Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

There still aren't any.

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Why not just show it to him then?
--
Michael Hoffman

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:53:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Why not just show it to him then?

I did, whilst explaining to him in great detail why it was pointless.

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:53:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...
Why not just show it to him then?

I did, whilst explaining to him in great detail why it was pointless.

Well, if you claim to have an Oyster card but can't provide one, that
means you owe a fare.

If you have an Oyster card which can't be checked, then you might not
owe a fare.

So I wouldn't fault the guard for doing a small bit of diligence to
check that you actually have a card.
--
Michael Hoffman

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:05:36 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:53:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...
Why not just show it to him then?

I did, whilst explaining to him in great detail why it was pointless.

Well, if you claim to have an Oyster card but can't provide one, that
means you owe a fare.

If you have an Oyster card which can't be checked, then you might not
owe a fare.

So I wouldn't fault the guard for doing a small bit of diligence to
check that you actually have a card.

What's the difference between me showing an Oyster wallet (reasonably
distinctive, I would think) and actually showing him the card? None.

I have a couple of empty cards at home that I use for prepay when I
have guests visiting London. I could quite happily travel free on HC,
apparently.

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:

What's the difference between me showing an Oyster wallet (reasonably
distinctive, I would think) and actually showing him the card?

The card.
--
Michael Hoffman

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:28:17 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

What's the difference between me showing an Oyster wallet (reasonably
distinctive, I would think) and actually showing him the card?

The card.

Which tells him precisely nothing, as I explained.

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:28:17 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:

What's the difference between me showing an Oyster wallet (reasonably
distinctive, I would think) and actually showing him the card?
The card.

Which tells him precisely nothing, as I explained.

Suit yourself.
--
Michael Hoffman

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:48:42 +0100, James Farrar
wrote:

Which tells him precisely nothing, as I explained.

It tells him that you have one, valid or not...

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:41:18 GMT, (Neil
Williams) wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:48:42 +0100, James Farrar
wrote:

Which tells him precisely nothing, as I explained.

It tells him that you have one, valid or not...

So he doesn't know that I have a valid ticket for travel. He knew that
without asking me anything...

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:
There still aren't any.

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Are you sure? Last year, somebody asked me to present my Oyster card on
Heathrow Connect between Ealing Broadway and Paddington. He touched it
to some sort of electronic device and was satisfied by what it informed him.

(That's quite unlike the woman on DLR, who was satisfied when I pulled
an Oyster wallet out of my pocket. For all she knew, I had stuffed it
with MetroCards.)
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:15:22 -0400, David of Broadway
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:
There still aren't any.

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Are you sure? Last year, somebody asked me to present my Oyster card on
Heathrow Connect between Ealing Broadway and Paddington. He touched it
to some sort of electronic device and was satisfied by what it informed him.

Quite sure. I travel on HC fairly regularly, and the and-held readers
disappeared early this year, IIRC, and haven't been seen since.

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:57:14 +0100, James Farrar
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:15:22 -0400, David of Broadway
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:
There still aren't any.

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...

Are you sure? Last year, somebody asked me to present my Oyster card on
Heathrow Connect between Ealing Broadway and Paddington. He touched it
to some sort of electronic device and was satisfied by what it informed
him.

Quite sure. I travel on HC fairly regularly, and the and-held readers
disappeared early this year, IIRC, and haven't been seen since.

Well, I travel on HC fairly regularly and was surprised by on-board staff
just last week with an oyster reader. I even commented to him, "Oh, you've
got Oyster readers now?". "Not really", he said, "Just borrowed this one!"
I must add, I've always found the HC staff very friendly.

--
Fig

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:15:22 -0400, David of Broadway
wrote:

James Farrar wrote:
There still aren't any.

I had an argument with a guard when he (pointlessly) wanted to see my
Oyster card...
Are you sure? Last year, somebody asked me to present my Oyster card on
Heathrow Connect between Ealing Broadway and Paddington. He touched it
to some sort of electronic device and was satisfied by what it informed him.

Quite sure. I travel on HC fairly regularly, and the and-held readers
disappeared early this year, IIRC, and haven't been seen since.

Ah, so we're both right. I was last in London in August 2006.
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

Oyster readers on Heathrow Connect
 

James Farrar wrote:
There still aren't any.

Well, I travel on HC fairly regularly and was surprised by on-board
staff just last week with an oyster reader. I even commented to him,
"Oh, you've got Oyster readers now?". "Not really", he said, "Just
borrowed this one!"

Bad form to follow-up my own post but, the staff on HC had a handheld
reader again today. (Although it wasn't powerful enough to read through my
wallet, despite the fact all the other readers it meets are, so I still
forced to get it out and show it to him!)

--
Fig