Larry Lard wrote:
Also it'll be interesting to see if I get the same hassle tomorrow if
it's the same staff.

Different staff today, but my ticket wasn't checked at Waterloo East as
there were simply too many people for them to check everyone.

However, on the train between Waterloo and Feltham, the inspector on
the train could only read my Zone 1&2 ticket! He was quite happy to
accept the paper receipt for the Zone 3-6 bit though. There really
must be some sort of problem with those hand-held machines, that
they're only able to show one travelcard, even though Oyster can hold
three, and it is random which travelcard slot they pick up.

On ticket checking, though, sometimes you do feel as if it's total
overkill. On a "good" day, my ticket is checked five times in a 55
minute period: once at Deptford, once at Waterloo East, once at
Waterloo, once on the train between Waterloo & Feltham, and once at the
gates at Feltham station. Never seen anyone checking on the train on
the Deptford-Waterloo East bit. Are there really *that* many fare
evaders during peak times to make all this effort cost effective?

No answer from SE Trains yet regarding yesterday's debacle...

Patrick

wrote:
On ticket checking, though, sometimes you do feel as if it's total
overkill. On a "good" day, my ticket is checked five times in a 55
minute period: once at Deptford, once at Waterloo East, once at
Waterloo, once on the train between Waterloo & Feltham, and once at the
gates at Feltham station. Never seen anyone checking on the train on
the Deptford-Waterloo East bit. Are there really *that* many fare
evaders during peak times to make all this effort cost effective?

I guess there would be without the checks.

Having said that I travel High Brooms to Charing Cross. In the last 16
trips, I've not been checked on the train once (always a guard walking
through offering to sell tickets, but never checks), I was checked Once
at high brooms (Walked right past the RPI, passed up to the end of the
platform (about 8 cars away), and folded my bike. Then he turned up
complaining that I hadn't shown him my ticket (he hadn't asked), which
I duely did.

Obviosuly always checked at Charing Cross, although presumably a Z1-2
oyster should work the gates (I could have come from Waterloo East),
took the Embankment way out once, no checks.

I guess that us long distance commuters a a more honest class of people


Checked a lot more offpeak though, when I used to commute.