In message , at 02:35:40 on Fri,
23 Mar 2012, The Iron Jelloid
remarked:
TBH I don't see why people object to pay bogs, it's not as if 30p is
exactly going to break anyone's bank

It's whether you have the 30p on you or not (ie no use if all you have
is a 50p). Although the loos at Kings Cross have change machines
outside, so that's OK until they break.

One of the two turnstyles had broken already. "Sorry for the
inconvenience" a sign on it quipped.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:29:40 +0000, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 02:35:40 on Fri,
23 Mar 2012, The Iron Jelloid
remarked:
TBH I don't see why people object to pay bogs, it's not as if 30p is
exactly going to break anyone's bank

It's whether you have the 30p on you or not (ie no use if all you have
is a 50p). Although the loos at Kings Cross have change machines
outside, so that's OK until they break.

It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

In message , at 12:04:01 on
Fri, 23 Mar 2012, David Walters remarked:
TBH I don't see why people object to pay bogs, it's not as if 30p is
exactly going to break anyone's bank

It's whether you have the 30p on you or not (ie no use if all you have
is a 50p). Although the loos at Kings Cross have change machines
outside, so that's OK until they break.

It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

Because of banking regulations that would probably only be allowed if
the toilets were operated by TfL. However, they could accept "Paywave"
credit cards.

In the future, it might be worth trying to get the law
changed/clarified, to see if stored credit on ITSO cards (eg issued by
FCC or EC) could be used, as buying from Network Rail rather than the
ToCs is almost the same thing. And that would leave the way open for
"free facilities" for season ticket holders and so on.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:40:48 +0000, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 12:04:01 on

It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

Because of banking regulations that would probably only be allowed if
the toilets were operated by TfL. However, they could accept "Paywave"
credit cards.

But the Oyster card is being used on non-TfL services! It can also be used
to pay for entry to a museum, so it's apparently legal to use it to pay for
other things than transportation fares.

--
jhk

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:21:27 +0100
Jarle H Knudsen wrote:
On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:40:48 +0000, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 12:04:01 on

It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

Because of banking regulations that would probably only be allowed if
the toilets were operated by TfL. However, they could accept "Paywave"
credit cards.

But the Oyster card is being used on non-TfL services! It can also be used
to pay for entry to a museum, so it's apparently legal to use it to pay for
other things than transportation fares.

Its essentially a gift voucher (you pay someone money, they'll redeem it
later for goods or services) so there's no legal issue at all.

B2003

In message , at 15:26:31 on Fri, 23 Mar
2012, d remarked:
But the Oyster card is being used on non-TfL services! It can also be used
to pay for entry to a museum, so it's apparently legal to use it to pay for
other things than transportation fares.

Its essentially a gift voucher (you pay someone money, they'll redeem it
later for goods or services) so there's no legal issue at all.

It's regarded as a banking facility (or e-money), if they can be spent
with a third party. Most gift cards are tied to one shop or product.

There are some with wider acceptance, but as they "feel like cash", I
would expect them to be covered by FSA rules[1]. The issue with TfL and
Oyster was they didn't want that extra burden.

[1] http://www.flexesaver.co.uk/love2shop-gift-cards/ (FSA Ref. 900016)
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 16:21:27 on
Fri, 23 Mar 2012, Jarle H Knudsen remarked:
It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

Because of banking regulations that would probably only be allowed if
the toilets were operated by TfL. However, they could accept "Paywave"
credit cards.

But the Oyster card is being used on non-TfL services!

I suppose it is, so there's been some relaxation, but still train fares.

It can also be used to pay for entry to a museum,

I'm not aware of that. TfL don't accept it at their own museum.

so it's apparently legal to use it to pay for other things than
transportation fares.

The bit which isn't legal is TfL acting as a "bank" - holding customers'
money then paying it out to third parties.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:43:47 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 16:21:27 on
Fri, 23 Mar 2012, Jarle H Knudsen remarked:
It's a bit of a shame you can't use your Oyster card.

Because of banking regulations that would probably only be allowed if
the toilets were operated by TfL. However, they could accept "Paywave"
credit cards.

But the Oyster card is being used on non-TfL services!

I suppose it is, so there's been some relaxation, but still train fares.

It can also be used to pay for entry to a museum,

I'm not aware of that. TfL don't accept it at their own museum.

so it's apparently legal to use it to pay for other things than
transportation fares.

The bit which isn't legal is TfL acting as a "bank" - holding customers'
money then paying it out to third parties.

Nowadays the mere act of transmitting other peoples' money is probably
enough to involve at least brushing against some part of
money-laundering law.

In message , at 18:24:43 on
Fri, 23 Mar 2012, Charles Ellson remarked:
Nowadays the mere act of transmitting other peoples' money is probably
enough to involve at least brushing against some part of
money-laundering law.

Indeed so. Read the T&C of a "shopping card" and they say so explicitly.
They also say that such gift cards can't be used by under-18's (if
you've been following another somewhat USA-centric thread about minors
using gift cards to buy train tickets).
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:43:47 +0000, Roland Perry wrote:

It can also be used to pay for entry to a museum,

I'm not aware of that. TfL don't accept it at their own museum.

Have they stopped accepting it then? There was an oyster reader at the
ticket sales point when I visited a few years back. A post in this group
from 2009 suggest they accept it.

See
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/uk.t...w/7b-odfRG34QJ

--
jhk