While I was at Liverpool St on Tuesday I was concerned not to enter the tube
before 9:30 so as not to be charged peak fares.

So I sought out a staff member near the ticket machines (the ticket office
closed 19th October) to find out how I could be sure that the gates thought
it was 9:30 before I touched in. They don't display the time which would
answer my question. The one staff member supposedly helping passengers could
only advise me to use my watch.

While I was waiting to speak to that staff member present (so much for the
no doubt more numerous ticket office staff being posted to help passengers)
I overheard a bit of the conversation she was having with a distraught
passenger could couldn't get his Oyster card to work. I didn't get to find
out why but all she advised him to do was to go to the Oyster web site. His
distress was because he was unable to travel, something she appeared to be
confirming.

I find this very disturbing and a consequence of ticket office closures we
don't seem to have anticipated in discussions here.

The staff member was so badly trained she didn't even suggest he go to the
office there that is still open.

That point only occurred to me later, unfortunately. I didn't have time to
find out more as I had a meeting to get to by 10, hence my desire to enter
the tube promptly at 9:30.

--
Colin Rosenstiel