A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet an
arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

-roy

On 14/08/2010 23:01, Roy Badami wrote:
A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet an
arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

-roy
Speaking from personal experience, it seems as though £1.60 will be
deducted from your Oyster, even if you are on the platform just for a
couple of minutes to meet somebody.

It'd be nice, of course, if they did have a platform-only facility for
Oysters. For example, let us say that not more than 7 minutes on the
platform would be either free of charge or something like 40p -- the way
they have/had if you buy/bought a platform ticket at the window.

In article 4tF9o.5544$UD.1569@hurricane, () wrote:

On 14/08/2010 23:01, Roy Badami wrote:
A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet
an arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

Speaking from personal experience, it seems as though £1.60 will be
deducted from your Oyster, even if you are on the platform just for
a couple of minutes to meet somebody.

It'd be nice, of course, if they did have a platform-only facility
for Oysters. For example, let us say that not more than 7 minutes
on the platform would be either free of charge or something like
40p -- the way they have/had if you buy/bought a platform ticket at
the window.

Your experience not including where you have a travelcard valid at the
station?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

"Roy Badami" wrote in message
news:zmE9o.15872$Dt3.8453@hurricane...
A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet
an arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

Yes, if you have a travelcard you can do whatever you like within your
zones without any consequences.

Peter Smyth

On Aug 14, 11:01*pm, Roy Badami wrote:

A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet an
arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

A non-hypothetical answer:

Yes, you could do all that without being charged or confusing the
system if you had a Travelcard loaded on your Oyster that's valid for
the zone the station is in.

It's a non-hypothetical answer because I've done this a number of
times, initially to test it but then because it was useful for
whatever reason (examples - accompany someone to the platform, go and
meet someone, remember I wanted to get some money from the cashpoint,
or to make or continue a timely phone call).

So I've certainly done in then out quickly (within the space of less
than a minute), and I'm almost certain I've done in then out then back
in within say a couple of minutes. I haven't tested it to destruction
by going in and out numerous times (hur hur... no, sorry, we're not
descending into schoolboy humour here), so I can't say that you might
not have a problem if you keep on entering and exiting - indeed I dare
say there might well be a limit to what you can do because of concerns
about passback, I dunno (with paper Travelcards you run into problems
if you go in-out-in, which must be an anti-passback measure).

But to answer your question in one short Aussie phrase - no worries,
mate.

On Aug 15, 12:16*am, "
wrote:

On 14/08/2010 23:01, Roy Badami wrote: A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet an
arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

Speaking from personal experience, it seems as though £1.60 will be
deducted from your Oyster, even if you are on the platform just for a
couple of minutes to meet somebody.

It'd be nice, of course, if they did have a platform-only facility for
Oysters. For example, let us say that not more than 7 minutes on the
platform would be either free of charge or something like 40p -- the way
they have/had if you buy/bought a platform ticket at the window.

But your situation was different because you didn't have a Travelcard
loaded on your Oyster (or at least not one valid in the zone the
station was in), so this is what you get charged when using Oyster in
its PAYG mode.

My guess as to why you get charged in this situation is simple - it's
an anti-misuse measure. I *think* (though am not absolutely certain)
the amount charged is the minimum fare from that station (though
perhaps excluding any 'short hop' fares) - so for any station a
station outside zone 1, that'd be £1.30.

My guess as to the potential misuse that this prevents is that of
punters entering a station and touching-in, then immediately turning
round and touching-out but instead of exiting turning back round again
and travelling off to wherever, perhaps with the station at the far
end being ungated (e.g. an NR station), or with knowledge or at least
a suspicion that the gates at the destination would be open, or else
the person might try and pull the same trick except they'd lean over
an entry gate to touch-in and then touch-out at an exit gate as if
they were a normal passenger. If a 'platform ticket' were free of
charge or at a low cost then such antics might be considered
worthwhile by some.

On 15 Aug, 01:44, Mizter T wrote:
On Aug 14, 11:01*pm, Roy Badami wrote:

A hypothetical question:

If I had a Travelcard loaded onto my Oyster card, and wished to meet an
arriving traveller at a tube station within the zones for which my
Travelcard was valid, could I use my Oyster card to get past the
gateline to meet them *inside* the paid area of the station, and then
leave again through the gateline at the same station without being
charged, and without confusing the system (unresolved journeys, etc?)

More curious than anything else

A non-hypothetical answer:

Yes, you could do all that without being charged or confusing the
system if you had a Travelcard loaded on your Oyster that's valid for
the zone the station is in.

It's a non-hypothetical answer because I've done this a number of
times, initially to test it but then because it was useful for
whatever reason (examples - accompany someone to the platform, go and
meet someone, remember I wanted to get some money from the cashpoint,
or to make or continue a timely phone call).

So I've certainly done in then out quickly (within the space of less
than a minute), and I'm almost certain I've done in then out then back
in within say a couple of minutes. I haven't tested it to destruction
by going in and out numerous times (hur hur... no, sorry, we're not
descending into schoolboy humour here), so I can't say that you might
not have a problem if you keep on entering and exiting - indeed I dare
say there might well be a limit to what you can do because of concerns
about passback, I dunno (with paper Travelcards you run into problems
if you go in-out-in, which must be an anti-passback measure).

But to answer your question in one short Aussie phrase - no worries,
mate.

I've still never understood the "passback" issue, or why the
restrictions are greater with paper travelcards.

That is, I can see why one would be prevented from going in twice in
quick succession, but I can't understand why one is prevented from
going out (with paper travelcard; not Oyster).

Also, when it goes "seek assistance", when do the staff do anything
but let one through anyway?

In message
, at
23:08:42 on Sat, 14 Aug 2010, MIG
remarked:
I've still never understood the "passback" issue

iirc, "passback" is where you hand your ticket to another traveller
(across the tube barrier in this case). Where I live, it used to be a
problem with kids on buses, buying an "all-day" ticket and then passing
it out of the window to a friend on the pavement for them to use it, a
second time, to get on the bus. They 'solved' it by withdrawing the
Child "all-day" ticket.
--
Roland Perry

On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:44:41 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

(with paper Travelcards you run into problems
if you go in-out-in, which must be an anti-passback measure).

Just entering and leaving can be an issue on leaving - I've had that
when going into City Thameslink to use the bog - but the staff always
seem to let you through even if you tell them why you entered (and
that it wasn't to use a train).

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
To reply put my first name before the at.

On 15 Aug, 07:35, Roland Perry wrote:
In message
, at
23:08:42 on Sat, 14 Aug 2010, MIG
remarked:

I've still never understood the "passback" issue

iirc, "passback" is where you hand your ticket to another traveller
(across the tube barrier in this case). Where I live, it used to be a
problem with kids on buses, buying an "all-day" ticket and then passing
it out of the window to a friend on the pavement for them to use it, a
second time, to get on the bus. They 'solved' it by withdrawing the
Child "all-day" ticket.

Yes, I get that one. So to stop me passing it to the person behind,
it won't allow my ticket to be used to go in twice in quick
succession. But why won't it allow me to get out? And why only with
a paper travelcard?