"Richard" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:32:06 +0000, Cliff Frisby
wrote:

I don't know whether I am mis-remembering something, but I thought it was
obligatory for a bus operator to issue paper proof that you have paid for
the journey you are making, assuming you don't already have it. The
purpose, I always assumed, was that it protected the innocent passenger
against false accusations of fare-dodging.
[...]
A piece of plastic with the information buried in an embedded chip and/or
a
remote computer under the sole control of the operator doesn't provide any
sort of objective evidence, as far as I can see.

I would argue that the proof of payment is still there, it's just in
the card and can be read with appropriate equipment. I don't think
there's any suggestion that Oyster (or other) cards can appear to be
correctly validated as you get on the bus but then show no such
validation when interrogated later... the original post was about a
bus journey not appearing on the web site the next day (I think), and
in my experience it sometimes takes a day or two extra to show up.

Sorry I should have explained better

I don't get my journey history from the web site

I got it from a station doing a download of the info on the card so I am
certain that this journey wasn't registered on the card

tim

"tim......" wrote:
"Richard" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:32:06 +0000, Cliff Frisby
wrote:

I don't know whether I am mis-remembering something, but I thought it was
obligatory for a bus operator to issue paper proof that you have paid for
the journey you are making, assuming you don't already have it. The
purpose, I always assumed, was that it protected the innocent passenger
against false accusations of fare-dodging.
[...]
A piece of plastic with the information buried in an embedded chip and/or a
remote computer under the sole control of the operator doesn't provide any
sort of objective evidence, as far as I can see.

I would argue that the proof of payment is still there, it's just in
the card and can be read with appropriate equipment. I don't think
there's any suggestion that Oyster (or other) cards can appear to be
correctly validated as you get on the bus but then show no such
validation when interrogated later... the original post was about a
bus journey not appearing on the web site the next day (I think), and
in my experience it sometimes takes a day or two extra to show up.

Sorry I should have explained better

I don't get my journey history from the web site

I got it from a station doing a download of the info on the card so I am
certain that this journey wasn't registered on the card

Perhaps not, but was it registered on the central database? And if so,
were you charged anyway?

"Recliner" wrote in message
...
"tim......" wrote:
"Richard" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:32:06 +0000, Cliff Frisby
wrote:

I don't know whether I am mis-remembering something, but I thought it
was
obligatory for a bus operator to issue paper proof that you have paid
for
the journey you are making, assuming you don't already have it. The
purpose, I always assumed, was that it protected the innocent passenger
against false accusations of fare-dodging.
[...]
A piece of plastic with the information buried in an embedded chip
and/or a
remote computer under the sole control of the operator doesn't provide
any
sort of objective evidence, as far as I can see.

I would argue that the proof of payment is still there, it's just in
the card and can be read with appropriate equipment. I don't think
there's any suggestion that Oyster (or other) cards can appear to be
correctly validated as you get on the bus but then show no such
validation when interrogated later... the original post was about a
bus journey not appearing on the web site the next day (I think), and
in my experience it sometimes takes a day or two extra to show up.

Sorry I should have explained better

I don't get my journey history from the web site

I got it from a station doing a download of the info on the card so I am
certain that this journey wasn't registered on the card

Perhaps not, but was it registered on the central database? And if so,
were you charged anyway?

seems that by comparison with my previous statement you are right

I got the worst of all worlds he

no printed statement that I can use as a receipt (not that I need one for
this particular journey)

no proof, on my card at time of travel, that I had paid should an inspector
have got on

and no free ride either.

However,

I'm open to offers to stand an an "expert" witness should anybody want
evidence that Oyster isn't foolproof

tim

The wife asked me to top up her Oyster card on line so I was looking at her
previous travel to see how much she needed. A couple of weeks ago I saw that
she used the Overground to Willesden Junc but then no bus to to Willesden to
go to college but did use the bus on the way back.
I asked her what happened and sods law an inspector checked her card but she
said the reader didn't work. The inspector checked with driver who confirmed
it was not working. I guess she was lucky.

Kevin

"tim......" wrote in message ...

Got on the bus on Saturday, and concentrating on the stupid tiny little
screen so that I should see my remaining balance I didn't notice whether I
got a red/green light (or a beep)

When nothing came up on the screen I asked the driver if it had registered,
and she said no.

So I "tapped in" again and got "card already used for this journey", driver
looked bemused, I shrugged and sat down.

And now on obtaining a printout of my journey history I find that I didn't
make a registered bus journey at 18:00 on Saturday.

So how did that happen (and I dread to think what the conversation would
have been if an inspector got on - he wouldn't have believed me, would he!)?