On 23/05/2012 13:35, CJB wrote:
So, how do TOC's expect children to buy a ticket, when they are too
young to get a bank or credit card ?

Bevan

Which is precisely the case on First Great Western stations between
Reading and Paddington.

Late at night I've seen some youngsters (under 18) too frightened to
board a train without a ticket because they haven't got a credit card
or their Oyster has run out and the ticketing machines are either out-
of-order or don't take cash anyway. And I have had so many reports of
youngsters being bullied by gateline staff at Ealing Broadway and
Paddington if they turn up without a ticket. This means that many
decide to walk - if a bus wont take them - through some of the most
dangerous areas in West London.

Is telling ticket gate staff that a machine is broken really more
dangerous than "the most dangerous areas in West London"?

How many 16-17 year olds don't have a bank card these days (under 16
would presuambly get free bus travel with the Oyster)?

But this refusal to take cash by ticketing machines is a national
disgrace.

In fact in London this affects not only youngsters but also tourists -
and with the Olympic crowds estimated to be 500,000 EXTRA visitors -
National Rail and the traincos really do need to sort out this
ticketing farce and stop deliberately inconveniencing potential
customers.

International disgrace - look at the Dutch state railway TVM issues
(unless they've fixed it?).

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK