E-Tickets on dead phones - a possible solution?

[skyhigh]

It's rather bad luck if you board a train after being out all day and maybe taking photos etc., to find the power sockets aren't working. I think people in this situation, who would normally have been able to recharge their phone on board, but due to the train's fault can't do so, should be given some leeway if they genuinely can't display their ticket. I'm sure some websites (can't think which at the moment) show such information as whether there's wifi and charging sockets, so if you board with an expectation that isn't met then it's hardly your fault.

They do get given leeway. When I was a guard I had a 3-in-1 cable and powerbank for exactly that purpose. Discretion is used plenty of times.

You just don't read threads about it on here.

 

[al78]

While we live in a culture that is so keen to punish people, I personally will always print out my e-ticket, put it in a folder in my bag; probably print another copy and put it in my wallet; as well as having electronic copies saved in at least one place on my phone

I do this as well. I do not trust my phone to reliably pick up a signal when necessary so I can access an e-ticket in my e-mail inbox. That is possibly an issue with contract rather than the phone itself, but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket. I also make sure I don't put the ticket in the same pocket as the phone as the ticket can be pulled out of the pocket and fall on the floor when retrieving the phone.

 

[jon0844]

In my world, I actually know quite a few people without a smartphone...

Of course, but we're not talking about them here. They aren't getting e-tickets on a smartphone they don't have.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2024 ==

They do get given leeway. When I was a guard I had a 3-in-1 cable and powerbank for exactly that purpose. Discretion is used plenty of times.

You just don't read threads about it on here.

I bet you had a lot of them panic when offered a charge!

 

[Krokodil]

I bet you had a lot of them panic when offered a charge!

I've had some deliberately vandalise a cable

 

[TUC]

Most people on trains seem to fall into one of two camps:
a) On their phones and other technology for so long that there are regularly aware how much power they have left
b) barely on their phones so unlikely to use much power.

Who are this mysterious third group that some here seem so concerned about?

 

[Lampshade]

Most people on trains seem to fall into one of two camps:
a) On their phones and other technology for so long that there are regularly aware how much power they have left
b) barely on their phones so unlikely to use much power.

Who are this mysterious third group that some here seem so concerned about?

People who would ordinarily have plenty of power left but encountered disruption? This has been me, took a Uber home as to not risk the phone dying while waiting an indeterminate length of time, as it was cheaper than the PF I'd have got - notice how one sided this is?

 

[trainophile]

I do this as well. I do not trust my phone to reliably pick up a signal when necessary so I can access an e-ticket in my e-mail inbox. That is possibly an issue with contract rather than the phone itself, but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket. I also make sure I don't put the ticket in the same pocket as the phone as the ticket can be pulled out of the pocket and fall on the floor when retrieving the phone.

"...but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket..."

(For some reason my Mac won't allow me to underline or bold sections of text, but this ^ is the pertinent bit I wanted to reply to:- )

In which case for whose benefit are e-tickets? If most, or even many, people prefer a paper ticket, which we already have, and some go to the extent of printing off an e-ticket, sometimes with several copies, what exactly is the point? Is it just to make life easier for RPIs and guards, so they just have to scan something instead of reading it?

 

[jon0844]

Have you stood near a gateline and seen how many people are using e-tickets now?

 

[trainophile]

Have you stood near a gateline and seen how many people are using e-tickets now?

I've queued behind most of them!

 

[TUC]

"...but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket..."

(For some reason my Mac won't allow me to underline or bold sections of text, but this ^ is the pertinent bit I wanted to reply to:- )

In which case for whose benefit are e-tickets? If most, or even many, people prefer a paper ticket, which we already have, and some go to the extent of printing off an e-ticket, sometimes with several copies, what exactly is the point? Is it just to make life easier for RPIs and guards, so they just have to scan something instead of reading it?

Who says most, or many people, prefer a paper ticket? Where's the data?

 

[OscarH]

"...but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket..."

(For some reason my Mac won't allow me to underline or bold sections of text, but this ^ is the pertinent bit I wanted to reply to:- )

In which case for whose benefit are e-tickets? If most, or even many, people prefer a paper ticket, which we already have, and some go to the extent of printing off an e-ticket, sometimes with several copies, what exactly is the point? Is it just to make life easier for RPIs and guards, so they just have to scan something instead of reading it?

The view of this forum is not representative, people on here disproportionately prefer paper tickets

 

[Bletchleyite]

"...but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket..."

(For some reason my Mac won't allow me to underline or bold sections of text, but this ^ is the pertinent bit I wanted to reply to:- )

In which case for whose benefit are e-tickets? If most, or even many, people prefer a paper ticket, which we already have, and some go to the extent of printing off an e-ticket, sometimes with several copies, what exactly is the point? Is it just to make life easier for RPIs and guards, so they just have to scan something instead of reading it?

