Oyster - Travelcard - Advice

[pepe]

Hello

I have had a look through many threads and can't seem to find the answer to my query and I wonder if any of you kind souls can help.

Hither Green, Zone 3.
I have a zone 1-3 travelcard on my Oyster, I touch in on a morning, touch out at Charing Cross and then repeat the process going home. All pretty straightforward?

My straw poll of fellow passengers, both entering and leaving Hither Green seem to not bother touching in and out. Now I am sure some might have a travelcard (paper) but I would expect them to be in the minority, whereas when I touch in/out and people just stream past me it feels like I am either missing a trick or they are all Police Officers and do not need to pay.

The only scenario I can come up with, which I find unlikely is that they have an Oyster Travelcard, and therefore don't need to touch in but then I cant reconcile the fact that when they get to Charing Cross they will be exiting without ever entering? And if this was the case then what is the point of me having zone 1-3.

Can someone state the obvious please, because I am completely bemused.

 

[MikeWh]

When you touch in or out within the zones covered by your travelcard there is no deduction from your PAYG balance. Although you should, according to the TfL CoC, touch in and out at each end of your journey there is no penalty for not doing so. The only exception is if you have a negative PAYG balance because that invalidates the travelcard until it is cleared. Where there are no gates (eg Hither Green) it seems to be accepted that few people will bother touching in and out when using a travelcard.

You need to get a zone 1-3 travelcard because if you don't have one and are caught by RPIs you will get a penalty fare. This could be a blockade at Hither Green or an on train check. You might also find yourself needing to exit at Lewisham one day and not be able to get through the barriers there.

Welcome to the forum, by the way. Hope this helps.

 

[pepe]

Cheers for the advice.

I do have a travecard on my Oyster, 1-3, I am just puzzled as to why nobody swipes in or out because lets say tomorrow morning, I do not swipe in, and then get off at CHarinng Cross, will it just let me through the barriers on the assumption that I did not get on the train much further away? I would have thought it would assume I was up to no good and then take away money of any pay as you go credit.

 

[Mike395]

That's exactly the case The barriers at Charing Cross will let you out as it possible to travel to/from it with a Zone 1-3 travelcard

 

[MikeWh]

Cheers for the advice.

I do have a travecard on my Oyster, 1-3, I am just puzzled as to why nobody swipes in or out because lets say tomorrow morning, I do not swipe in, and then get off at CHarinng Cross, will it just let me through the barriers on the assumption that I did not get on the train much further away? I would have thought it would assume I was up to no good and then take away money of any pay as you go credit.

If truth be known, TOCs like Southeastern would like to assume just that. TfL however won't let them. Hence we have the abomination that is the OEP. Take a look at my site for more on that little issue.

 

[yorkie]

Cheers for the advice.

I do have a travecard on my Oyster, 1-3, I am just puzzled as to why nobody swipes in or out because lets say tomorrow morning, I do not swipe in, and then get off at CHarinng Cross, will it just let me through the barriers on the assumption that I did not get on the train much further away? I would have thought it would assume I was up to no good and then take away money of any pay as you go credit.

If I have a ticket and the barriers are open I won't swipe the ticket (whether it is paper or Oyster) as why should I bother? If they're open they're open!

The only exception is when using Pay As You Go, obviously I will then touch in (as otherwise I am not validating my 'ticket') and obviously touch out (as otherwise I will be charged a maximum cash fare; ie not refunded the difference between the max fare deducted on entry and the correct fare).

 

[pepe]

Just to bump my own thread, if there was any doubt that the powers that be read this forum, Hither Green, Friday, the hit squad were waiting for people as I exited the train. Never seen them before, fair play to them, they nabbed a few.

 

[MikeWh]

Just to bump my own thread, if there was any doubt that the powers that be read this forum, Hither Green, Friday, the hit squad were waiting for people as I exited the train. Never seen them before, fair play to them, they nabbed a few.

Lets hope that the powers that be at Southeastern have also taken note of the Sevenoaks situation then.