"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it
is automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure
that all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on
their cards for any journey they wish to make."
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it is
automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure that
all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on their
cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation to
*Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the £5 minimum top-up rule at
Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always enforced).

On Nov 23, 1:08*pm, "Mizter T" wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it is
automatically topped up is changing from 5 to 8. This is to ensure that
all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on their
cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation to
*Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the 5 minimum top-up rule at
Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always enforced).

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:





On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?

On Nov 24, 7:58*am, MIG wrote:
On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:





On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. *Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whilst I can understand people not wanting to "lend" any more money to
TfL than they need to, it is still an individual's responsibility to
make sure they have enough credit on their card for the journey that
they intend to make. Think of the situation before Oyster was
introduced any you either had to have a Travelcard or enough cash for
the fare. I wonder if it would be possible to set up a system whereby
you get the worng kind of bleep if you balance falls below a set
amount, but you are still allowed to get on a bus, or go through the
gates on the tube, This would alert the card holder to the fact that
their balance is low, and should prompt them to do something about
it.. I suppose though whatever system you use (you could evne have e-
mail or text alerts when the balance falls below, say, £2.50) there
would still be some people who would chance their arm.

On 24/11/2010 07:58, MIG wrote:
On Nov 24, 7:49 am, wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54 pm, Paul wrote:





On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?

In case you go out of the zones for which your Oystercard is valid?

On 24/11/2010 07:49, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54 pm, Paul wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes.

On Nov 24, 9:25*pm, "
wrote:

On 24/11/2010 07:49, Paul wrote:
[...]*If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes.

Although not spectacularly clearly (the LCD display isn't backlit or
anything) - the advice of Mr Thant, formerly of this parish, was to
focus your eyes on the display before touching-in - alternatively my
advice is to get on the bus last, which gives you a bit more time to
look at the display. On bendy buses (and the 507 and 521 'Red Arrows')
it's easier as the Oyster reader devices have large and easy to view
screens.

One thing that was lost in shops (ahem, I mean 'Oyster Ticket Stops')
when the old Pass agent machines (which printed tickets) were
decommissioned in favour of the new Pearl devices was the ability for
customers to actually see a display of how much PAYG credit was on
their Oyster cards (plus also the type and expiry date of any season
ticket) - see:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/resources/corp...ter-card-3.jpg
or via http://tinyurl.com/old-Pass-Agent-terminal

Now if a customer wants to know this, shopkeepers have to read their
small display on their small EPOS type device and tell the customer
what it is verbally, which all takes a bit longer and also requires
the attention of the shopkeeper.

On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:



On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes, but it's sometimes difficult to see due to reflections from the
perspex screen on some buses. On other buses the screen is cut away
around the ticket machine, so you can see the display clearly.

I've noticed something very odd in New York. There seems to be much
discussion among the locals as to how much they should put on a
Metrocard to get an exact number of rides from the resulting value on
the card, including any bonus they may get. They end up with all
sorts of odd values to do this. It's a fairly frequent subject in
places like nyc.transit. I've never been able to get a reasonable-
sounding answer as to what the problem is with having an amount less
than the cost of one ride left on the card; you don't lose it, it's
added to whatever value you next put on the card, but this seems to be
a major issue for some New Yorkers.