London Banter - View Single Post - Oyster incomplete journeys

MIG · October 28th 06, 06:39 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
James Farrar wrote:
People have been cheating the system ever since it was introduced. Too
****ing right it gets clamped down on.

Too right, its about time something was done to stop it.

MIG wrote:
And the option that remains, if you don't want to get ripped off, is to
keep on cheating.

Explain why charging someone who has already paid the maximum for the
day should be charged an extra £4 when it is known that they can't
possibly be avoiding any fare that they would actually pay?

I don't have the info in front of me right now (maybe Paul C has some
handy...) but the problem remains that someone may travel zones 1-2 to
receive a cap, then have an unresolved journey which MAY take them out
to zone D, where they avoid touching out because, as you said, they
have already capped, and they may think they'll get away with a free
trip up the met.

I personally can't see a better way to sort the problem of incorrect
Oyster useage than to stamp down on it, however I'm sure if there is a
way that is fairer for everyone, you should suggest it to the company.

1) Don't create new crimes just for the sake of punishing them (ie the
evil crime of forgetting to touch out, despite having fully paid your
way for the day).

2) Don't clamp down on people for not using Oyster until Oyster is
fully available (ie the £4 cash fare).

3) Don't simultaneously clamp down on mistakes and make it more
difficult to correct mistakes.

4) Sell paper extension tickets at £1 for people who can show a valid
paper travelcard for part of their journey, so that you don't end up
paying £4 for forgetting to get off the train at the boundary, go to
the exit, touch, go back to the platform, wait for another train ...

Bear in mind that if you forget to touch in somewhere non-gated (eg on
DLR), you now have no option but to avoid touching out, thereby
avoiding the fare altogether (unless already capped). You don't have
the option of paying the correct fare, and the fare of £1 that you
would have been prepared to pay is lost. Unjust systems encourage
evasion.