I've been using my oyster card quite merrily this week until today. This
morning, I swiped the card on a bus and it didn't register. The driver waved
me through and I thought it was a faulty machine. Going home from work this
evening, I swiped it again on the bus and it still wouldn't register. I
thought another faulty machine until the driver called me back. This time I
looked at the LCD display and it showed 'Communication Failure'. Try as I
might, I couldn't get the card to register. I knew there was credit on my
pre-pay card so I couldn't work out what was wrong.

I managed to test my oyster card at a ticket stop and they confirmed that my
card had died. They told me I had to take it to the Oval to get it swapped.

My questions is:

Why did the second bus driver talk to my as if I was scum ? I'm not
intentionally out to defraud the system. I tried to explain to him that the
card was working as far as I know.

Why do oyster cards die ? I've looked after it, not sat on it, the card
itself still looks pristine. I've had it for about 5 months.

How am I going to get to work tomorrow ? I've read on the oyster site that
you can take the card to any tube station for a replacement. But living in
South London, there aren't any. I can by pay cash to get to work and then
get it swapped at a tube station in the City but will the card be functional
straight away so I can use it for the trip home ? Will they be able to
transfer the credit I had onto it ?

Thanks

?uzzled wrote:
I've been using my oyster card quite merrily this week until today. This
morning, I swiped the card on a bus and it didn't register. The driver waved
me through and I thought it was a faulty machine. Going home from work this
evening, I swiped it again on the bus and it still wouldn't register. I
thought another faulty machine until the driver called me back. This time I
looked at the LCD display and it showed 'Communication Failure'. Try as I
might, I couldn't get the card to register. I knew there was credit on my
pre-pay card so I couldn't work out what was wrong.

I managed to test my oyster card at a ticket stop and they confirmed that my
card had died. They told me I had to take it to the Oval to get it swapped.

My questions is:

Why did the second bus driver talk to my as if I was scum ? I'm not
intentionally out to defraud the system. I tried to explain to him that the
card was working as far as I know.

Why do oyster cards die ? I've looked after it, not sat on it, the card
itself still looks pristine. I've had it for about 5 months.

How am I going to get to work tomorrow ? I've read on the oyster site that
you can take the card to any tube station for a replacement. But living in
South London, there aren't any. I can by pay cash to get to work and then
get it swapped at a tube station in the City but will the card be functional
straight away so I can use it for the trip home ? Will they be able to
transfer the credit I had onto it ?

Thanks
No answer to your question I'm afraid but of course if you abuse staff
on the buses or the Underground you will be prosecuted.
Does make me wonder sometimes if staff are deliberately abusive knowing
that they have this immunity.
Kevin

wrote:
No answer to your question I'm afraid but of course if you abuse staff
on the buses or the Underground you will be prosecuted.
Does make me wonder sometimes if staff are deliberately abusive knowing
that they have this immunity.

Fear of prosecution gives transport staff immunity from being kicked,
punched, spat at or sworn at?
I don't think so!
--
Kat

Just wonder why the same behaviour expected of the public isn't
expected from the staff.

Kevin

?uzzled wrote:
Why did the second bus driver talk to my as if I was scum ? I'm not
intentionally out to defraud the system. I tried to explain to him that the
card was working as far as I know.

Some drivers are like that. Some seem to want to cause you to lose
your temper and lash out so they can get compensation when you get
taken to court (this isn't just bus drivers - some pub boucers, some
securicor security staff at wimbledon, etc. are just as bad

How am I going to get to work tomorrow ? I've read on the oyster site that
you can take the card to any tube station for a replacement. But living in
South London, there aren't any. I can by pay cash to get to work and then
get it swapped at a tube station in the City but will the card be functional
straight away so I can use it for the trip home ? Will they be able to
transfer the credit I had onto it ?

I my experience the card should work straight away and have all the
stuff from the old one trasfered to it. Be careful though beacuse it
is transfered manually - I lost almost a month of travelcard an £12.60
of prepay during a transfer because the chap at the station didn't do
his job properly.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wonder why the same behaviour expected of the public isn't
expected from the staff.

Kevin


Agreed. Working in a support environment, we constantly have to attend
customer service training courses. I don't see why bus drivers can't do the
same. Surely, we the paying public, pay their wages with our fares, or is
London Transport that heavily subsidised that they can say stuff the
passengers ?

Weren't there figures out a while back saying complaint on the buses were at
an all time record high ?

"Chris!" wrote in message
oups.com...
How am I going to get to work tomorrow ? I've read on the oyster site
that
you can take the card to any tube station for a replacement. But living
in
South London, there aren't any. I can by pay cash to get to work and then
get it swapped at a tube station in the City but will the card be
functional
straight away so I can use it for the trip home ? Will they be able to
transfer the credit I had onto it ?

I my experience the card should work straight away and have all the
stuff from the old one trasfered to it. Be careful though beacuse it
is transfered manually - I lost almost a month of travelcard an £12.60
of prepay during a transfer because the chap at the station didn't do
his job properly.

Took it to a tube station today, initially it wouldn't scan but then he
managed to get the card to register on the reader and it showed up the
credit amount. Filled in a form, new card issued and credited and that was
that. Pretty painless experience. Quite impresssed.

"?uzzled" wrote in message
...

Weren't there figures out a while back saying complaint on the buses were
at an all time record high ?

Bus drivers are, beyond a doubt, the single most objectionable people
working in transport today - if there are any nice ones, I for one have
never met them.

They are, to a man, crass and pig-ignorant, appalling drivers and lacking in
even the most basic social and interpersonal skills. If only they would take
as their example some of the terrific station staff working at tube
stations - particularly, in my experience, on the District Line - who are
tireless in their desire to assist even the dimmest tourist. I envy their
patience.

Ian

In message , Ian F.
writes
They are, to a man, crass and pig-ignorant, appalling drivers and
lacking in even the most basic social and interpersonal skills.
Try bus driving for a week, if you don't end up plonking somebody you're
either extremely patient or on something.
--
Clive

Ian F. wrote:
If only they would take
as their example some of the terrific station staff working at tube
stations - particularly, in my experience, on the District Line - who are
tireless in their desire to assist even the dimmest tourist. I envy their
patience.

Wow!
I'm going to print that out and frame it!!
;-)
--
Kat