Oyster Card

[peetee]

snip

As someone whos only been to london for one weekend within the past decade im quite shocked that someone who im assuming has more experience of it than me has hit this problem....

The machines tell you how much you have left on when you swipe out, so surely if you are a heavy user you should whack more on when it hovers around £5?!?
I found it easy enough keeping track of mine!

An annoyance that you cant check yea, but its assumed that people look when they swipe out i guess

 

[One More Solo]

As someone whos only been to london for one weekend within the past decade im quite shocked that someone who im assuming has more experience of it than me has hit this problem....

The machines tell you how much you have left on when you swipe out, so surely if you are a heavy user you should whack more on when it hovers around £5?!?
I found it easy enough keeping track of mine!

An annoyance that you cant check yea, but its assumed that people look when they swipe out i guess

I always forget to look at mine, and I'm a stingy student so I don't like putting more than shrapnel on it.

 

[peetee]

hah thats fair doos.
I was warned by my siblings not to try and skip fairs, although my brother said its usually easy to skip them for short journeys, as he does when hes only going one stop if hes going to my sisters and getting off at mudchute or whatever, since they dont have people checking there, but over the whole easter weekend i only bumped into inspectors etc once at king X, and even then my gf swiped out the station and got an error but the doors stilled opened and she walked straight past em.. do you ever skip it or anything & get caught???
It seemed pretty easy to skip the fair, though not as easy as the metro in newcastle

 

[One More Solo]

I always try and swipe my card on buses but if there's no cash on it I'm not going to get off the bus and walk through Camden in the middle of the night. When that happens I just sit facing away from the driver and stare at the floor till my destination, avoids inspection and stabbings = win.

 

[oddjob62]

The machines tell you how much you have left on when you swipe out, so surely if you are a heavy user you should whack more on when it hovers around £5?!?
I found it easy enough keeping track of mine!

An annoyance that you cant check yea, but its assumed that people look when they swipe out i guess

Or you can set it to automatically top up when your balance goes under a certain amount.

 

[peetee]

I always try and swipe my card on buses but if there's no cash on it I'm not going to get off the bus and walk through Camden in the middle of the night. When that happens I just sit facing away from the driver and stare at the floor till my destination, avoids inspection and stabbings = win.

heh, iv jus seen ** sig, you deserve stabbing!


oh auto topup, well like i said, one weekend in a decade

 

[PinkPig]

Or you can set it to automatically top up when your balance goes under a certain amount.

That's what I've done. I know a few people might be concerned about security but when you use it regularly it's the simplest thing to do. Definitely much more convenient than trying to fumble around with cash late at night.

A better "Oyster compatible" ticket machine at bus stops would be nice but expensive to put in and maybe liable to vandalism....

 

[PardonTheWait]

I can't believe how ***** you are

 

[benneh]

Fox in tight arse shocker.

 

[Mad old tory]

If you go to London a few times a year, the oyster will have paid for itself within the year. It's much more convenient than paper tickets anyway.

 

[homerio]

That's what I've done. I know a few people might be concerned about security but when you use it regularly it's the simplest thing to do. Definitely much more convenient than trying to fumble around with cash late at night.

A better "Oyster compatible" ticket machine at bus stops would be nice but expensive to put in and maybe liable to vandalism....

I'd assume the biggest obstacle would be the comms line to it followed by the security aspects of having unattended machines capable of processing payments littered around the place.

 

[BrightonBelle]

I can't believe how ***** you are

Yep. Isn't a pint about £3 in London now?

Or a Ford Magazine to read on the train up...

Can't you just get a direct train ticket?

BB x

 

[Seft]

The Oyster bus fare is now 90 pence. So, while the Oyster system itself isn't great, I can now get from Heathrow to Maidenhead for 90p..

Really?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/heathrowterminals123-13970.pdf

'Transport for London ticket products (Bus Passes, Oyster cards, Travelcards and Saver tickets) are not accepted on these services.'

 

[Cosimo]

I'd assume the biggest obstacle would be the comms line to it followed by the security aspects of having unattended machines capable of processing payments littered around the place.

The payments themselves are processed centrally.

You can do it on buses and they don't have comms lines.

 

[PinkPig]

If you go to London a few times a year, the oyster will have paid for itself within the year. It's much more convenient than paper tickets anyway.

Almost certainly much less than a year - two single tube journeys in zone 1 cost 2x£4=£8 without Oyster, 2x£1.50 + £3 deposit = £6 with Oyster. (and the deposit is refundable)

 

[electric ant]

You can literraly pick up an oyster card at your first stop, pay £3 deposit +£1.50 far (if zone1-2), then at your destination stop just hand back the oyster card and claim your £3 deposit back.

Secret tip: If you have a Young Persons Railcard you can save quite a bit on your fares (up to 34%)
Just ask at the counter if they can put on the railcard discount , show them your railcard and theyll swipe the Oyster and you get you discounts.

More info here

 

[Feek]

hah thats fair doos.
I was warned by my siblings not to try and skip fairs, although my brother said its usually easy to skip them for short journeys, as he does when hes only going one stop if hes going to my sisters and getting off at mudchute or whatever, since they dont have people checking there, but over the whole easter weekend i only bumped into inspectors etc once at king X, and even then my gf swiped out the station and got an error but the doors stilled opened and she walked straight past em.. do you ever skip it or anything & get caught???
It seemed pretty easy to skip the fair, though not as easy as the metro in newcastle

Nice, we have a blatant fare dodger in our midst.

 

[al123]

You may as well get one and keep it to use in the future they are only £3. As long as you don’t need to top it up there is no need to queue at the ticket machines, so you can get on with your journey much quicker.

I’ve got 2, one for me and a spare in case any of my friends/family from up north are visiting.

 

[Indy500]

Really?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/heathrowterminals123-13970.pdf

'Transport for London ticket products (Bus Passes, Oyster cards, Travelcards and Saver tickets) are not accepted on these services.'

Meh, ok. Slough then.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

WOW, all this over £3. You must be skint. I'd just pay the £3 and save the messing around of getting an Oyster card and having to top it up. The Oyster Card also sounds extremely homosexual.