If you're on the move, no smartphone or ipad to hand, and normally no
staff anywhere, how does one know whether one will be charged a "tube"
fair from an NR station or a rail fair?

For example, I always thought that Bowes Park to Sloane Square would
be charged as a tube journey. It isn't. It's £4.10 peak, £3.20 off-
peak. Bounds Green to Sloane Square, which is essentially the same
journey (with the exception that I change to the Victoria Line at
Finsbury Square instead of at Highbury & Islington) is £2.90 peak,
£2.50 off-peak. Bowes Park is more convenient, but it's probably not
worth paying up to £1.20 more for the privilege.

There still needs to be a lot of clarification on these issues... most
people really haven't a clue, including often myself, as to how much a
journey is likely to cost me, whether my journey will be capped on my
Oyster, etc etc. When will it be simplified - or at least, an attempt
to bring the NR prices more in line with tube prices?