Oyster top-up increased to ukp8
 

"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it
is automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure
that all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on
their cards for any journey they wish to make."
--
Roland Perry

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

"Roland Perry" wrote:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it is
automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure that
all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on their
cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation to
*Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the £5 minimum top-up rule at
Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always enforced).

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 23, 1:08*pm, "Mizter T" wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it is
automatically topped up is changing from 5 to 8. This is to ensure that
all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on their
cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation to
*Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the 5 minimum top-up rule at
Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always enforced).

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

Oyster top-up threshold increased to ukp8
 

In message , at 13:08:59 on
Tue, 23 Nov 2010, Mizter T remarked:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before
it is automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to
ensure that all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough
credit on their cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation
to *Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the £5 minimum top-up
rule at Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always
enforced)

Yes, I unfortunately missed out a word - now included.
--
Roland Perry

Oyster top-up threshold increased to ukp8
 

"Roland Perry" wrote:

In message , at 13:08:59 on Tue,
23 Nov 2010, Mizter T remarked:

"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it
is automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure
that all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on
their cards for any journey they wish to make."

Slightly misleading original subject line though - this is in relation to
*Auto* top-up, and is not to be confused with the £5 minimum top-up rule
at Tube station ticket offices (which seemingly isn't always enforced)

Yes, I unfortunately missed out a word - now included.


I just thought I'd clarify it quickly so as to try and avert any misplaced
red mist descending amongst our contributors!

(If I'm being a pedant I'm not sure a subject line that includes "top-up
threshold" without any mention of "auto" is necessarily that much clearer -
but pedantry aside the body of your post made clear what this was about.)

Would be interesting to know broadly what proportion of Oyster cards in
regular usage (FSVO regular usage of course!) have Auto top-up enabled on
them - it'll be a minority, but how much of a minority would be interesting
to know.

Oyster top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 23, 12:02*pm, Roland Perry wrote:
"From 2 January 2011, the minimum balance on your Oyster card before it
is automatically topped up is changing from £5 to £8. This is to ensure
that all customers with Auto top-up will always have enough credit on
their cards for any journey they wish to make."

Perhaps Paul (Corfield) can answer this one
(enquiring minds want to know).

Surely with Auto top-up I'll always have enough credit to make a
journey as I'll get topped up when I enter?

Or is it the scenario where I have £5.10 left and make a £7.30
journey to Watford Junction from Zone 1 that leaves me in negative
balance that makes me unable to enter the system again.

Does Auto top-up work when your balance goes negative I think is the
underlying question.

If it does, why the increase to £8, or is it to protect from a very
large
(impossible) negative balance?

Matt.

Oyster top-up increased to ukp8
 

In article ,
Matthew wrote:
Or is it the scenario where I have £5.10 left and make a £7.30
journey to Watford Junction from Zone 1 that leaves me in negative
balance that makes me unable to enter the system again.

I suspect it's probably because they don't really like cards having
negative balances if they can possibly avoid it. So they'd like to
ensure that you always have enough money on the card to make that 7.30
journey *without* going overdrawn.

-roy

Oyster top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:31:33 +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:
I am guessing, because the point of this thread is news to me, that with
fare levels increasing from January that they are seeking to ensure that
balances do not become exhausted in short order. This probably also
keeps the volume of auto top up transactions in the system at manageable
levels.

Changing the auto top-up threshold isn't going to change the number of
transactions. If my fares cost £20/week I'll have one top-up a week
with any threshold, just with the new one TfL will get a bit more of my
money in the bank for eternity just in case I go to Watford.

Avoiding negative balances for auto top-up customers seems reasonable
though.

