Bus tickets - single?
 

Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9:51:15 AM UTC, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

He can use a contactless bank card to pay for a single fare.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 09:51, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left his
Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he have
to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

Yes - One Day Bus & Tram Pass at £5 (unless he's got a contactless
debit/credit card).

FWIW, a single paper ticket for travel on the Tube & LO from Euston to
Dalston (Kingsland or Junction), which I understand is in your vicinity,
would cost £4.80.

I recall Leon Daniels, TfL's MD of Surface Transport (which includes
buses), kinda dismissing the issue of not having an Oyster card on you
as a 'wrong trousers problem' (in a personal blog response to the
consultation on buses going cash free). Problem is, in real life
passengers aren't perfect and will occasionally end up out and about
'wearing the wrong trousers'. Anyway, it's how it is.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 2015-12-04 10:30:18 +0000, Mizter T said:

On 04/12/2015 09:51, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left his
Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he have
to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

Yes - One Day Bus & Tram Pass at £5 (unless he's got a contactless
debit/credit card).

FWIW, a single paper ticket for travel on the Tube & LO from Euston to
Dalston (Kingsland or Junction), which I understand is in your
vicinity, would cost £4.80.

I recall Leon Daniels, TfL's MD of Surface Transport (which includes
buses), kinda dismissing the issue of not having an Oyster card on you
as a 'wrong trousers problem' (in a personal blog response to the
consultation on buses going cash free). Problem is, in real life
passengers aren't perfect and will occasionally end up out and about
'wearing the wrong trousers'. Anyway, it's how it is.

Yes he's got to get to Dalston. He's asked me to pick him up from
Euston at 11pm but I'm going to Pig's Ear beer festival so will be in
no state to drive.

He has just got a new debit card (HSBC) so hopefully that will be
contactless but I don't know if they issue them to students.

E.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 09:57, Piatkow wrote:
On Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9:51:15 AM UTC, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

He can use a contactless bank card to pay for a single fare.

I thought that when contactless bank cards were introduced for small
transactions in shops one of the safeguards was that the first time you
used one you would be required to enter your pin on the associated pin
pad, just so that if someone stole your card and you had not enabled it
in this way it could not be used to empty your account. But buses and
tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean (a) that you no
longer have to enable them, so that all contactless cards are instantly
valuable to a thief who wants to travel around London, or (b) you do
have to use them somewhere else first such as in a shop where a pin-pad
is provided? I've searched the TfL website without being able to find
anything on this topic.

(I'm an Oyster user but have a National Rail discount loaded on mine, so
use of contactless cards would cost more, but it would be nice to know
whether in an emergency I could use it or not).

--
Clive Page

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 14:35:30 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, Clive Page remarked:
On 04/12/2015 09:57, Piatkow wrote:
On Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9:51:15 AM UTC, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

He can use a contactless bank card to pay for a single fare.

I thought that when contactless bank cards were introduced for small
transactions in shops one of the safeguards was that the first time you
used one you would be required to enter your pin on the associated pin
pad, just so that if someone stole your card and you had not enabled it
in this way it could not be used to empty your account.

I dimly recall that too, but have never encountered it myself in the
field (I have several cards on the go).

But buses and tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean
(a) that you no longer have to enable them, so that all contactless
cards are instantly valuable to a thief who wants to travel around
London, or (b) you do have to use them somewhere else first such as in
a shop where a pin-pad is provided? I've searched the TfL website
without being able to find anything on this topic.

At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on
TfL (I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

Another card has never been used *contactless* other than on TfL. Again,
it worked first time.

(I'm an Oyster user but have a National Rail discount loaded on mine,
so use of contactless cards would cost more, but it would be nice to
know whether in an emergency I could use it or not).

--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 14:51:45 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:35:30 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, Clive Page remarked:
But buses and tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean
(a) that you no longer have to enable them, so that all contactless
cards are instantly valuable to a thief who wants to travel around
London, or (b) you do have to use them somewhere else first such as in
a shop where a pin-pad is provided? I've searched the TfL website
without being able to find anything on this topic.

