On Thu, 03 May 2007 13:15:19 -0400, David of Broadway wrote:

I don't think the system would like you finishing at the same station
you started at - I imagine either the gates would reject your card on
exit (this happens if you enter and then try to leave immediately), or
you'd be charged £8 for two unresolved journeys (one starting at the
station, the other finishing there).

Really? What if you enter the station and then realize that you forgot
something important at home or in the office?

Tough luck, I suppose. You'd have to ask the gateline staff to let you
back out, then phone the Oyster helpline and see if they'll remove the
£4 charge.

But let's suppose instead that
you end your journey one station from where you started, and walk
home.

The main sticking point is this:
"10.2. If we believe that you have used or tried to use any ticket or
Oyster card to defraud us we may cancel and not re-issue it. If this
happens, we will not give you a refund of the remaining value of the
ticket, or refund any money or deposit paid for the Oyster card."

So it's worth keeping your PAYG balance low if doing this, in case you
run into an unsympathetic ticket inspector.

But that begs the question, IMO. Is the above behavior fraudulent?

I don't think I can give an objective answer to that question. My
point was that if, *in the opinion of the particular ticket inspector*
at that particular time, you are committing fraud (by making a "Z1-6
journey" but only paying for a Z6 one), that's enough to get you your
Oyster confiscated, along with all your PAYG credit.