This is actually a story that has originated from TfL, in a bid to try
and raise awareness of the need to touch-in and touch-out (see below
for the article itself). No mention of any OEP issues, instead this is
just the old requirement to touch-in and touch-out, which will always
be a requirement unless the ultra-radical notion of a flat fare ever
came to be (which will happen right after TfL's future introduction of
the innovative flying rugs of bacon hire scheme).

I note that unlike on the Tube or DLR the TOCs don't seem to be making
any effort to communicate to pax the need to "always touch-in and
always touch-out" when using Oyster PAYG. It might well be helpful if
the standalone readers at NR stations (the ones in stainless steel
boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied as is the case at some
DLR stations (looked by couldn't quickly find a photo). The ones
mounted on walls could have yellow flashes around them, a bit like the
ones at Finsbury Park in the tunnel walkway leading up from the tube
platforms. Of course this would all involve a bit of effort on the
TOCs part!

I dare say that there are a small minority of pax who are under the
illusion that they'll end up paying a cheaper fare if they don't touch-
out at the end of their journey - I've certainly overheard chit-chat
to this effect.

Anyhow here's the BBC News online story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8512142.stm

---quote---
Thousands use Oyster incorrectly on London trains

More than 32,000 commuters are using their Oyster cards incorrectly
since its introduction on mainline trains, Transport for London (TfL)
said.

Passengers are failing to touch in and out with their Oyster cards at
the start and end of each journey, resulting in a higher fare.

TfL said in January passengers had overpaid about £500,000.

It has sent out information reminding customers about the changes to
ensure they are charged the appropriate fare.

In the first few weeks of the operation which begun last month,
refunds were given to passengers who incurred incorrect charges.

Oyster 'inexperience'

A spokesperson said: "We have encouraged the Train Operating Companies
to use discretion when issuing penalty fares to Oyster pay-as-you-go
National Rail (NR) users during this time.

"If it was evident that a customer had not correctly touched in or out
due to inexperience of using Oyster as for some passengers this would
have been a significant ticketing change."

TfL has asked train companies to provide more facilities for commuters
to touch in and out at stations.

The new system allows passengers to use their Oyster cards to travel
on NR services as well as on the bus, tube and tram.

About 500,000 journeys are now being made on NR using pay-as-you-go
Oyster cards each week.

The number of incomplete journeys have fallen from 40,000 since the
roll-out of the new system and TfL expects that figure to decline
further.
---/quote---

In message
,
Mizter T writes

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

I wonder why other TOCs have installed them without this rather vital
overlay? Perhaps their loathing of Oyster is as great as TfL's loathing
of OEPs !
--
Paul Terry

On Feb 12, 4:51*pm, Paul Terry wrote:
In message
,
Mizter T writes

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

No, sorry, that's not what I meant - pretty much all the standalone
readers have the requisite yellow pad, unless someone's ripped it off
(though the yellow is more commonly lacking on gates).

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...
On Feb 12, 4:51 pm, Paul Terry wrote:
In message
,
Mizter T writes

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

No, sorry, that's not what I meant - pretty much all the standalone
readers have the requisite yellow pad, unless someone's ripped it off
(though the yellow is more commonly lacking on gates).

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.
-----------

I've always assumed that Oyster readers are painted grey and hidden in dark
corners for the precise purpose of ensuring people forget to tap in/out.
Tramlink are very fond of placing them at right angles to the movement of
passengers so they become almost invisible.

Given their importance to so many, they should of course be bright
yellow/orange, larger and placed so you virtually trip over them.

MaxB

On 12 Feb, 22:52, "Batman55" wrote:
"Mizter T" wrote in message

...
On Feb 12, 4:51 pm, Paul Terry wrote:

In message
,
Mizter T writes

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

No, sorry, that's not what I meant - pretty much all the standalone
readers have the requisite yellow pad, unless someone's ripped it off
(though the yellow is more commonly lacking on gates).

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.
-----------

I've always assumed that Oyster readers are painted grey and hidden in dark
corners for the precise purpose of ensuring people forget to tap in/out.
Tramlink are very fond of placing them at right angles to the movement of
passengers so they become almost invisible.

Given their importance to so many, they should of course be bright
yellow/orange, larger and placed so you virtually trip over them.

MaxB

The DLR's readers were notoriously badly placed, but they have been
adding a lot more recently. Not sure that they are necessarily better
placed, but there are certainly more of them and if they are in
different places from the exsting ones, they probably are better
placed ....

I haven't been to Heron Quays lately, where it was possible to leave
from the north end of the platform without going past any readers at
all, visible or not.

The Greenwich situation ought to have improved a lot. It used to be
possible to leave the front of a DLR train without passing a reader,
reasonably expecting to find a barrier or reader at the main station
exit, where there wasn't one.

Now there is, with Oyster on NR. I assume it terminates a DLR journey
correctly.

On Feb 12, 10:52*pm, "Batman55" wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote:

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.
-----------

I've always assumed that Oyster readers are painted grey and hidden in dark
corners for the precise purpose of ensuring people forget to tap in/out.
Tramlink are very fond of placing them at right angles to the movement of
passengers so they become almost invisible.

No need to tap out on Tramlink of course. One of the possible issues
with placement at trams stops is that pax could be coming from all
over - they're not stations and are thus not naturally funnelled
through an entrance. Of course such funnelling does exist to greater
and lesser extents at various tram stops,


Given their importance to so many, they should of course be bright
yellow/orange, larger and placed so you virtually trip over them.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Feb 12, 10:52 pm, "Batman55" wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote:

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.
-----------

I've always assumed that Oyster readers are painted grey and hidden in
dark
corners for the precise purpose of ensuring people forget to tap in/out.
Tramlink are very fond of placing them at right angles to the movement of
passengers so they become almost invisible.

No need to tap out on Tramlink of course. One of the possible issues
with placement at trams stops is that pax could be coming from all
over - they're not stations and are thus not naturally funnelled
through an entrance. Of course such funnelling does exist to greater
and lesser extents at various tram stops,


Given their importance to so many, they should of course be bright
yellow/orange, larger and placed so you virtually trip over them.

True, and all the more reason to make them really obvious!

MaxB

On Feb 12, 5:36*pm, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 12, 4:51*pm, Paul Terry wrote:

In message
,
Mizter T writes

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

No, sorry, that's not what I meant - pretty much all the standalone
readers have the requisite yellow pad, unless someone's ripped it off
(though the yellow is more commonly lacking on gates).

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.

I presume you mean these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teflon/4355538433/

Quite hard to miss, and not as ugly as they could be either.

On Feb 14, 1:07*pm, martin wrote:

On Feb 12, 5:36*pm, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 12, 4:51*pm, Paul Terry wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

It might well be helpful if the standalone readers at NR stations (the
ones in stainless steel boxes) had those bright yellow vinyls applied
as is the case at some DLR stations

All of the ones I've seen on SWT have yellow vinyl, like this one at
Fulwell:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4244150750/

No, sorry, that's not what I meant - pretty much all the standalone
readers have the requisite yellow pad, unless someone's ripped it off
(though the yellow is more commonly lacking on gates).

What I was referring to is yellow 'flashes' on the actual stainless
steel box constructions that contain them (which I recall Mr Thant
describing as looking like a school metalworks project!). I've tried
and failed to find a photo to illustrate what I mean, but they are
'decorated' in this manner at some DLR stations, the idea being to
draw passengers' attention towards them.

I presume you mean these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teflon/4355538433/

Quite hard to miss, and not as ugly as they could be either.

Yes, that's what I meant.