At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on
TfL (I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 14:35:30 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, Clive Page remarked:
On 04/12/2015 09:57, Piatkow wrote:
On Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9:51:15 AM UTC, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

He can use a contactless bank card to pay for a single fare.

I thought that when contactless bank cards were introduced for small
transactions in shops one of the safeguards was that the first time you
used one you would be required to enter your pin on the associated pin
pad, just so that if someone stole your card and you had not enabled it in
this way it could not be used to empty your account.

I dimly recall that too, but have never encountered it myself in the field
(I have several cards on the go).

But buses and tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean (a)
that you no longer have to enable them, so that all contactless cards are
instantly valuable to a thief who wants to travel around London, or (b)
you do have to use them somewhere else first such as in a shop where a
pin-pad is provided? I've searched the TfL website without being able to
find anything on this topic.

At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on TfL
(I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

I have just receive my new card and I had to put it in any ATM (presumably
to confirm my PIN) before it would work contactlessly.

I guess that in this respect, TfL use is the same as paying for my shopping
in Lidl

tim

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 14:58:38 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:
But buses and tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean
(a) that you no longer have to enable them, so that all contactless
cards are instantly valuable to a thief who wants to travel around
London, or (b) you do have to use them somewhere else first such as in
a shop where a pin-pad is provided? I've searched the TfL website
without being able to find anything on this topic.

At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on
TfL (I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

They'll block the card it it's reported lost/stolen, and you should be
able to get your money back. It's not as if the perp's run off with a
free burger or anything, so I expect they are happy to take the risk.
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 15:35:21 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:58:38 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:
Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

They'll block the card it it's reported lost/stolen, and you should be
able to get your money back. It's not as if the perp's run off with a

Eventually. It all costs time and money in phonecalls which are invariably
0845 numbers and the inconvenience of waiting for a replacement card.

free burger or anything, so I expect they are happy to take the risk.

I'm sure they are however if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.
Thats not their problem though is it.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 10:41:18 +0000, eastender wrote:

He has just got a new debit card (HSBC) so hopefully that will be
contactless but I don't know if they issue them to students.

My bank here in Norway was unable to issue me with a contactless card
before I went to London this summer. They were running a trial for
students only, though.

--
jhk

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 15:34:03 -0000, "tim....."
wrote:

I have just receive my new card and I had to put it in any ATM (presumably
to confirm my PIN) before it would work contactlessly.

Did you also have to activate it online? My bank requires this and I
think it's a good idea as anyone could grab it from my mailbox.

--
jhk

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 15:44:40 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 18:04, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:44:40 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time
PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

My Santander card required use in an ATM before it was used contactless.

--
Herbie

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 14:35, Clive Page wrote:
On 04/12/2015 09:57, Piatkow wrote:
On Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9:51:15 AM UTC, eastender wrote:
Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

E.

He can use a contactless bank card to pay for a single fare.

I thought that when contactless bank cards were introduced for small
transactions in shops one of the safeguards was that the first time you
used one you would be required to enter your pin on the associated pin
pad, just so that if someone stole your card and you had not enabled it
in this way it could not be used to empty your account. But buses and
tube gatelines don't have a pin-pad - so does this mean (a) that you no
longer have to enable them, so that all contactless cards are instantly
valuable to a thief who wants to travel around London, or (b) you do
have to use them somewhere else first such as in a shop where a pin-pad
is provided? I've searched the TfL website without being able to find
anything on this topic.

(I'm an Oyster user but have a National Rail discount loaded on mine, so
use of contactless cards would cost more, but it would be nice to know
whether in an emergency I could use it or not).


How would an Oyster Reader on a bus be able to check with your bank?

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 18:04, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:44:40 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time
PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

It's never happened with me.

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Bus tickets - single?
 

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

Nope. When I was in London last month I used my U.S. issued AmEx
card. Worked great. It has both a regular chip and a contactless
one, but AmEx is quite clear that there is no PIN.

Bus tickets - single?
 

In article , d () wrote:

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 15:35:21 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:58:38 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:
Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes
me glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

They'll block the card it it's reported lost/stolen, and you should be
able to get your money back. It's not as if the perp's run off with a

Eventually. It all costs time and money in phonecalls which are variably
0845 numbers and the inconvenience of waiting for a replacement card.