Certainty for one. No need to arrive at the station an arbitrary amount of time before the intended train to queue to buy, nor to go there in advance.

 

[trainophile]

Certainty for one. No need to arrive at the station an arbitrary amount of time before the intended train to queue to buy, nor to go there in advance.

Boom! Full circle. Where's the certainty in a dodgy phone?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Boom! Full circle. Where's the certainty in a dodgy phone?

If you have a relatively new, modern smartphone, it won't be "dodgy".

 

[trainophile]

If you have a relatively new, modern smartphone, it won't be "dodgy".

Unless you've left home at silly o'clock, been out all day, phoning people, reading the rail forums lol, checking your trains, etc. etc. and you're going home on the last train of the night!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Unless you've left home at silly o'clock, been out all day, phoning people, reading the rail forums lol, checking your trains, etc. etc. and you're going home on the last train of the night!

If you're going to do that you'll carry a power bank.

 

[AM9]

If you're going to do that you'll carry a power bank.

Only sensible people do that, not those who come here to whine about rail staff objecting to their not showing proof of a right to travel.

 

[Sonic1234]

In which case for whose benefit are e-tickets?

The railway, who externalise the cost of providing a ticket, while collecting more data.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The railway, who externalise the cost of providing a ticket, while collecting more data.

They're to the benefit of probably well over 80% of passengers these days (an actual figure would be interesting if anyone knows!), and most of the other 20% is only because they aren't issued for anything involving the Tube. The reason they're of benefit - a win-win, if you like - is that you don't need to faff around buying one before you travel or collecting it (and I trust my phone far more than Ticket on Departure).

Those who don't trust smartphones can use paper tickets, but for the majority of the population who do trust smartphones, e-tickets are an excellent provision.

Even if you print it at home you've still avoided the need to go to the station to buy/print it in advance, or the need to allow an arbitrary extra amount of time on the day of travel to queue to collect or buy.

There is a very good reason basically every single industry is going this way - the industry loves it (externalising costs) and customers love it (improved convenience over paper tickets).

 

[AlbertBeale]

They're to the benefit of probably well over 80% of passengers these days (an actual figure would be interesting if anyone knows!), and most of the other 20% is only because they aren't issued for anything involving the Tube. The reason they're of benefit - a win-win, if you like - is that you don't need to faff around buying one before you travel or collecting it (and I trust my phone far more than Ticket on Departure).

Those who don't trust smartphones can use paper tickets, but for the majority of the population who do trust smartphones, e-tickets are an excellent provision.

Even if you print it at home you've still avoided the need to go to the station to buy/print it in advance, or the need to allow an arbitrary extra amount of time on the day of travel to queue to collect or buy.

There is a very good reason basically every single industry is going this way - the industry loves it (externalising costs) and customers love it (improved convenience over paper tickets).

I'd query the last bit. Some (seemingly many) people find electronic tickets more convenient, some certainly find the opposite. I don't think we should be saying such things as though they are universal truths, when what people mean is, "I find [x/y sort of ticket] more convenient". I think it's helpful not to try to insist that one's own preferences must inevitably be shared by others, and I don't like the way [NB I'm not accusing the post I'm responding to of this] some people suggest that a difference preference from their own is objectively wrong. There are lots of opinions I come across which I don't understand because they make no sense in terms of my experiences, but I try not to therefore say that they can't genuinely think what they do, implying that my view is the ohly one that could ever make sense to anyone.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I'd query the last bit. Some (seemingly many) people find electronic tickets more convenient, some certainly find the opposite. I don't think we should be saying such things as though they are universal truths, when what people mean is, "I find [x/y sort of ticket] more convenient". I think it's helpful not to try to insist that one's own preferences must inevitably be shared by others, and I don't like the way [NB I'm not accusing the post I'm responding to of this] some people suggest that a difference preference from their own is objectively wrong. There are lots of opinions I come across which I don't understand because they make no sense in terms of my experiences, but I try not to therefore say that they can't genuinely think what they do, implying that my view is the ohly one that could ever make sense to anyone.

But if people don't find e-tickets more convenient they'd surely buy paper tickets?
Since most people not travelling to Merseyside or via London have an e-ticket, I think it's fair to say that most people find them more convenient.

 

[Haywain]

I'd query the last bit. Some (seemingly many) people find electronic tickets more convenient, some certainly find the opposite. I don't think we should be saying such things as though they are universal truths, when what people mean is, "I find [x/y sort of ticket] more convenient".

A small percentage of people finding the opposite doesn't make the statement wrong in general terms.

