On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:42:18 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:

On 18 Feb, 16:40, Offramp wrote:
On Feb 18, 4:13 pm, "John L." wrote:

I'm taking my family to london this summer and was trying to determine which
card was better - Travel Card or Oyster Card. We'll be traveling within
Zones 1 & 2 mainly.

Thanks for the help!

3 Oyster cards are better at least because it is hard for people
sitting down to destroy them.


I wouldn't be so sure of that. I'm pretty sure that I managed to break
three Oyster cards because I kept them in my back trouser pocket all
the time - force of habit meant that's where I had kept my tickets all
the years. I might have had my suspicions after the second, but was
only sure of this after the third! AIUI basically what happens is that
the tiny antennae in the card break when the card gets bent enough -
and that's exactly what I was subjecting mine to day after day after
day!

You would be correct. In Hong Kong they ran a campaign to advise people
not to put their Octopus cards in back pockets simply because repeatedly
sitting on the card does result in internal breakages. They trialled
protective plastic cases for the cards - I had one given to me when I
visited MTRC a number of years ago.

There was also a campaign to stop people flicking their tickets but I
think that was for the old magnetic SVT tickets rather than Octopus.
That again was to stop damage to the ticket and the encoded data.

And yes, I now keep my Oyster card elsewhere about my person, and
haven't had a problem at all. Don't get me wrong - I think they're
pretty rugged, just don't keep them in your back pockets!

Is the right answer.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!