SWT checking tickets
 

Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

Have to say, the gates work pretty well, although did come across some
machines that wouldn't let any of us on paper tickets out the other
week.

But, seriously, my ticket is checked by machine getting through the
barriers both ends, do you really need a visual check as well?
Treating us all like bloody criminals, I may start refusing to show my
ticket to the guard as they now have ample checks and six times a day
takes the p*ss.

SWT checking tickets
 

"elyob" wrote in message
...
Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

Have to say, the gates work pretty well, although did come across some
machines that wouldn't let any of us on paper tickets out the other
week.

But, seriously, my ticket is checked by machine getting through the
barriers both ends, do you really need a visual check as well?

They might still be checking for people who may have joined at the large
proportion of unbarriered stations, or who have changed from an unbarriered
connecting service, looking especially for those attempting to use tickets
for only part of the journey.

Perhaps there has been a remarkable increase in sales of Vauxhall - Waterloo
seasons?

Paul S

SWT checking tickets
 

On Mar 17, 10:48*am, "Paul Scott"
wrote:
"elyob" wrote in message

...

Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

Have to say, the gates work pretty well, although did come across some
machines that wouldn't let any of us on paper tickets out the other
week.

But, seriously, my ticket is checked by machine getting through the
barriers both ends, do you really need a visual check as well?

They might still be checking for people who may have joined at the large
proportion of unbarriered stations, or who have changed from an unbarriered
connecting service, looking especially for those attempting to use tickets
for only part of the journey.

Perhaps there has been a remarkable increase in sales of Vauxhall - Waterloo
seasons?


Well, true. But it just seems that SWT have upped their checking. But
I guess I just get a bit peeved as I have to carry luggage through the
"manned" gate at my station. The people are never there at rush hour,
and sometimes can be wandering off somewhere else.

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton, no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.

SWT checking tickets
 

elyob wrote:

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton, no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.

Too many trains come in at once and also, IIRC, passengers are able to move
between platforms behind barriers so there's no way one can fairly assume
what stations a passenger could and couldn't have used. You also have the
problem of the trains not running to time or making unscheduled pick-ups,
let alone interchanges and extensions (e.g. if I come in on a Woking fast
and use my travelcard how does it know I've also got a paper extension?) so
there'd be no end of legitimate passengers held up.

SWT checking tickets
 

On 17 Mar, 10:14, elyob wrote:
Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

I don't know if it is you, but I have been commuting from Waterloo to
Wandsworth Town for about 13 months... I've been checked exactly once
on the train, about 8 months ago I believe. Never had a check at
Wandsworth Town station either. Where do you get checked and what
route do you take?

SWT checking tickets
 

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton, no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.

That wouldn't work due to the high number of trains coming in and the
fact that people are legally allowed to us any of the gates they can
reach, also those nearer to other platforms. It would be pretty much
impossible to program the system in this way.

SWT checking tickets
 

On 17 Mar, 12:18, elyob wrote:
On Mar 17, 10:48*am, "Paul Scott"
wrote:





"elyob" wrote in message

....

Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

Have to say, the gates work pretty well, although did come across some
machines that wouldn't let any of us on paper tickets out the other
week.

But, seriously, my ticket is checked by machine getting through the
barriers both ends, do you really need a visual check as well?

They might still be checking for people who may have joined at the large
proportion of unbarriered stations, or who have changed from an unbarriered
connecting service, looking especially for those attempting to use tickets
for only part of the journey.

Perhaps there has been a remarkable increase in sales of Vauxhall - Waterloo
seasons?

Well, true. But it just seems that SWT have upped their checking. But
I guess I just get a bit peeved as I have to carry luggage through the
"manned" gate at my station. The people are never there at rush hour,
and sometimes can be wandering off somewhere else.

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton, no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

There is usually a space to pass luggage through in a manual gate -
you can put your luggage through there and then use the ticket gate to
exit yourself, picking your bag up from the other side of the space in
the manual gate.

Unless your luggage is too big, you don't need a manned gate.