David

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:





On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 24, 7:58*am, MIG wrote:
On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:





On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. *Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whilst I can understand people not wanting to "lend" any more money to
TfL than they need to, it is still an individual's responsibility to
make sure they have enough credit on their card for the journey that
they intend to make. Think of the situation before Oyster was
introduced any you either had to have a Travelcard or enough cash for
the fare. I wonder if it would be possible to set up a system whereby
you get the worng kind of bleep if you balance falls below a set
amount, but you are still allowed to get on a bus, or go through the
gates on the tube, This would alert the card holder to the fact that
their balance is low, and should prompt them to do something about
it.. I suppose though whatever system you use (you could evne have e-
mail or text alerts when the balance falls below, say, £2.50) there
would still be some people who would chance their arm.

Oyster top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 23, 10:34*pm, David Walters wrote:
Changing the auto top-up threshold isn't going to change the number of
transactions. If my fares cost £20/week I'll have one top-up a week
with any threshold, just with the new one TfL will get a bit more of my
money in the bank for eternity just in case I go to Watford.

Avoiding negative balances for auto top-up customers seems reasonable
though.

But does a negative balance with auto top-up prevent you from entering
the
system again? And with the fare increases are you likely to blow the
amount
you're allowed to go negative.

I'm trying to establish if there's a technical reason, rather than TfL
having more
of my money in the bank and their "will always have enough credit"
reasoning
is sketchy.

Matt

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

Me!

I live out of London and unless I am expecting to make less than two
underground trips that day will arrive with an out-boundary ODTC.

Consequently, if I do need to use my Oyster I will need it for only one
underground or two bus trips so I feed it with the appropriate amount before
travel (though I usually add round pound amounts and end up with, say, 80p
spare).

Sometimes it can sit in a drawer for 18 months between uses and I don't like
have a large unnecessary balance on it, just in case

tim

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:01:40 -0000, tim.... wrote:
Or perhaps we could have auto top-up that allows for the intelligent user.

If you know that you are never going to make that 7 pound journey why force
the top-up system to allow for it?

How can you say never? You might suddenly discover a burning need to go to
Watford right now and the queues at the ticket machines are very long...

If you know that you only spend, say 10 pound per year why force a minimum
top-up of 20 pounds.

If I could select, "add 5 pounds whenever the balance is below 3 pound", I
would "suffer" the risks of losing my 8 pounds, but I'm not going to risk 28
pounds.

If you have auto top-up you have a registered card so there are no risks
of losing it, apart from a lengthy telephone call. Unless you can report
a lost card via the website?

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 24, 10:54*am, "tim...." wrote:
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message

...





On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

Me!

I live out of London and unless I am expecting to make less than two
underground trips that day will arrive with an out-boundary ODTC.

Consequently, if I do need to use my Oyster I will need it for only one
underground or two bus trips so I feed it with the appropriate amount before
travel (though I usually add round pound amounts and end up with, say, 80p
spare).

Sometimes it can sit in a drawer for 18 months between uses and I don't like
have a large unnecessary balance on it, just in case

tim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Perhaps it would be possible to have a system where TfL logs all the
journeys that you make in a month, and then works out how much to
charge you after taking into account daily caps and unresolved
journeys. This would be similar to the Congestion Charge Auto Pay
facility which is being introduced next year. People would have to
register a credit or debit card though, and presumably they could
check their account online.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

"Paul" wrote:
[snip]
Perhaps it would be possible to have a system where TfL logs all the
journeys that you make in a month, and then works out how much to
charge you after taking into account daily caps and unresolved
journeys. This would be similar to the Congestion Charge Auto Pay
facility which is being introduced next year. People would have to
register a credit or debit card though, and presumably they could
check their account online.

AIUI such a thing is in development (albeit still in the early stages) - but
it would work directly with a debit or credit card's RFID functionality
rather than by using a separate Oyster card.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

"David Walters" wrote in message

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:01:40 -0000, tim.... wrote:

If you have auto top-up you have a registered card so there are no
risks of losing it, apart from a lengthy telephone call. Unless you
can report a lost card via the website?

I think I once did without problems. And I don't think mine was of the
fully registered variety (I still don't understand the two levels of
registration).

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

"Recliner" wrote:

"David Walters" wrote:
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:01:40 -0000, tim.... wrote:

If you have auto top-up you have a registered card so there are no
risks of losing it, apart from a lengthy telephone call. Unless you
can report a lost card via the website?

