Mizter T wrote in
oups.com:

On 7 Nov, 18:48, "Paul Scott" wrote:
"CNS" wrote in message



Spent a day visiting London last week, so decided to try using the
Oyst
er
Card. I sent a topup of £5 to be credited when getting the Tube at
Waterloo. The day's journeys are now showing on the website & I
notice that there are a number of £4 charges when entering
Waterloo, Arsenal
&
Baker ST tubes. Can anyone let me know why? may it have been down
to me not
touching in & out correctly? After topping up do I need to touch in
twi
ce?
as the £4 charges seem to be after a topup?

16:31 Waterloo (Jubilee Line Entrance) Exit £2.80 £2.91
16:14 Baker Street Entry £4.00 £0.11
16:14 Baker Street Top-up £2.00 £4.11
16:00 Bus 274 Entry £0.90 £2.11
13:26 Regents Park Exit £2.00 £3.01
13:01 Arsenal Entry £4.00 £1.01
12:59 Arsenal Top-up £2.00 £5.01
10:12 Arsenal Exit £2.00 £3.01
09:54 Holborn Entry £2.50 £1.01
09:19 Holborn Exit £2.50 £3.51
08:50 Waterloo (Bkloo, Nthn, W&C Lines) Entry £4.00 £1.01
08:50 Waterloo (Bkloo, Nthn, W&C Lines) Top-up £5.00 £5.01

Basically, every time you commence a PAYG journey on the tube
(Entry), th
ey
deduct a sort of deposit of £4.00, (its called a 'maximum cash fare'
in
the
leaflets), and then when you exit they pay it back less the journey
cost. Its to make sure you remember to touch in and out correctly.
When Oyster first started people discovered they could touch in in
zone 1, then if th
ey
left the system without touching out, they would have an unresolved
journ
ey,
which they would then explain to a ticket office was all in zone 1...

Or not deal with a ticket office at all - despite the on-screen
messages on the Oyster ticket machines nothing happened if an
unresolved journey was left unresolved (a fact discovered by the
failure of myself and a friend to touch-out after an evening of
magnificent alcoholic excess - they got it 'resolved' at a ticket
office the next day, but when I tried to do the same later on the
ticket office clerk said not to worry about it, as the unresolved
journey would disappear after a while). Of course things have now
changed and this potential loophole has been closed with the
introduction of the £4 'penalty' for failing to touch-in or touch-out.



Thanks both of you, I can see this now, what it would make it easier to
following if the credits had a "-" in front of the amount, but.........

Why was it when I entered Holbourn at 9:54 it took £2.50, not £4?
Does this mean I have to have a minimum balance on the Oyster of £4
before starting a journey.

Thanks also for the reason why "Oyster" is unlikey to be implemented on
the National Rail system due to the large "deposit" that would be
required, shame really after my first experience I thought it was a
great system & good it would be if implemented wider.

CNS