On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.

--
David Cantrell | Godless Liberal Elitist

"David Cantrell" wrote in message
...
On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.

I've been using the Euro, day in day out, for 50% of the time since the day
they were minted, and I still can't tell what value a random small coin is,
without reading the value on it.

And for those that don't know, they have different patterns on the edge so
that you can tell then apart but I'm ******* if I can remember which value
has which edging.

(and before anyone mentions it, yes I can tell the copper from the bronze,
it differentiating within those sets that I can't do)

tim


--
David Cantrell | Godless Liberal Elitist

In message , at 18:40:11 on Mon, 6 Jan
2014, tim...... remarked:
I've been using the Euro, day in day out, for 50% of the time since the
day they were minted, and I still can't tell what value a random small
coin is, without reading the value on it.

Perhaps you aren't suited to be being an international traveller then.
I've never had such a problem with numerous trips using USA and Swiss
currency, in addition to UK/Euro. Or even Dubai, India, Lithuania and
Australia on my trips there.

I wonder if there's a recognised expression for it (a bit like dyslexia
for words).
--
Roland Perry

On 06/01/2014 17:16, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.


Paris TVMs (both RATP and SNCF Transilien) don't take notes, which is a
bit annoying.

Mizter T wrote on 06 January 2014 21:01:28 ...

On 06/01/2014 17:16, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.

Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a number. I
feel sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY PENCE" in letters
1.5mm high on the edge of our 20p coin.

Paris TVMs (both RATP and SNCF Transilien) don't take notes, which is a
bit annoying.

Many Paris TVMs do take notes. There are large icons above each machine
showing whether it accepts bank cards, coins or notes. As far as I
remember, they are on a colour-coded banner, which is orange for
machines that take notes.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

"Richard J." wrote in message
...
Mizter T wrote on 06 January 2014 21:01:28 ...

On 06/01/2014 17:16, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.

Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a number. I feel
sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY PENCE" in letters 1.5mm
high on the edge of our 20p coin.

when we still have the old 10p pieces, I can recall an American putting one
on the counter and asking the assistant is this (huge) coin worth one, or
two of your pounds?

tim

On 07/01/2014 21:31, tim...... wrote:

"Richard J." wrote in message
...
Mizter T wrote on 06 January 2014 21:01:28 ...

On 06/01/2014 17:16, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near
impossibility
of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for that matter in
the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they
use
funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which makes it
hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt a single
currency, such as the pound.

Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a number. I
feel sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY PENCE" in letters
1.5mm high on the edge of our 20p coin.

when we still have the old 10p pieces, I can recall an American putting
one on the counter and asking the assistant is this (huge) coin worth
one, or two of your pounds?

tim

Clearly he did not understand the difference between pounds and
shillings/florins.

On Tue, 07 Jan 2014 15:17:30 +0000 Richard J. wrote :
Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a
number. I feel sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY
PENCE" in letters 1.5mm high on the edge of our 20p coin.

ISTR that the little US ones just say 'one dime' with no number?

--
Tony Bryer

In article ,
(Richard J.) wrote:

Mizter T wrote on 06 January 2014 21:01:28 ...

On 06/01/2014 17:16, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Jan 02, 2014 at 08:46:47PM +0000, Clive Page wrote:

It could be that some of them are conditioned by the near
impossibility of using ticket machines at stations in France (and for
that matter in the Netherlands) if you are a non-native.

The only problem I've had with ticket machines in Paris is that they
use funny foreign coins that I don't recognise very quickly, which
makes it hard to figure out what to put in. If only Europe would adopt
a single currency, such as the pound.

Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a number. I
feel sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY PENCE" in
letters 1.5mm high on the edge of our 20p coin.

The old 20p design before me as I write has the figures "20" on it. The new
designs are so naff that it doesn't surprise me to find they don't have
figures. The 20p even managed to appear without a date because the date was
switched from reverse to obverse and some were minted with the old head side.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 07/01/2014 22:10, wrote:

In article ,
(Richard J.) wrote:
[...]
Well, at least the funny foreign coins show the value as a number. I
feel sorry for foreigners trying to decipher "TWENTY PENCE" in
letters 1.5mm high on the edge of our 20p coin.

The old 20p design before me as I write has the figures "20" on it. The new
designs are so naff that it doesn't surprise me to find they don't have
figures. The 20p even managed to appear without a date because the date was
switched from reverse to obverse and some were minted with the old head side.


I quite like the 'new' (2008) designs, but must admit it hadn't dawned
on me until now that none of them feature the value in numerals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:New_British_Coinage_2008.jpg