"M J Forbes" wrote in
:

Not that it would cost anything to beep it, but any inspector who
didn't understand about travelcards ... mind you, an SWT guard within
London told me that a travelcard could only be used on one NR trip,
and insisted on scribbling his mark on it (a paper one).

Been there, got the T-shirt (it's blue, if anyone cares) Bought an OP
ODTC in the morning, went to London, shouted at a few people, then
headed home. The problem that I had arose when I got off the train at
Portsmouth & Southsea, and asked to retain the ticket as "I'll be back
in London later". The RPI assumed, incorrectly, that I wanted to
re-use the ticket to get a later train back to the capital, whereas I
was actually getting a lift back up. A bit of head-scratching by the
RPI at Portsmouth ensued, until I actually said "why don't you just
scribble something like 'valid within zones 1-6 only', so I can't use
it before I get back up there?". "Good point", he said as he
scribbled on the ticket, smiled and handed it back to me.


There's an easier way out: just say to him that you need to keep the ticket
to get a refund from expenses at work.

It's what I've done. Although careful, as some inspectors like to tear the
card slightly as they give it back.