Paul Corfield wrote:

On Fri, 6 May 2011 06:13:21 -0700 (PDT), solar penguin
wrote:


Paul Corfield wrote:

On this basis I have a RATP Mobilis card (their version of a ODTC but
you have a ID card), a Singapore EZ Pass, Hong Kong Octopus and Tokyo
Suica. I've had magnetic Metrocards in Hong Kong and paper "seasons"
in other cities. I cannot claim to know all the ins and outs of these
fare systems but I do what most people will do and that is search the
web and do a bit of research beforehand.

Is that what "most people" do? Really? Have you got any surveys to
back you up on this?

No surveys to prove it. Do you have some surveys to disprove my point?
We can trade points like this all day if you'd like ;-)

_You're_ the one making the claim. It's _your_ claim so it's up to
_you_ to prove it, not up to me to disprove it.


I know I've never looked up how to pay for the local public transport
before taking a trip somewhere. Check whether there is any public
transport nearby, yes. But nothing more. And I know people who don't
even do that much.

OK so some people are different. If people don't bother to the extent
that you are suggesting I do rather wonder why operators in all these
foreign places bother to put any helpful info on their websites in
English for visitors. Why not let them wallow in their ignorance and use
taxis rather than public transport during their visit?

If people don't research before travel I wonder why we get so many posts
on here from potential visitors about how tickets work, what trains to
catch, how to use the buses etc etc?

I never said that no-one ever does research. I'm just questioning
your claim that "most people" do it.

While I suppose I might be deemed an "expert user" here in London I
can't be said to be that in these other places. I cannot recall ever
being wrongly charged nor have I been caught out by the system other
than a couple of times in Paris.

Compare that with how often London's Oyster goes wrong, and it's
obvious that TfL must be doing something wrong somewhere.

So you're prepared to accept my single example based on a few trips as
some sort of proof that TfL's system is broken.

At least that _is_ a real example based on real trips, not something
you've just made up with no evidence at all.

Even a little evidence is still better than none.

There may be all sorts
of problems going on with these other systems that I have never fallen
across.

But compare that with how easy it is to fall across problems with
Oyster PAYG. It's unlikely you could use it for even a few trips
without coming across some sort of problem. That's the difference.

You just don't like Oyster - that's fine. However don't try to
"get me" over having survey evidence and then using a sample of one to
support your dislike of Oyster in the same thread!! It's not exactly a
consistent position.

I'm sorry for thinking "a sample of one" was more than nothing at
all. You see, I have this old-fashioned idea that one is somehow more
than none. Obviously that doesn't apply in the topsy-turvy world of
Oyster...