In message

MIG wrote:

On 3 Feb, 10:48, Graeme wrote:
In message
* * *
* * MIG wrote:





On 3 Feb, 09:44, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 3, 8:51*am, Graeme wrote:

In message * * * * *
David Hansen wrote:

On Tue, 2 Feb 2010 23:27:26 -0800 (PST) someone who may be
ticketyboo wrote this:-

Exactly what happens with Oyster: very many rarely used
(including mine) or never again used cards [1]. But, given the
very large gap between Oyster fares and cash fares, the
incentive is there to get an Oyster card when making only one
visit to London. There really ought to be an expiry date on
these type of cards in a metropolitan area - perhaps 3 years.

Why?

As I understand it the £3.00 fine for getting one covers the cost
of the card and provides a buffer against abuse.

Why this stupid insistence on using emotive words like 'fine' to
describe a simple deposit? *It just devalues any point you might
have.

Agreed - it's a feature of David Hansen's writing style that makes
reading his posts rather trying and hectoring.

The cards cost money to produce. The £3 deposit/ charge for them
encourages people to reuse them, rather than bin them.

"Fine" may be the wrong word, but "deposit" is at least as wrong.
"Price" would seem to cover it. *There is almost no realistic
opportunity to get the £3 back for the vast majority, and I don't
suppose it's the first thing on relatives' minds when someone dies.

It is a deposit, you can get it back when you finish with the card. *If
you don't then that is your choice. *I have surrendered a few cards
already and got my deposit on them back.

If it's a fine, it's a fine for losing the card. *I had one, lost it,
had to buy another one. *I don't expect to get the £3 back, but I may
pay another £3 when I lose this one ...

If you lose your umbrella then you'll have to pay for a new one. *Is the
cost of the umbrella a fine?

Of course not. It certainly isn't a deposit, which is what I was saying.
It's simply a price.

You said it was a fine for losing the card.



It's a bit annoying to know that if you did surrender one, it would be
binned anyway. *I once found someone's registered Oyster and handed it
in, only for it to dawn on me that it was probably going to be binned
without the person who registered it being informed (at least not
before they bought another one).

Why did you think that? *Did you see it binned?

See other response.

Assumption on your part with no evidence, other than paranoia, to back it up.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/