You can here, so long as it's "protected" (which also encompasses all
registered cards UIVMM) and know the security answer - see:
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/link/0003.do


I think I once did without problems. And I don't think mine was of the
fully registered variety (I still don't understand the two levels of
registration).

I recall trying to do so years ago after losing one, but I had three cards
(don't ask!) that shared all the same registration details, though the
security answers were different, and all were also associated with my online
account. I think that despite providing the correct number of the lost card
plus the correct security answer, the customer services bods tried to cancel
the wrong card and then emailed back saying I'd provided wrong security
answer and could I provide the correct one - I think rather pathetically at
this point I gave up (the lost card had minimal credit on it, didn't have
auto top-up, and I think I recall checking online to see if anyone was using
it and I don't think they were - I think the relevant card number is the one
that disappeared off my online account a while back).

I haven't entirely got my head round the two levels of registration either I
must admit - I'll try and properly suss it out at some point.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On 24/11/2010 07:49, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54 pm, Paul wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On 24/11/2010 07:58, MIG wrote:
On Nov 24, 7:49 am, wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54 pm, Paul wrote:





On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Why should it be surprising that some people aren't inclined to lend
any more to TfL, interest-free, than they are already forced to?

The previous journey may not have been on a bus. Many LU gates give
no information, and many more give it in a tiny window that you can't
see without holding up the queue.

Last time I got the wrong kind of bleep on a bus, it was when the card
had been overcharged uncapped without me realising, after I'd
calculated that I ought to have enough to reach the cap.

I was going to be back on a travelcard the next day, so why leave
excessive credit on the card?

In case you go out of the zones for which your Oystercard is valid?

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 24, 9:25*pm, "
wrote:

On 24/11/2010 07:49, Paul wrote:
[...]*If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes.

Although not spectacularly clearly (the LCD display isn't backlit or
anything) - the advice of Mr Thant, formerly of this parish, was to
focus your eyes on the display before touching-in - alternatively my
advice is to get on the bus last, which gives you a bit more time to
look at the display. On bendy buses (and the 507 and 521 'Red Arrows')
it's easier as the Oyster reader devices have large and easy to view
screens.

One thing that was lost in shops (ahem, I mean 'Oyster Ticket Stops')
when the old Pass agent machines (which printed tickets) were
decommissioned in favour of the new Pearl devices was the ability for
customers to actually see a display of how much PAYG credit was on
their Oyster cards (plus also the type and expiry date of any season
ticket) - see:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/resources/corp...ter-card-3.jpg
or via http://tinyurl.com/old-Pass-Agent-terminal

Now if a customer wants to know this, shopkeepers have to read their
small display on their small EPOS type device and tell the customer
what it is verbally, which all takes a bit longer and also requires
the attention of the shopkeeper.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:18:16 +0000, David Walters
wrote:

If you have auto top-up you have a registered card so there are no risks
of losing it, apart from a lengthy telephone call. Unless you can report
a lost card via the website?

I reported a lost card (from 2004 - sniff, worth a fortune now?
probably not) on the website on a Friday. Replacement arrived the
following Tuesday all the way from Aberdeen, nicely topped up.

I do hate this uncontrolled auto-topup though. We should be able in
2010 to set the trigger and quantity levels via this web thingymabob.
One size does not fit all.

--
Old anti-spam address cmylod at despammed dot com appears broke
So back to cmylod at bigfoot dot com

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

In article ,
Colum Mylod wrote:
I do hate this uncontrolled auto-topup though. We should be able in
2010 to set the trigger and quantity levels via this web thingymabob.
One size does not fit all.

My guess is that it is just a single bit on the Oyster card, so one
size must indeed fit all. Or actually two sizes, namely auto top-up
enabled, or auto top-up disabled.

-roy

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 25, 9:09*pm, (Roy Badami) wrote:

In article ,
Colum Mylod wrote:

I do hate this uncontrolled auto-topup though. We should be able in
2010 to set the trigger and quantity levels via this web thingymabob.
One size does not fit all.