Most of my cards have "from Overseas" alternatives which are 01xxx numbers.

free burger or anything, so I expect they are happy to take the risk.

I'm sure they are however if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time
PIN. Thats not their problem though is it.

I've not been asked for a PIN on any contactless transaction.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Bus tickets - single?
 

"Jarle Hammen Knudsen" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 15:34:03 -0000, "tim....."
wrote:

I have just receive my new card and I had to put it in any ATM (presumably
to confirm my PIN) before it would work contactlessly.

Did you also have to activate it online?

Like I said I had to "use" it in an ATM. - I got a mini statement.

That required my inputting the PIN.

30 second later I used it for a wireless transaction.

Unless the claim that it wont work wirelessly until inserted in the AM is a
rouse, I assume that it validated itself by writing back to the card, rather
than keeping this information in the network. BICBW


My bank requires this and I
think it's a good idea as anyone could grab it from my mailbox.

see above

tim

Bus tickets - single?
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 15:44:40 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time
PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

A few times that I first tried to use my card [2] in a new store [1] the
transaction was rejected and I had to pay some other way.

I initially thought that my card had some sort of incapability with that
store, but after a few tries in various different locations it worked.

With hindsight, I guess that it was rejecting it and expecting me to swipe
the same card in the machine and use my PIN to validate it, but because the
transaction was "low value", I paid by cash instead, hence the multiple
rejections.

If this is the case a more meaningful message would have been helpful.

[1] both Morrisons and Aldi suffered this problem - multiple locations
[2] Not the same card I am referring to elsewhere in this thread

tim

Bus tickets - single?
 

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

I used my US issued AmEx card on the Underground last month. Worked
fine. It's just as well they didn't ask for a PIN, since AmEx is quite
clear that these cards have no PINs.

Indeed, they insist that they are unable to issue chip cards with
PINs, although I have a UK-issued AmEx card that tells me their left
and right hands could benefit from an introduction.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 04 Dec 2015 12:50:45 -0600,
wrote:

I've not been asked for a PIN on any contactless transaction.

If contactless is declined, it will be done as an old-fashioned "chip
and PIN" transaction, in my experience.

Richard.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 14:58:38 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 14:51:45 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:

At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on
TfL (I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

They're not - they worked with the banks to create the PIN-less
protocol, and given the relatively small values, they must have
decided it was a risk worth taking. I'd give them the credit for
introducing something not possible in most of the rest of the world.

Richard.

Bus tickets - single?
 

In article ,
(Richard) wrote:

On Fri, 04 Dec 2015 12:50:45 -0600,
wrote:

I've not been asked for a PIN on any contactless transaction.

If contactless is declined, it will be done as an old-fashioned "chip
and PIN" transaction, in my experience.

Never seen a contactless transaction attempt declined.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 18:41:06
on Fri, 4 Dec 2015, remarked:

If contactless is declined, it will be done as an old-fashioned "chip
and PIN" transaction, in my experience.

Never seen a contactless transaction attempt declined.

Same here.
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 04/12/2015 14:58, d wrote:
On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 14:51:45 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
At least two of my cards have only *ever* been used as contactless on
TfL (I got them to play with), and they both worked fine first time.

Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

And there was me thinking that by never using any of my cards in a
contactless terminal in a shop I was thereby making them useless to a
thief who wanted to use them on a train or bus service.

On the plus side, it does mean if I'm unlucky/stupid enough to lose my
Oyster card I could use one of them in emergency. But if would have
nice to have known about this security hole in advance.

--
Clive Page

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 2015-12-05 09:55:14 +0000, Paul Corfield said:

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 09:51:13 +0000, eastender wrote:

Is it no longer possible to buy a single bus ticket? My son has left
his Oyster card somewhere and is coming into Euston tonight - does he
have to buy a one day card to use the bus?

Yes unless he has a contactless payment card. A One Day Bus and Tram
pass is £5 and purchasable from a tube ticket machine.

