Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

B2003

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 20:52:34 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and
make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

Except that your museum ticket entitles you to free re-entry to the
museum for a year. Oyster doesn't have that capability.
--
Paul C

Well yes, but the problem isn't insoluble. It may be daft but the gate (or
a separate machine just inside) could produce a receipt/ticket for re-entry
(the "fare" would be on a PAYG basis) and if you used a variant of the gates
that have appeared at Kings X that have card readers, magnetic stripe
readers and bar code readers I'm certain the "separate printer" could be
made to produce one of those three formats.

I've no doubt that there are other problems to resolve related to back
office accounting but again, none of it is insoluble.

What's the real problem? Naysayers and a lack of will? No, money.

On 08/04/2012 23:04, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 20:52:34 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

Except that your museum ticket entitles you to free re-entry to the
museum for a year. Oyster doesn't have that capability.

What next, expecting to pay with Oyster on the Acton Miniature Railway?!
(Yes we have had customers ask that, in all seriousness! :-))

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:04:26 +0100, Paul Corfield wrote:

Except that your museum ticket entitles you to free re-entry to the
museum for a year. Oyster doesn't have that capability.

Surely the oyster has the ability to be loaded with a season ticket?

Rgds

Denis McMahon

In message , at 23:04:26 on
Sun, 8 Apr 2012, Paul Corfield remarked:
Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

Except that your museum ticket entitles you to free re-entry to the
museum for a year. Oyster doesn't have that capability.

There's a cheaper day-rate (£8), although it's only for groups.

I think the main issue is that the Oyster card is *not* e-money, which
would have to be regulated by the FSA.

There was an inconclusive discussion here (or another newsgroup)
recently why the LT Museum would be taking e-money from the card (which
I'm postulating is not allowed), whereas National Rail are taking
"fares" (which does seem to be allowed).
--
Roland Perry

I think the main issue is that the Oyster card is *not* e-money, which
would have to be regulated by the FSA.


Plus perhaps competition issues. After all, the LT Museum is a charity
separate from TfL. So if the museum was allowed to use Oyster cards as
e-money then why not the Tower of London? Covent Garden Market traders?
or the Big Issue seller outside the tube station? (IIRC legislation was
needed to allow cooperation between operators to create the system as
that wd otherwise have breached competition law.)
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:04:26 +0100
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 20:52:34 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

Except that your museum ticket entitles you to free re-entry to the
museum for a year. Oyster doesn't have that capability.

Whats a seaon ticket then? Anyway , they could always do a PAYG style of
entry that costs less than a full year ticket.

On a side note - for the price of 13.50 the museum itself is less than
impressive especially compared to the free Science Museum. A few more railway
exhibits and a few less buses would be a good start.

B2003

On Mon, 9 Apr 2012 09:02:33 +0100
"Robin" wrote:
Plus perhaps competition issues. After all, the LT Museum is a charity
separate from TfL.

When did that happen? I thought it was owned by LT then TfL.

B2003

wrote in message
...
Took a relative to the LT museum in covent garden on the w/e. They looked
a bit bemused when I asked why couldn't I pay using my Oyster card. Given
TfL seem to want to promote Oyster as electronic cash wouldn't this be
a logical place to start? They could even have proper station gates at the
entrance to let oyster holders through so they don't have to queue and
make
the gates part of the exhibits at the same time. An opportunity missed I
think.

B2003


There might be the "small" matter of the cost of the gates. Doubtless
someone more informed can put an actual price on this, but my recollection
is that each Oyster gate costs several tens of thousands of pounds, which
might not be the best investment, particularly at the moment. Having said
that, I seem to recall that when the Victoria line was opened in 1969 some
form of the "new" gates were used at the Clapham transport museum to gain
entrance. However I am not sure that these were the full monty - possibly a
simplified mock up.

The New York Transit Museum allows -- or did allow -- one to pay their
entrance with a subway token.

Don't know what it is now, since they have discontinued tokens.