SWT checking tickets
 

elyob wrote


Well, true. But it just seems that SWT have upped their checking. But
I guess I just get a bit peeved as I have to carry luggage through the
"manned" gate at my station. The people are never there at rush hour,
and sometimes can be wandering off somewhere else.

What station ? There may be a schedule to upgrade to a manual
double-wide gate.

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton, no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.

Nope, the new Waterloo layout has free flow airside of the barriers
(and the subway at peak times too).

BTW, a giggle from (Waterloo) Update 04 leaflet.

"The introduction of the gates .... brings a substantial increase ...
with around 100 additional staff to work the gates and offer assistance
to travelers."

--
Mike D

SWT checking tickets
 

SWT checking tickets
 

On 17 Mar, 20:03, "Paul Scott" wrote:
wrote:
There is usually a space to pass luggage through in a manual gate -
you can put your luggage through there and then use the ticket gate to
exit yourself, picking your bag up from the other side of the space in
the manual gate.

Not any more. The installation at Waterloo has a fairly high proportion of
'wide gates'. There are no manual gates as such, they are all mag stripe
ticket or Oyster card operated.

Paul S

Yes, the introduction of wide gates is an improvement over the rather
lax loophole that is a manual gate.

Having said that, they may not always be quick enough to only let one
person through.

SWT checking tickets
 

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:52:11 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Yes, the introduction of wide gates is an improvement over the rather
lax loophole that is a manual gate.

Having said that, they may not always be quick enough to only let one
person through.

Good. When I use the wide gates it is to get more than one person
through on one ticket. I don't think my 3 year old would like it
if the gates slammed shut on her or me.

David

SWT checking tickets
 

On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 03:14:20AM -0700, elyob wrote:

But, seriously, my ticket is checked by machine getting through the
barriers both ends, do you really need a visual check as well?

Not everyone's ticket is checked at both ends. There are plenty of
ungated stations on SWT's nyetwork, and of course some people won't have
started their journey on SWT at all, having changed at Clapham Junction.

Treating us all like bloody criminals, I may start refusing to show my
ticket to the guard as they now have ample checks and six times a day
takes the p*ss.

You do that. Your consequent whinging here about what happens will be
most amusing.

--
David Cantrell | Official London Perl Mongers Bad Influence

Guns aren't the problem. People who deserve to die are the problem.

SWT checking tickets
 

"elyob" wrote ...
Is it me or are the guards now checking the tickets on the trains even
more since they installed the gates at Waterloo?

One possible reason is their need to maintain their income - in the 'olden
days', they'd get a commission on on-train sales, and wouldn't have to work
too hard to get a reasonable fee. With gates forcing more advance sales,
they may have to check more people to make sales and/or find penalty
passengers.

Treating us all like bloody criminals, I may start refusing to show my
ticket to the guard as they now have ample checks

Careful; not only are you legally required to show ticket when asked, one of
the penalties for failing to show is being banned from the line.

It'll settle down - but revenue protection is a good way to avoid
subsidising thieves, and ultimately may slow down fair rises by a few pence
per year.
--

Andrew

"She plays the tuba.
It is the only instrument capable
of imitating a distress call."

SWT checking tickets
 

David Cantrell wrote in news:20090318112707.GC13254
@bytemark.barnyard.co.uk:

SWT's nyetwork

If that's not deliberate, it's possibly the best typo ever!

SWT checking tickets
 

"Tim Roll-Pickering" wrote:
elyob wrote:

Wouldn't it be easy enough to let the gates know which train has
come
in and then check the validity? i.e. if it's a fast from Surbiton,
no
way could a Vauxhall be valid.

Too many trains come in at once and also, IIRC, passengers are able to
move
between platforms behind barriers so there's no way one can fairly
assume
what stations a passenger could and couldn't have used.

Indeed-and at Victoria this is an essential part of the pedestrian flow
(i.e. a trainful of experienced commuters arriving on plat 3 will know
to spread out and use all 3 barrier lines, thus dispersing incoming
passengers much more quickly than if they were limited to the centre
gateline).

--
Current nearest station: City Thameslink