Alternatively he could simply make sure his train ticket was booked
through to Dalston Junction - it is a National Rail station after all!
Obviously this depends on what type of ticket he's using but worth
bearing in mind as there's likely to be little difference in cost for
a ticket to Euston and one to Dalston Junction / Kingsland. It will
almost certainly be valid for use on the tube as well but worth double
checking.

His train from Wigan was late but he manged to get to Highbury on the
Victoria and then walked home from there, as the Overground was shut by
then.

Take the point about booking to/from Dalston - this just hadn't occured to us.

E.

Bus tickets - single?
 

On 2015-12-05 22:48:58 +0000, Paul Corfield said:

On Sat, 5 Dec 2015 18:53:25 +0000, eastender wrote:

Take the point about booking to/from Dalston - this just hadn't occured to us.

A quick look at the fares at brfares.com for Wigan - Dalston and Wigan
- Euston shows about £2.80 difference on the std class Saver return
which is way less than the return fare by LU & Overground. The ticket
to Dalston includes tube travel as required (cross symbol is shown
against the route description).

One other difference that I don't entirely understand is that there
are more advance discounted fares to Euston than to Dalston.

Thanks. With a student card his fare Wigan to Euston (single) was just
£19, but he had to get a late train.

E.

Bus tickets - single?
 

wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Richard) wrote:

On Fri, 04 Dec 2015 12:50:45 -0600,
wrote:

I've not been asked for a PIN on any contactless transaction.

If contactless is declined, it will be done as an old-fashioned "chip
and PIN" transaction, in my experience.

Never seen a contactless transaction attempt declined.

I had to complete a contactless transaction as a chip & PIN transaction
once. The till operator told me this happens sometimes if an invalid PIN
attempt has been flagged for the previous transaction, as was indeed the
case.

I don't know if this would cause a subsequent contactless transaction to
fail if chip & PIN facilities aren't available.

--
DAS

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 11:52:34 on Sun, 6 Dec
2015, D A Stocks remarked:

Never seen a contactless transaction attempt declined.

I had to complete a contactless transaction as a chip & PIN transaction
once. The till operator told me this happens sometimes if an invalid
PIN attempt has been flagged for the previous transaction, as was
indeed the case.

I don't know if this would cause a subsequent contactless transaction
to fail if chip & PIN facilities aren't available.

If I remember, I'll try that tomorrow. All I need to do is put one of my
cards in an ATM and deliberately use the wrong PIN, then try to use it
on TfL. If it is rejected, then I can then try the same card in a C&P
enabled contactless terminal elsewhere.
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 18:04:21 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:44:40 on Fri, 4 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time
for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.

Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?

No. But then I don't use contactless. There was a reason PINs were required
for using cards - that reason hasn't gone away just for conveniences sake
and because people are too lazy or too stupid to spend 10 seconds entering
one.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Sat, 05 Dec 2015 00:26:35 +0000
Richard wrote:
On Fri, 4 Dec 2015 14:58:38 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:
Good to know TfL are completely ignoring basic banking security. Makes me
glad I've disabled all my contactless cards.

They're not - they worked with the banks to create the PIN-less
protocol, and given the relatively small values, they must have

TfL had nothing to do with it - the protocol already existed. They just
jumped on the bandwagon, almost certainly because now the blonde buffoon
has closed all the ticket offices it'll make it harder for people to buy
Oyster cards.

decided it was a risk worth taking. I'd give them the credit for
introducing something not possible in most of the rest of the world.

I'll give the rest of the world credit for not allowing people free travel
on a stolen card.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 13:09:02 on Mon, 7 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time

for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.



Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?



No. But then I don't use contactless. There was a reason PINs were required

for using cards - that reason hasn't gone away just for conveniences sake

and because people are too lazy or too stupid to spend 10 seconds entering

one.


PIN pads on TfL gates would slow down the throughput a tad.

--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 13:12:34 on Mon, 7 Dec
2015, d remarked:

now the blonde buffoon has closed all the ticket offices it'll make it
harder for people to buy Oyster cards.

It's actually vastly easier now, because they can be bought from the
ticket machines.
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

I'll give the rest of the world credit for not allowing people free travel
on a stolen card.

Huh. Last I heard stolen Oyster cards work just fine.

