I thought I generally understood Oyster, but I seem to have confused
myself last weekend.

I was coming in to London Bridge from East Croydon on an FCC train,
using a paper ticket single because my PAYG Oyster isn't valid on that
route. When I got off the train at London Bridge there were standalone
Oyster validators on the platform.

Now this was the first time I'd been to the station, so not knowing the
layout I assumed that there would be a non-gated interchange to the tube
and so touched my Oyster onto the validator. Shortly afterwards
(following the "London Underground this way" signs) I went through the
exit barrier which took my paper ticket, and then I had to go through a
standard tube barrier which classed my Oyster touch as an entry, and
hence levied a £5 maximum cash fare on my card, for the earlier touch on
the NR platform validator.

OK, so I made a mistake. I phoned the Oyster helpline and got it
refunded. But my point is, I had no way to know whether or not to use
the standalone on-platform validators. The NR/tube interchange I'm most
familiar is Stratford, and if I was getting off a NR train there to
change to, say, the Central Line, I *would* be required to use the
validators as there's nowhere else to touch in.

Perhaps the on-platform validators need some kind of explanatory notice
nearby to let travellers know when they should and shouldn't be used?


Iain