Oyster Impass
Bloody Oyster cards.
Yesterday morning, I came in from Ramsgate on a "London Terminals" ticket to Charing Cross. Walked to work, as it was only just up the hill.
However, when I finished work, and walked to Farringdon, hoping to take theThameslink First Capital Connect home, I realised that I'd neglected to buy my usual Zones 1-3 weekly travelcard as usual on Monday morning. I tried to purchase one at Farringdon, but without even asking, the man pulled out an Oyster Card, and started ringing up my travelcard - WITH an unwanted £3 deposit.
"No, no Oyster" I told him.
"Sorry, we don't do paper tickets" he told me.
"I'm going to Streatham - they neither accept nor top up Oysters."
The machine didn't issue weekly travelcards, either - in fact, they didn't even do Zones 1-3, only 1-2 and 1-4. So I had to purchase a single to Streatham. And then bought my travelcard on paper as usual - on Tuesday morning, screwing up my weekly shop.
Bloody absurd. I hate Oysters, I hate the London Transport Is Watching You aspect of them. (No wonder they had that utterly creepy "secure beneath the watchful eyes" poster a few years back.) I hate the interest free loan of that bloody deposit. I was actually quite proud thatThameslink First Capital Discontent were the last hold-out against the things.
Yesterday morning, I came in from Ramsgate on a "London Terminals" ticket to Charing Cross. Walked to work, as it was only just up the hill.
However, when I finished work, and walked to Farringdon, hoping to take the
"No, no Oyster" I told him.
"Sorry, we don't do paper tickets" he told me.
"I'm going to Streatham - they neither accept nor top up Oysters."
The machine didn't issue weekly travelcards, either - in fact, they didn't even do Zones 1-3, only 1-2 and 1-4. So I had to purchase a single to Streatham. And then bought my travelcard on paper as usual - on Tuesday morning, screwing up my weekly shop.
Bloody absurd. I hate Oysters, I hate the London Transport Is Watching You aspect of them. (No wonder they had that utterly creepy "secure beneath the watchful eyes" poster a few years back.) I hate the interest free loan of that bloody deposit. I was actually quite proud that
posted by Masonic Boom | 10:58 am
2 Comments:
Mmmmmm. Oysters.
The man wanted to charge me £3 extra just for the priviledge of having their piece of plastic. I'm sorry, but what am I paying these huge ticket prices for, if the price of the ticket itself isn't included in them?
There's nowhere in Streatham to tap the thing in or out, which they insist you do, starting next month, or face a fine.
Not to mention the biggest problem of them all, which is - once I have this thing, I've no way to top it up again, the next Monday morning when I need to renew it.
Sure, I could top it up in town - ONCE I GET THERE - but how am I supposed to get there with an expired Oyster Card which I cannot top up without using transport in the first place?
Thanks, I'll stick to the weekly paper travelcards that my local ticket offices dispense. It's just annoying, when I come in from out of London and try to get a ticket home. Next time I'll take a bendy bus and then go to a Thameslink station without a barrier, to get to a station where I can buy the kind of ticket I need.
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