Today for the first time, due to a gentleman with poor
English taking 30 minutes to buy a ticket. I decided
to try a 20 pound note in the machine at Wood Green
tube station.

Well it took my note and much to my amazement actually
printed out a ticket. Then it gave me 16 quid change in
two pound coins !! Arrrggh !

Surely machines this clever should be able to give back
notes ?

--
Edward Cowling - London - UK

Edward Cowling wrote:

: Well it took my note and much to my amazement actually
: printed out a ticket. Then it gave me 16 quid change in
: two pound coins !! Arrrggh !

: Surely machines this clever should be able to give back
: notes ?

Probably not. While it's trivial to ensure that exactly N coins are given
back, this is rather difficult to achieve with notes. Bank ATMs *can* do
it, but they need rather expensive machinery *and* are using specially
prepared ("ironed") notes. Ticket machines typically give back coins they
got from previous customers, and I can't see how this should work with notes.

.... Martin

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 00:02:45 +0100 Edward Cowling
said...

Today for the first time, due to a gentleman with poor
English taking 30 minutes to buy a ticket. I decided
to try a 20 pound note in the machine at Wood Green
tube station.

Not helped by the fact that Wood Green I think only has two windows in
the first place and one is often closed. The staff seem to be oblivious
to queues or don't seem to know their job too well, a couple of months
back I stood behind someone buying a monthly on Oystercard which took a
good 15 minutes and that's without any language difficulties.

--
Phil Richards
London, N4

On 5 Apr 2004 23:26:47 GMT, Martin Bienwald wrote:
Edward Cowling wrote:
: Surely machines this clever should be able to give back
: notes ?

Probably not. While it's trivial to ensure that exactly N coins are given
back, this is rather difficult to achieve with notes. Bank ATMs *can* do
it, but they need rather expensive machinery *and* are using specially
prepared ("ironed") notes. Ticket machines typically give back coins they
got from previous customers, and I can't see how this should work with notes.

Sainsbury's have "self scan" machines in some stores which allow
you to scan your own shopping at the checkout. These accept notes
and give notes in change so it is being done. It might not be the
same stock of notes but that doesn't matter to the user.

David

Martin Bienwald wrote in message ...
Edward Cowling wrote:

: Well it took my note and much to my amazement actually
: printed out a ticket. Then it gave me 16 quid change in
: two pound coins !! Arrrggh !

: Surely machines this clever should be able to give back
: notes ?

Probably not. While it's trivial to ensure that exactly N coins are given
back, this is rather difficult to achieve with notes. Bank ATMs *can* do
it, but they need rather expensive machinery *and* are using specially
prepared ("ironed") notes. Ticket machines typically give back coins they
got from previous customers, and I can't see how this should work with notes.

... Martin

Well they have machines that do this in Germany. On the Munich U- and
S-Bahn. Seem to work fine....!

In message , Phil
Richards writes
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 00:02:45 +0100 Edward Cowling
said...

Today for the first time, due to a gentleman with poor
English taking 30 minutes to buy a ticket. I decided
to try a 20 pound note in the machine at Wood Green
tube station.

Not helped by the fact that Wood Green I think only has two windows in
the first place and one is often closed. The staff seem to be oblivious
to queues or don't seem to know their job too well, a couple of months
back I stood behind someone buying a monthly on Oystercard which took a
good 15 minutes and that's without any language difficulties.

Having more than two windows at a tube station appears to be very rare,
although there are a few National Rail stations with loads of windows -
but the question is when do they all open at the same time!
--
Martin Summerfield

"Martin Summerfield" wrote in message
...
In message , Phil
Richards writes
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 00:02:45 +0100 Edward Cowling
said...

Today for the first time, due to a gentleman with poor
English taking 30 minutes to buy a ticket. I decided
to try a 20 pound note in the machine at Wood Green
tube station.

Problem at all tube stations.

Most suburban stations have only one machine capable of taking notes and
issuing travel cards, and are not infrequently out of use.

One way of solving the note problem is to have separate change-giving
machines.

In article , Martin Summerfield
writes

Having more than two windows at a tube station appears to be very rare,
although there are a few National Rail stations with loads of windows -
but the question is when do they all open at the same time!

High Wycombe has 3 windows and all should be open from 7am to 9.30am
then it reverts to 2 windows. I like to use the auto ticket machine but
it sometimes fails to read my company credit card and I am forced to
queue.
--
Andrew
Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this
communication can not be guaranteed.
Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not
associations or companies I am involved with.

"Orienteer" wrote in message
...

One way of solving the note problem is to have separate change-giving
machines.

If only a contractor could deliver a reliable one...

In message , Orienteer
writes

"Martin Summerfield" wrote in message
...
In message , Phil
Richards writes
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 00:02:45 +0100 Edward Cowling
said...

Today for the first time, due to a gentleman with poor
English taking 30 minutes to buy a ticket. I decided
to try a 20 pound note in the machine at Wood Green
tube station.

Problem at all tube stations.

Most suburban stations have only one machine capable of taking notes and
issuing travel cards, and are not infrequently out of use.

One way of solving the note problem is to have separate change-giving
machines.


They just get misused by everyone
--
Martin Summerfield