I've been away from London for several months, but on my return (and
after Oyster had gone live) I've noticed that irritatingly my
(traditional card / mag stripe) annual gold card now prompts an error at
all the underground gates I've gone through - both entrance and exit
gates - which means delay, and having to ask to be let through a gate by
an operative waiving their Oyster card. Yet at main line rail terminals
London Charing Cross and London Bridge there's been no problems at all
with the gates.

Is this an unintended consequence of Oyster? Or is something else the
cause? Anyone else experiencing the same enhanced service?

The gold card runs 'til next May, so I guess that's when I'll get an
Oyster card ..... but having to put up with this hassle for another 5 or
so months is a pain.

Dominic Pinto wrote:
I've been away from London for several months, but on my return (and
after Oyster had gone live) I've noticed that irritatingly my
(traditional card / mag stripe) annual gold card now prompts an error at
all the underground gates I've gone through - both entrance and exit
gates - which means delay, and having to ask to be let through a gate by
an operative waiving their Oyster card. Yet at main line rail terminals
London Charing Cross and London Bridge there's been no problems at all
with the gates.
Is this an unintended consequence of Oyster? Or is something else the
cause? Anyone else experiencing the same enhanced service?

I have a Gold card and it works fine. Expires in the next few months.

The gold card runs 'til next May, so I guess that's when I'll get an
Oyster card ..... but having to put up with this hassle for another 5 or
so months is a pain.

It's probably just something on the ticket - some gates are more
sensitive to these things than others. Just pop down to your
home station and ask for a replacement.

Next time it happens - look for the error number on the gate, or ask the
operative what the number is. That would help us find out what is wrong.
Alan

"Dominic Pinto" wrote in message
...
I've been away from London for several months, but on my return (and
after Oyster had gone live) I've noticed that irritatingly my
(traditional card / mag stripe) annual gold card now prompts an error at
all the underground gates I've gone through - both entrance and exit
gates - which means delay, and having to ask to be let through a gate by
an operative waiving their Oyster card. Yet at main line rail terminals
London Charing Cross and London Bridge there's been no problems at all
with the gates.

Is this an unintended consequence of Oyster? Or is something else the
cause? Anyone else experiencing the same enhanced service?

The gold card runs 'til next May, so I guess that's when I'll get an
Oyster card ..... but having to put up with this hassle for another 5 or
so months is a pain.

"Andrew Paul Bowden" wrote in message
...
Dominic Pinto wrote:

It's probably just something on the ticket - some gates are more
sensitive to these things than others. Just pop down to your
home station and ask for a replacement.

That does make sense, but there is another possibility.

The Oyster card is tied to the Photocard number of the user, as is the paper
ticket number. I suspect that LUL have stopped the use of the paper ticket
in this case, except for the main London Terminal(s) it would normally be
used at.

It would prevent the use of what is effectively the same ticket by two
different people - Revenue Protection.

On a related note - my local Mainline station has not got the proximity
readers required to interface with Oyster cards. I have asked a member real
staff (not these contract guards that seem to think they own the railways)
about it but they tell me that the station IS NOT going to get the readers,
despite being in Z6.

I am getting fed up with having to explain the concept of Oyster to these
contract guards and the fact that cards do not go through readers, the fact
that it is perfectly valid for use at that station and that it's their fault
it can't be read, not mine. I have been asked to produce a proof of
purchase, but as I renew on line that is easier said than done.

What annoys me more is that the TOC for this line are happy to take their
share of the London Travel "pot" but will do nothing to move with the times
vis. Oyster. I dread to think what will happen when weeklies go "Oyster"
later this year, that'll mean over half their customers have tickets that
can't be read.

RayB


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On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:48 +0000 (UTC), "RayB"
wrote:


(snipped)

What annoys me more is that the TOC for this line are happy to take their
share of the London Travel "pot" but will do nothing to move with the times
vis. Oyster. I dread to think what will happen when weeklies go "Oyster"
later this year, that'll mean over half their customers have tickets that
can't be read.

RayB

It is my understanding that Oyster is an LT/TfL initiative which the
mainline TOCs went along with. Whilst there is the significant
likelhood of a financial payback on TfL services, mainline companies
have less to gain. Especially as they have already invested in ticket
gates and revenue protection staff since privatisation in order to
shore up their farebox takings.

Rob

"Rob" _rjayjaycox_at_nildram_dot_co_dot_uk_nodot wrote in message
...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:48 +0000 (UTC), "RayB"
wrote:


(snipped)

What annoys me more is that the TOC for this line are happy to take their
share of the London Travel "pot" but will do nothing to move with the
times
vis. Oyster. I dread to think what will happen when weeklies go "Oyster"
later this year, that'll mean over half their customers have tickets that
can't be read.

RayB

It is my understanding that Oyster is an LT/TfL initiative which the
mainline TOCs went along with. Whilst there is the significant
likelhood of a financial payback on TfL services, mainline companies
have less to gain. Especially as they have already invested in ticket
gates and revenue protection staff since privatisation in order to
shore up their farebox takings.

Rob

Overheard a fellow passenger yapping to a friend on SWT a few weeks ago:

'I'm surprised others haven't caught onto this Oyster scam yet. You only
have to pay for zone 1 but the checkers at Waterloo can't tell'.

So already the fare evaders have cottoned onto this. The TOC's better get
their skates on and buy electronic readers soon or they'll be paying for
checkers and still lose revenue......

Colin

On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:48 +0000 (UTC), "RayB"
wrote:


The Oyster card is tied to the Photocard number of the user, as is the paper
ticket number. I suspect that LUL have stopped the use of the paper ticket
in this case, except for the main London Terminal(s) it would normally be
used at.

Why would they do this to a valid paper ticket?


It would prevent the use of what is effectively the same ticket by two
different people - Revenue Protection.

But he only has one ticket?

In message , K
writes
On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:48 +0000 (UTC), "RayB"
wrote:


The Oyster card is tied to the Photocard number of the user, as is the paper
ticket number. I suspect that LUL have stopped the use of the paper ticket
in this case, except for the main London Terminal(s) it would normally be
used at.

Why would they do this to a valid paper ticket?


It would prevent the use of what is effectively the same ticket by two
different people - Revenue Protection.

But he only has one ticket?


You may be interested to know that a Pre Pay Oyster (obviously one that
isn't also holding any sort of season ticket) will be completely
transferable; as an unvalidated carnet is now.
--
Kat

"Kat" wrote in message
...
In message , K
writes
On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 17:50:48 +0000 (UTC), "RayB"
wrote:


The Oyster card is tied to the Photocard number of the user, as is the
paper
ticket number. I suspect that LUL have stopped the use of the paper
ticket
in this case, except for the main London Terminal(s) it would normally
be
used at.

Why would they do this to a valid paper ticket?


It would prevent the use of what is effectively the same ticket by two
different people - Revenue Protection.

But he only has one ticket?


You may be interested to know that a Pre Pay Oyster (obviously one that
isn't also holding any sort of season ticket) will be completely
transferable; as an unvalidated carnet is now.

I take it (or hope) that the pre pay Oyster is scheduled for release before
the fares change in January, given that there are discounted fares available
on Oyster?

Speaking of which, whose idea was the flat £1.80 single fare to outside Z1
at weekends? Genius. It'll certainly encourage me to use the tube at
weekends.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7