Keep in mind that it's hard to spend more than £12/day with an Oyster
unless you're commuting to the suburbs, and that stolen cards usually
get shut off in a day or two. If I were a bank, I'd have much bigger
fish to fry.

I gather that even before chip+pin, merchant fraud using physically
stolen cards wasn't a big deal, and point of the chip was to prevent
skimming and cloning. Switching from signature pin is for the bank's
benefit, so they and the merchants don't have to store all those
little signed slips on the off chance someone challenges one of them.

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 12:22:48 on Sun, 6 Dec
2015, Roland Perry remarked:
Never seen a contactless transaction attempt declined.

I had to complete a contactless transaction as a chip & PIN
transaction once. The till operator told me this happens sometimes if
an invalid PIN attempt has been flagged for the previous transaction,
as was indeed the case.

I don't know if this would cause a subsequent contactless transaction
to fail if chip & PIN facilities aren't available.

If I remember, I'll try that tomorrow. All I need to do is put one of
my cards in an ATM and deliberately use the wrong PIN, then try to use
it on TfL.

I did the above, and the TfL gates accepted the card quite happily. So
it's not an instant-kill situation.

I've successfully used the card in an ATM, and on TfL, months ago, so
that may have established some sort of track record - for the card
rather than me or someone who had stolen it off me.
--
Roland Perry

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 15:04:16 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:09:02 on Mon, 7 Dec
2015, d remarked:

if the card has now been used for the first time

for TfL it can probably be used again in a shop without the first time PIN.



Except I've never been asked for that "first-time" PIN. Have you?



No. But then I don't use contactless. There was a reason PINs were required

for using cards - that reason hasn't gone away just for conveniences sake

and because people are too lazy or too stupid to spend 10 seconds entering

one.


PIN pads on TfL gates would slow down the throughput a tad.

I wasn't talking about TfL - there are alredy Oyster cards for that.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 16:13:28 +0000 (UTC)
John Levine wrote:
I'll give the rest of the world credit for not allowing people free travel
on a stolen card.

Huh. Last I heard stolen Oyster cards work just fine.

Last I heard Oyster cards couldn't potentially clean out your bank account
unless you've set up auto top up and the thief wants to spend his days
riding public transport.

Keep in mind that it's hard to spend more than £12/day with an Oyster
unless you're commuting to the suburbs, and that stolen cards usually
get shut off in a day or two. If I were a bank, I'd have much bigger

It gets shut off so long as you notice you've lost it.

I gather that even before chip+pin, merchant fraud using physically
stolen cards wasn't a big deal, and point of the chip was to prevent
skimming and cloning. Switching from signature pin is for the bank's
benefit, so they and the merchants don't have to store all those
little signed slips on the off chance someone challenges one of them.

Well its always for the banks benefit, but they dress it up as if its
a magnanimous gesture aimed at us. PINs might not be fullproof but they're
a darn site better than a card that can be used by anyone who happens to be
holding it at the time.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 15:06:02 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:12:34 on Mon, 7 Dec
2015, d remarked:

now the blonde buffoon has closed all the ticket offices it'll make it
harder for people to buy Oyster cards.

It's actually vastly easier now, because they can be bought from the
ticket machines.

How is using the convoluted menus on a ticket machine "vastly easier" than
going to a window and saying "Can I have an Oyster please?" ? Or if you're
a tourist and don't have a clue , well, good luck.

--
Spud

Bus tickets - single?
 

In message , at 09:21:55 on Tue, 8 Dec
2015, d remarked:
now the blonde buffoon has closed all the ticket offices it'll make it
harder for people to buy Oyster cards.

It's actually vastly easier now, because they can be bought from the
ticket machines.

How is using the convoluted menus on a ticket machine "vastly easier" than
going to a window and saying "Can I have an Oyster please?" ? Or if you're
a tourist and don't have a clue , well, good luck.

To get one from a window you had to queue, and when I got mine there was
a form to fill in. On the machines it's a very simple couple of button
presses, and at the places tourists might be arriving (like St Pancras)
the queues for the ticket machines are much shorter now than for the
windows in the past.
--
Roland Perry