On Tue, Feb 27, 2007 at 05:17:47PM +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

I travelled on the RV1 on Saturday from London Bridge to Aldwych. The
bus was very busy and it was mildly amusing to watch people variously
touch their saver ticket on the Oyster pad, not know to tear their Saver
ticket in half along the perforation, show their Oyster card to the
driver but upside down and touch a One Day Travelcard on the Oyster pad.
I think all of the "victims" were tourists but it made me consider just
how confusing our various ticketing options are to them.

No more confusing, really, than the ticketing options anywhere else.
That doesn't mean that they shouldn't be fixed, but just you try
figgering out the best tickets to get for - say - a group of four people
in Dusseldorf who want to stay in the city centre for three days but
take one side-trip to the Neanderthal Museum.

My solution, by the way, was to not bother. Taxis between Hbf and
hotel, walk everywhere in town, return ticket from Hbf to $somewhere,
and pay cash for the buses between there and the museum. Much easier.

--
David Cantrell | London Perl Mongers Deputy Chief Heretic

You are so cynical. And by "cynical", of course, I mean "correct".
-- Kurt Starsinic

Joyce Whitchurch wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:

Why not just withdraw Saver tickets completely? Surely Oyster has
superceded them to any practical extent?

Too much faffing about for the occasional visitor, especially tourists.
You have to pay 3 quid deposit to get an Oyster in the first place, then
claim a refund when you hand it in.

Surely going to the ticket stop is faffing about as well. They can just
buy the expensive cash fares. Or get an Oyster card.
--
Michael Hoffman

Chris Read wrote:
Allowing four months to use up residual stocks doesn't sound like an unfair
contract to me, anyway.

That's a matter of opinion. I bought 4 x 6 tickets when they were 65p
a ticket. I still have 2 x 6 left. I'll have to sell most of them -
though I suppose I might make a small profit.

£5 for 6 tickets including postage, anyone? From email address works.

Colin McKenzie


--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at
the population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as
walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

Michael Hoffman wrote:

Surely going to the ticket stop is faffing about as well. They can just
buy the expensive cash fares. Or get an Oyster card.

Well, you can only buy the expensive cash fares if there's a machine and
it's working and you've got the right change.

But TBH I'm surprised that Saver tickets ever got off the ground in the
first place. They were particularly easy to fiddle when Routemasters
ruled the earth - not many conductors could remember who'd given them a
ticket and who'd not.
--
Joyce Whitchurch, Stalybridge, UK
=================================

On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:44:43 +0000, David Cantrell
wrote:

On Tue, Feb 27, 2007 at 05:17:47PM +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

I travelled on the RV1 on Saturday from London Bridge to Aldwych. The
bus was very busy and it was mildly amusing to watch people variously
touch their saver ticket on the Oyster pad, not know to tear their Saver
ticket in half along the perforation, show their Oyster card to the
driver but upside down and touch a One Day Travelcard on the Oyster pad.
I think all of the "victims" were tourists but it made me consider just
how confusing our various ticketing options are to them.

No more confusing, really, than the ticketing options anywhere else.

Oh granted. It was the first time I'd really noticed the confusion first
hand.

That doesn't mean that they shouldn't be fixed, but just you try
figgering out the best tickets to get for - say - a group of four people
in Dusseldorf who want to stay in the city centre for three days but
take one side-trip to the Neanderthal Museum.

My solution, by the way, was to not bother. Taxis between Hbf and
hotel, walk everywhere in town, return ticket from Hbf to $somewhere,
and pay cash for the buses between there and the museum. Much easier.

I agree some ticket products - particularly group ones - can be rather
complex. However I do struggle with the apparent resistance of people
not to get an PAYG Oyster card even if it does involve payment of a
deposit. I had an Octopus card for HK for many years even though I only
visited every 1-2 years. It took seconds to get it checked and
re-enabled if it had become blacklisted through lack of use. Similarly I
was in Singapore last Christmas and about my first purchase was the E-Z
link card for MRT and Buses. You pay for the card *and* a deposit *and*
travel value but the convenience factor far outweighs these costs in my
view. I didn't surrender it before leaving but will keep it for a return
visit.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:

I agree some ticket products - particularly group ones - can be rather
complex. However I do struggle with the apparent resistance of people
not to get an PAYG Oyster card even if it does involve payment of a
deposit. I had an Octopus card for HK for many years even though I only
visited every 1-2 years. It took seconds to get it checked and
re-enabled if it had become blacklisted through lack of use. Similarly I
was in Singapore last Christmas and about my first purchase was the E-Z
link card for MRT and Buses. You pay for the card *and* a deposit *and*
travel value but the convenience factor far outweighs these costs in my
view. I didn't surrender it before leaving but will keep it for a return
visit.

Once every major city has one it will be pretty difficult to keep up for
world travelers. Especially if they are not enthusiasts who enjoy
keeping such things.
--
Michael Hoffman

Will these cards be able to "roam" in Europe at some point?

"Michael Hoffman" wrote in message
...
Paul Corfield wrote:

Once every major city has one it will be pretty difficult to keep up for
world travelers. Especially if they are not enthusiasts who enjoy keeping
such things.
--
Michael Hoffman

On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:20:55 +0000, Joyce Whitchurch
wrote:

But TBH I'm surprised that Saver tickets ever got off the ground in the
first place. They were particularly easy to fiddle when Routemasters
ruled the earth - not many conductors could remember who'd given them a
ticket and who'd not.

Not any more than they could remember who they'd sold a cash fare to
or seen a Travelcard from, presumably?

They're no harder to fiddle than the Strippenkaart is, though the
disadvantage of the tear-offs is that you can't allow free transfers.
While Oyster is clearly better, the concept would apply well to
regional bus operators who aren't planning smartcards any time soon.
If MK Metro introduced them, I'd certainly carry a book, even if the
price was the same as the regular fare. It's just more convenient.

Neil

On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:55:57 +0000, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Once every major city has one it will be pretty difficult to keep up for
world travelers. Especially if they are not enthusiasts who enjoy
keeping such things.

Especially given that some of them (e.g. the EZ-Link) expire. I think
you only get a year, so mine's a pure souvenir.

Neil

On Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:00:27 GMT, wrote:

Will these cards be able to "roam" in Europe at some point?

Probably not worth the cost. Also, implementing things like capping
might be complicated.

Probably better that, unless the banks get involved in a general
Mondex-style micropayment system, there are easy ways of obtaining and
cashing back in such a card in all locations, such as vending machines
that are now appearing to sell (but not take back) Oyster.

Neil