I was recently doing a lot of London Underground journeys with a pay as
you go adult Oyster card which is registered without automatic top-up.
As I entered the system, I noticed a red message flash by. When I took
time to look, I saw it said "Seek Assistance" and did so. A Customer
Service Assistant told me it was a code 94 error which means "Card comms
failed" but was unable to enlighten me on the reasoning for giving this
error which does not prevent the gate from opening. I got a delayed,
non-responsive, allegedly confidential answer from Customer Services.
I also asked for a list of responses and was told none was published.
I thought "Freedom of Information". Google turned out to be quicker and
I found a list at
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.tr...thread/thread/
1129556cecc35169/39d9557e8057792f?lnk=st&q=&rnum=7#39d9557e8057792f

Their are suggestions a 94 is the result of waving a card over the
reader rather than placing it.

Can anyone here shed light on the logic behind displaying this code -
and others which do not result in card rejection? They seem to me to do
nothing more than frighten the customer without cause. The fear is of
being stuck beyond walking range without cash as a backup.
--
Walter Briscoe

On 12 Feb, 09:56, Walter Briscoe wrote:
I was recently doing a lot of London Underground journeys with a pay as
you go adult Oyster card which is registered without automatic top-up.
As I entered the system, I noticed a red message flash by. When I took
time to look, I saw it said "Seek Assistance" and did so. A Customer
Service Assistant told me it was a code 94 error which means "Card comms
failed" but was unable to enlighten me on the reasoning for giving this
error which does not prevent the gate from opening. I got a delayed,
non-responsive, allegedly confidential answer from Customer Services.
I also asked for a list of responses and was told none was published.
I thought "Freedom of Information". Google turned out to be quicker and
I found a list at
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.tr...thread/thread/
1129556cecc35169/39d9557e8057792f?lnk=st&q=&rnum=7#39d9557e8057792f

Their are suggestions a 94 is the result of waving a card over the
reader rather than placing it.

Can anyone here shed light on the logic behind displaying this code -
and others which do not result in card rejection? They seem to me to do
nothing more than frighten the customer without cause. The fear is of
being stuck beyond walking range without cash as a backup.
--
Walter Briscoe


I have to say I think you're making a bit of a mountain out of a
molehill!

Nevertheless there is a possible issue here. I too have found that, on
occasion when using Oyster, the LU gates will display the red "Seek
Assistance" text but the gate will nonetheless open (I think I've seen
this behaviour exhibited by both the older pneumatic gates and also
the newer models).

Given that the gates open I always walk through them, as do all the
other passengers I've seen who've experienced this - and I should add
that when this has happened to me it has nevertheless always
registered as a touch-in or touch-out on my Oyster (i.e. it hasn't
resulted in incomplete journeys).

I'd suggest that what is happening is this - the card readers doesn't
initially communicate with the Oyster card (perhaps because the card
isn't held flat to the reader) which triggers the error message, but
split seconds later communication is established successfully, and the
Oyster card is accepted and the gate opens. The glitch (if there is
one) is that the "Seek Assistance" error message remains on the
display rather than being cleared off when there's no longer a
problem.

My advice to Walter and anyone else who experiences this is not to
worry about it - if the gate opens it means there's nothing wrong with
your card, just walk on through. Perhaps it's one for LU, TranSys and
Cubic to look at - though I'm sure they'd be aware of it already.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
ups.com...


I'd suggest that what is happening is this - the card readers doesn't
initially communicate with the Oyster card (perhaps because the card
isn't held flat to the reader) which triggers the error message, but
split seconds later communication is established successfully, and the
Oyster card is accepted and the gate opens. The glitch (if there is
one) is that the "Seek Assistance" error message remains on the
display rather than being cleared off when there's no longer a
problem.


Perhaps the LU staff could be briefed to simply explain that code 94 means
that the Oyster validation wasn't as quick as designed because of user
error - the signs do say 'always touch in' not 'wave about'...

Paul

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:34:12 -0000, Paul Scott
wrote:


"Mizter T" wrote in message
ups.com...


I'd suggest that what is happening is this - the card readers doesn't
initially communicate with the Oyster card (perhaps because the card
isn't held flat to the reader) which triggers the error message, but
split seconds later communication is established successfully, and the
Oyster card is accepted and the gate opens. The glitch (if there is
one) is that the "Seek Assistance" error message remains on the
display rather than being cleared off when there's no longer a
problem.


Perhaps the LU staff could be briefed to simply explain that code 94
means
that the Oyster validation wasn't as quick as designed because of user
error - the signs do say 'always touch in' not 'wave about'...