 

[trainophile]

Could somebody do a poll on Twitter/X? Would be very interested in demonstrable percentages of preferences.

How do businesses that purchase tickets for their employees get around this? One big drawback for me is having to be the owner of the phone on which the ticket is purchased (and yes we've done the "don't have access to a printer" to death, but it is true for a lot of people). You can't buy e-tickets for your elderly relatives to go on their holidays, nor presumably for your non-smartphone owning young teenagers to go to the match in the next city on a Saturday. Whereas absolutely everyone can buy and use a paper ticket.

Interesting that someone upthread has confirmed my feelings that e-tickets are mainly for the benefit of the railways. We're going down the road of "your call is important to us" call centres, and not all progress is for the better experience of the user.

 

[DelW]

I do this as well. I do not trust my phone to reliably pick up a signal when necessary so I can access an e-ticket in my e-mail inbox. That is possibly an issue with contract rather than the phone itself, but even so, I feel more comfortable traveling with a physical version of a ticket. I also make sure I don't put the ticket in the same pocket as the phone as the ticket can be pulled out of the pocket and fall on the floor when retrieving the phone.

As one who is very much a newcomer to e-tickets (and that somewhat reluctantly), I was surprised just how easy it was to transfer the ticket to a "wallet" app, where it seems to be available without need of a data connection.

My previous workaround was to get the barcode on screen as soon as it arrived (well in advance of travel) and take a screenshot of it. Again it's then stored locally on the phone with no need for a data connection.

Having said that, I still tend to print a paper copy as backup!

 

[Haywain]

One big drawback for me is having to be the owner of the phone on which the ticket is purchased

What do you mean by this? I can carry tickets for more than one person on my phone.

Interesting that someone upthread has confirmed my feelings that e-tickets are mainly for the benefit of the railways.

Your bias has been confirmed. That doesn't mean it's right.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Could somebody do a poll on Twitter/X? Would be very interested in demonstrable percentages of preferences.

How do businesses that purchase tickets for their employees get around this? One big drawback for me is having to be the owner of the phone on which the ticket is purchased (and yes we've done the "don't have access to a printer" to death, but it is true for a lot of people). You can't buy e-tickets for your elderly relatives to go on their holidays, nor presumably for your non-smartphone owning young teenagers to go to the match in the next city on a Saturday. Whereas absolutely everyone can buy and use a paper ticket.

Interesting that someone upthread has confirmed my feelings that e-tickets are mainly for the benefit of the railways. We're going down the road of "your call is important to us" call centres, and not all progress is for the better experience of the user.

E-tickets aren't restricted to the device you buy them on. Indeed, travelling as a family I email all of us a copy, so if a phone dies anyone else can show the tickets.
Maybe you don't like e-tickets because you haven't looked into them properly?
Indeed, one of the offspring once lost their phone the day before a journey and had to use their laptop. They only felt slightly stupid doing that at the ticket barrier at the start But they had emailed the tickets to a friend who got on at the next station with a printed copy for them. If you lose a paper ticket, that's it, you've lost it.

 

[trainophile]

My comment about tickets for other people was related to people you’re not travelling with. Sorry I wasn’t clear about that.

I’m married to a bit of a dinosaur with regard to technology so if he’s joining me later in the week (as he is now, I came up Monday and him yesterday) I buy him a paper ticket. Even if I got him an e-ticket on his phone I fear he’d be flummoxed at a barrier.

I know he’s pretty unusual in this, he can and has rebuilt classic cars from “found in a barn” condition, but needs me to reset the bedside clock after a power cut!

 

[Deafdoggie]

My comment about tickets for other people was related to people you’re not travelling with. Sorry I wasn’t clear about that.

I’m married to a bit of a dinosaur with regard to technology so if he’s joining me later in the week (as he is now, I came up Monday and him yesterday) I buy him a paper ticket. Even if I got him an e-ticket on his phone I fear he’d be flummoxed at a barrier.

I know he’s pretty unusual in this, he can and has rebuilt classic cars from “found in a barn” condition, but needs me to reset the bedside clock after a power cut!

He'll get used to it, as paper tickets are moving over to having barcodes on, just like an e-ticket. Once that's the norm, there's really little point not having an e-ticket.

 

[trainophile]

He'll get used to it, as paper tickets are moving over to having barcodes on, just like an e-ticket. Once that's the norm, there's really little point not having an e-ticket.

I wouldn't bank on it, he's 78 next month!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wouldn't bank on it, he's 78 next month!

My parents are mid 70s and use e-tickets, though they print them out rather than doing it on their phone. That's the strength of the format - as long as the barcode is scannable they can be presented in any way desired.