On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:09:45 -0700 (PDT),
Mizter T wrote:

Here's my Journey history (of course things might well have changed now)

* * *09/04/08 19:57 Watford Junction Entry * * * - £3.00 £20.40
* * * * * * * 19:56 Watford Junction Exit * * * * *£2.00 £23.40
* * * * * * * 19:27 Euston NR * * * *Entry * * * - £5.00 £21.40

The exit plus entry didn't even count as a continuation of my journey as
it charged me another three pounds. (I did actually reclaim this and I
got it credited back but usually I cannot be bothered to reclaim when
things go wrong)

Why only £3 though? Surely it should be £4 for the 'entry charge' (or
£5 if that's the 'entry charge' at WJ)... hmm, I'm a bit puzzled.
Unless... unless the 'entry charge' system doesn't apply at WJ, reason
being because you might end up at a platform at Euston where there's
no Oyster reader.

At that time of night then the maximum fare when entering at WJ was 3GBP
which would take you to Euston. IIRC the maximum possible fare was 3.50.

I'm surprised it's configured like this because it seems to allow an
easy fraud for people coming in on the St-Albans line. Touch "in" in the
subway and then "out" at the gate and (I think) it's 1.00. Similar will
(presumably) apply for peak hour journeys into Euston where the barriers
are now open.[1] (This is the only time I've ever touched on more than
one validator so I've got no data for what happens in other cases)

Hmm, interesting. The way it normally appears to work at gated
stations is that if you enter the station and then exit it again
(without having travelled) you're charged the minimum fare from that
station. However I would have thought that the system at stations such
as WJ would be designed with such a fraud as that which you speculate
on in mind (and it's worth noting that your comments are just
speculation).

Indeed, purely speculation. But I think the whole in/out is complicated
by the fact that the StAlbans line is non oyster (I think) but arrives
into Watford Junction on the hot[1] side of the barrier. So the subway
validators have to be able to handle in (St Albans to London) and out
(changing from DC to head North)

[1] I know there's a proper term for this but it escapes me.

And as my minor bit of excitement tonight. After a little too much to
drink my train arrived at Watford Junction. I was standing by the door
waiting for the "ping". Ping happened, I pushed the button ... nothing.
Pushed again ... nothing. Looked down, no lights. Looked across the
train - there's the button lit up. Goodness, I'm more drunk than I
thought. Cross the train, push the button, doors open onto a Virgin
train. I'm not so drunk that I'm going to try and get off like that so I
cross back and hope that the doors will open before the train departs.
"Ping". Open the other door, so now I've got both doors open. Get out.
"Beep, beep, beep" the wrong doors close and then the other doors close
and the train departs. I did remember hearing once of a blind person who
was injured when he got out of a train on the wrong side when it came
into a very unusual platform at his normal station but that's the first
time I've ever seen this happen in a modern train.

Tim.

--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t,"
and there was light.

http://www.woodall.me.uk/