Except, IME, the complete opposite is true. I have noticed that a long
lingering touch, often accompanied by a bit of a 'slide' is likely to set
off the "seek assistance" message accompanied by an open gate.
This used to happen to me often when I first started using Oyster, but
very rarely now that I've been using it daily for a couple of years. I do
notice it happen to other people though. People in front of me and also
friends of mine from out of London who are using the system for the first
time. And it always happens with a prolonged 'touch' or 'slide'. What
appears to happen is that as the card touches the reader the gate gives
its normal 'beep' and opens the gate but a split second later it gives the
reject 'triple beep' and shows the 'seek assistance' message. The gate
remains open. It would appear that the gate is registering the card twice
and is therefore more likely to be showing a code 42 "pass-back" or
similar. With experience, you get to know what kind of touch will result
in success and I usually touch my Oyster very briefly and have lifted it
off before the acceptance 'beep' sounds. Occasionally, I am too hasty and
I get the 'triple beep' reject without an open gate and a 'seek
assistance' but it is obvious to me that I've been too quick. A second
touch will open the gate.
So, in summary, I think the gates are too sensitive and throw a fit if
your card lingers or slides. I agree with the O.P. that this behaviour is
rude and the gate should recognise the difference between a double read
and a pass-back.

--
Fig

On 12 Feb, 23:29, Fig wrote:
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:34:12 -0000, Paul Scott





wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote in message
oups.com...

I'd suggest that what is happening is this - the card readers doesn't
initially communicate with the Oyster card (perhaps because the card
isn't held flat to the reader) which triggers the error message, but
split seconds later communication is established successfully, and the
Oyster card is accepted and the gate opens. The glitch (if there is
one) is that the "Seek Assistance" error message remains on the
display rather than being cleared off when there's no longer a
problem.

Perhaps the LU staff could be briefed to simply explain that code 94
means
that the Oyster validation wasn't as quick as designed because of user
error - the signs do say 'always touch in' not 'wave about'...

Except, IME, the complete opposite is true. I have noticed that a long
lingering touch, often accompanied by a bit of a 'slide' is likely to set
off the "seek assistance" message accompanied by an open gate.
This used to happen to me often when I first started using Oyster, but
very rarely now that I've been using it daily for a couple of years. I do
notice it happen to other people though. People in front of me and also
friends of mine from out of London who are using the system for the first
time. And it always happens with a prolonged 'touch' or 'slide'. What
appears to happen is that as the card touches the reader the gate gives
its normal 'beep' and opens the gate but a split second later it gives the
reject 'triple beep' and shows the 'seek assistance' message. The gate
remains open. It would appear that the gate is registering the card twice
and is therefore more likely to be showing a code 42 "pass-back" or
similar. With experience, you get to know what kind of touch will result
in success and I usually touch my Oyster very briefly and have lifted it
off before the acceptance 'beep' sounds. Occasionally, I am too hasty and
I get the 'triple beep' reject without an open gate and a 'seek
assistance' but it is obvious to me that I've been too quick. A second
touch will open the gate.
So, in summary, I think the gates are too sensitive and throw a fit if
your card lingers or slides. I agree with the O.P. that this behaviour is
rude and the gate should recognise the difference between a double read
and a pass-back.

--
Fig- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is a bit of a fuss about nothing. Code 94 simply means, as you
were told, card communication error. The reasons for this could be
many (card problems, reader problems, and most likely: interference
between the two radio tranceivers), but if you get a 94 then it is
very likely that a second touch of the card on the reader will resolve
all problems. Of course, if the card is actually damaged then you may
need a replacement.

I suppose you could put in a freedom of infomation request if you
really want more info, but you might be better spending your time
(cont. code 94.)

On 13 Feb 2007 08:03:22 -0800, "Tom Page"
wrote:

I suppose you could put in a freedom of infomation request if you
really want more info, but you might be better spending your time
(cont. code 94.)

*applause*

Walter Briscoe wrote:
Their are suggestions a 94 is the result of waving a card over the
reader rather than placing it.

Indeed!
http://greenberger.no-ip.com/gallery...2_itemId=31429
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007, David of Broadway wrote:

Walter Briscoe wrote:

Their are suggestions a 94 is the result of waving a card over the reader
rather than placing it.

Indeed!
http://greenberger.no-ip.com/gallery...2_itemId=31429

Had a new one today - 71. I thought i might be out of credit, so i went to
a quick ticket machine to top up, and was told "transaction cancelled,
your card is not initialised for PRESTIGE". Then realised i was swiping my
work keycard, not my Oyster.

Good thing it cancelled the transaction, i have to say; not sure what i
would have done with twenty quid on my keycard ...

tom

--
Coldplay is the kind of music computers will make when they get smart
enough to start making fun of humans -- Lower Marsh Tit

Tom Anderson wrote:

Had a new one today - 71. I thought i might be out of credit, so i went
to a quick ticket machine to top up, and was told "transaction
cancelled, your card is not initialised for PRESTIGE". Then realised i
was swiping my work keycard, not my Oyster.

Good thing it cancelled the transaction, i have to say; not sure what i
would have done with twenty quid on my keycard ...

I once tried swiping a Chicago Transit Card at a New York City subway
turnstile. (Except for the print, the cards are physically
indistinguishable.) The turnstile told me to SEE AGENT.

I wonder if I could have added $20 to my Chicago card in New York --
and, if I succeeded, which city it would have worked in.
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA