On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 02:58:08 +0100, Paul Weaver wrote:

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 20:50:07 +0000, Christian Hansen wrote:

Do be cautious out there. Was traveling home on the number 1. I was talking
with a friend I saw on the bus, and as we went to get off at the Elephant, a
guy was standing in the middle of the exit. I excused myself and he moved and
we got off.

Only later did I realise that my Oystercard wallet was missing.

Hmm, is that a valid excuse. On the bus, inspector comes on, claim you had
a pre-pay oyster but it's been lifted.

Same with the tube.

It didn't apply in this case, as I was getting off the bus at the time.

I don't know whether it would be a valid excuse were an inspector to demand it
while I was on the bus or the Tube (BTW, I can't remember the last time I
encountered an inspector on the Tube). I'm sure it's not the first time and it
won't be the last time that such a thing has happened.

Since Oystercards are cancellable, I should think that the inspector might
take into account genuine distress and such but I would expect that, just as
replacement tix while you are waiting for your new Oystercard are refundable,
any fine you might have to pay upon discovering the loss would be refundable
too. Couldn't go to that particular well twice, of course.

In connection with this, this morning, while waiting for the Oystercard phone
line to become active I got to the Oystercard website, finally figured out how
to log in (you have to go to the "Buy a card" link and you can then log in)
and only THEN discovered that you could report your card lost or stolen
online. This is a major lapse of their site design.

What they need to have is a big "Report your card lost or stolen" link on the
front page, with instructions to log in if you are an online purchaser, which
will bring you to the page where you report the card lost, or with the phone
number and hours of operation for those who are not online purchasers.

It allows you to specify which card (if you have more than one, which I don't)
is lost, and whether they need to supply you with a new photocard. They say
that someone will get in touch.

Oh, and once you're reported it missing they cancel it and you can't
reactivate it. So make darn sure it is lost before reporting it.
--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com
The British philosopher J. L. Austin came to Columbia and
pointed out that although two negatives make a positive,
nowhere is it the case that two positives make a negative.
"Yeah, yeah," Dr. Morgenbesser said.