On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:44:43 +0000, David Cantrell
wrote:

On Tue, Feb 27, 2007 at 05:17:47PM +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

I travelled on the RV1 on Saturday from London Bridge to Aldwych. The
bus was very busy and it was mildly amusing to watch people variously
touch their saver ticket on the Oyster pad, not know to tear their Saver
ticket in half along the perforation, show their Oyster card to the
driver but upside down and touch a One Day Travelcard on the Oyster pad.
I think all of the "victims" were tourists but it made me consider just
how confusing our various ticketing options are to them.

No more confusing, really, than the ticketing options anywhere else.

Oh granted. It was the first time I'd really noticed the confusion first
hand.

That doesn't mean that they shouldn't be fixed, but just you try
figgering out the best tickets to get for - say - a group of four people
in Dusseldorf who want to stay in the city centre for three days but
take one side-trip to the Neanderthal Museum.

My solution, by the way, was to not bother. Taxis between Hbf and
hotel, walk everywhere in town, return ticket from Hbf to $somewhere,
and pay cash for the buses between there and the museum. Much easier.

I agree some ticket products - particularly group ones - can be rather
complex. However I do struggle with the apparent resistance of people
not to get an PAYG Oyster card even if it does involve payment of a
deposit. I had an Octopus card for HK for many years even though I only
visited every 1-2 years. It took seconds to get it checked and
re-enabled if it had become blacklisted through lack of use. Similarly I
was in Singapore last Christmas and about my first purchase was the E-Z
link card for MRT and Buses. You pay for the card *and* a deposit *and*
travel value but the convenience factor far outweighs these costs in my
view. I didn't surrender it before leaving but will keep it for a return
visit.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!