My guess is that it is just a single bit on the Oyster card, so one
size must indeed fit all. *Or actually two sizes, namely auto top-up
enabled, or auto top-up disabled.

Well, auto top-up by £20, or auto top-up by £40.

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

In article ,
Mizter T wrote:
My guess is that it is just a single bit on the Oyster card, so one
size must indeed fit all. *Or actually two sizes, namely auto top-up
enabled, or auto top-up disabled.

Well, auto top-up by £20, or auto top-up by £40.

Yeah, I realised that after I posted. So there are three states (off,
20 quid or 40 quid). If we assume there must therefore be at least
two bits coding the state, that means that it would be possible to
support at least four states.

-roy

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 25, 11:21*pm, (Roy Badami) wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

My guess is that it is just a single bit on the Oyster card, so one
size must indeed fit all. *Or actually two sizes, namely auto top-up
enabled, or auto top-up disabled.

Well, auto top-up by £20, or auto top-up by £40.

Yeah, I realised that after I posted. *So there are three states (off,
20 quid or 40 quid). *If we assume there must therefore be at least
two bits coding the state, that means that it would be possible to
support at least four states.


Random bonanza - top up with an annual all-zones Travelcard whenever
it runs out?

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:57:08 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:


On Nov 25, 11:21*pm, (Roy Badami) wrote:
....
Yeah, I realised that after I posted. *So there are three states (off,
20 quid or 40 quid). *If we assume there must therefore be at least
two bits coding the state, that means that it would be possible to
support at least four states.


Random bonanza - top up with an annual all-zones Travelcard whenever
it runs out?

See you and raise you a future "annual 1st class + replacement
Borisbike".
--
Old anti-spam address cmylod at despammed dot com appears broke
So back to cmylod at bigfoot dot com

Oyster *Auto* top-up increased to ukp8
 

On Nov 24, 7:49*am, Paul wrote:
On Nov 23, 5:54*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:



On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:48 -0800 (PST), Paul
wrote:

It might not be a bad idea though. There are regular problems on the
buses where I live (Walthamstow) where people with Oyster PAYG touch
in with insufficient credit. When the bus driver explains that they
don't have enough credit and will either have to pay cash or get off,
some of them pretend not to understand and ask the driver whether they
can travel for nothing, as it is 6am and they have to get to work.
This causes delays which tends to p**s everyone off.

I don't know if there is an easy solution to this issue though.

The easy solution is that people stop taking the **** and make sure
there is enough value on their cards. This is a standard "dodge" that
some people play in order to get their bus rides for free. I have seen
it so many times and the weary response from drivers suggests it is a
regular routine from the same old faces.

You would also be amazed at the number of people who go to a machine and
load just enough for the journey they are about to make. I recognise
some people are on tight budgets and cashflow is everything but I was
still surprised when I saw this recently.

--
Paul C

Exactly, I can imagine the response from a New York bus driver if I
said that I had failed to top up my pay per ride Metrocard. * Also, it
is amazing how many of these people suddenly lose the ability to speak
English when the bus driver tells them they have to pay, or proffer a
£20 note, and then start arguing when the bus driver says they don't
have any change. *If you use a Oyster card to make a PAYG journey on a
bus, does it show you the remaining balance just as it does on the
tube?

Yes, but it's sometimes difficult to see due to reflections from the
perspex screen on some buses. On other buses the screen is cut away
around the ticket machine, so you can see the display clearly.

I've noticed something very odd in New York. There seems to be much
discussion among the locals as to how much they should put on a
Metrocard to get an exact number of rides from the resulting value on
the card, including any bonus they may get. They end up with all
sorts of odd values to do this. It's a fairly frequent subject in
places like nyc.transit. I've never been able to get a reasonable-
sounding answer as to what the problem is with having an amount less
than the cost of one ride left on the card; you don't lose it, it's
added to whatever value you next put on the card, but this seems to be
a major issue for some New Yorkers.