On 26 Mar 2006 11:01:01 -0800, "MIG"
wrote:

True. If you have some PAYG credit loaded on your Oyster, but haven't
touched in, it's no different from having money in your pocket and the
intention of paying at your destination. In a Penalty Fare area, you're
liable for a penalty in both cases.

I don't think it's the same, because you have already paid TfL for your
prepay credit which can only be used for travel.

It certainly *can* be used for travel, but won't be unless you
actually touch in and out.

So not touching in and out is still evading the fare. There are
stickers in Tube carriages saying you're liable for a Penalty Fare if
you don't have a valid ticket or "validated Oyster card".

I'm sure it's in the rules, but it's not obvious to the everyday
traveller that the gate which registers the fact that you've got a
valid travelcard at that station is "validating" your prepay, just in
case you go out of your zone.

Why not? How else would they validate it?

Is there a time limit on this validation?

2 hours has been mentioned here in the (not very recent) past.

One might have touched in several times before this and not touched
out. For example, if you regularly travelled from Oxford Circus to
Canary Wharf and back with a zone 1 and 2 travelcard, all your
touchings in and out would be at Oxford Circus (to get through the
gates).

Only if you weren't following the instruction to always touch in and
out.

If one day you got back in the DLR and headed for West Ruislip
via Bank, would the previous touching in at Oxford Circus be deemed to
be the start of your journey, or would it work out that you'd taken too
long?

If you exceeded the time limit for that journey, presumably you'd end
up with two unresolved journeys, one unfinished and the other
unstarted.