On Jan 26, 9:23 pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:58:02 -0800 (PST), solar penguin

wrote:

Well Mr Penguin we really need to know the journey details to be able
to
take a view. As others have hinted all sorts of issues may come into
play like max journey time, time taken to interchange etc. The most
recent details I have seen show those Hackneys to be a valid OSI - it
is
a valid interchange / charging route on paper NR tickets so therefore
PAYG has to follow the same rule.
--

I think the simple truth is that the Oyster system hates me as much as
I hate it, and it's deliberately punishing me with the wrong fares...

Not really. Having looked at your journey info in another post the
system did everything correctly although the Hackney OSI is a tad odd.

There is no "not via Zone 1" for the trip you took. Gipsy Hill - Bruce
Grove or Hackney Central is £3.10. I think you got tripped up by the
maximum journey time rule which is 110 minutes for a 5 zone travelled
through trip (Zone 3 then 2 then 1 then 2 then 3 for your journey). The
point at which you interchanged was very close to that parameter and I
think the OSI was probably recorded but on final exit the system went
"well he's validated all the way through but the total journey is in
excess of the max journey time so let's charge £1.50 for Hackney Downs
to Bruce Grove". That last bit is supposition on my part - I don't
know if the logic is that clever as other examples of exceeding journey
times usually mean two lots of maximum fares being paid.

What your enquiry has thrown up though is the first example I have found
in the Fare Finder of a ELLX routed fare with reference to pink route
validators being at Whitechapel and Canada Water. If you use the Fare
Finder for Gipsy Hill to Hackney Central you are offered an implied ELLX
routed fare as the Alternative Fare. Looking at other examples like
West Croydon - Hackney Central or West Croydon - Leyton or Purley -
Canary Wharf they all offer a ELLX routed lower fare which makes sense.


I missed those, however, I don't think they are ELLX fares, but routed
via New Cross Gate, the old ELL and then via Jubilee (change at Canada
Water) or District / Central (change at Whitechapel) to Stratford. An
ELLX fare would surely need 'pink' validation at Dalston. I'm still
not sure if via Shoreditch would count as being via zone 1 or not for
a longer journey like this.

I do think that the one thing this whole thread shows is that the answer to
the OP's original question is "Use paper ODTCs mate, trying to get your head
around Oyster will just give you a headache!" In fact it wouldn't surprise
me to discover that the whole of TFL's Oyster department is run from a
hollowed out volcano lair by a bald bloke with a monocle sitting in a big
leather chair stroking a large fluffy white cat. "...you don't expect me to
talk?" "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to pay £8.60 for a £2.00 fare..." :-)
--
Cheers, Steve.
Change jealous to sad to reply.