Oyster validator 'Closed' and frozen gateline displays

[jon0844]

Tonight at Finsbury Park, I nearly got myself in a mess - and wonder if this could be how some people get in trouble for not having touched in?

Perhaps not everyone is trying it on after all?

Coming down from the National Rail platforms, with a paper ticket, I switched to Oyster and tapped on the first validator by the stairs to the tube. It beeped as normal, but wanting to see my balance I noticed it said 'Closed' and didn't show me any text.

Had I successfully tapped in or not I wondered?

Unsure, I went to the next one which let me tap in again - giving the same positive beep and the usual entry text. No error about tapping in twice or anything.

On the trip back to King's Cross later, the gateline from the tube had a display saying 'Ticket expiring soon' on it - presumably from someone who had tapped out earlier, even though there was nobody around.

So I tap out, and the same text showed up. Clearly the display had frozen, so I couldn't see what I'd been charged - but the gate opened.

It's a bit weird to have had two separate issues in one day. Are there reliability problems with validators and gates at the moment? And had I actually tapped in successfully the first time even with the machine saying 'Closed'?

If not, why did I get a successful tap in beep? If it didn't record the tap, then wouldn't I have been liable for a PF later on?

(As I wasn't actually ever in trouble, feel free to move this thread if necessary)

 

[bluegoblin7]

I can't comment on why the PVal (Platform validator) at Finsbury Park was closed but still beeped (Although I'm now tempted to have an experiment with our one at King's Cross...), however the issue on the gates at King's Cross is a regular (=all the time) one that causes us a lot of explaining on a daily basis.

Certain gates are affected more than others and a reset tends to solve the problem temporarily. It's not a new issue and I doubt it'll go away any time soon!

I can't comment if it happens elsewhere or is connected with the PVal issue, however.

HTH.

 

[LexyBoy]

Perhaps not everyone is trying it on after all?

Travesty! Of course they are! Classic fare evader line of thinking, trying to justify themselves when they knew exactly what they were doing...

Coming down from the National Rail platforms, with a paper ticket, I switched to Oyster and tapped on the first validator by the stairs to the tube. It beeped as normal, but wanting to see my balance I noticed it said 'Closed' and didn't show me any text.

Why wouldn't you have a through ticket or use Oyster? Finsbury Park is still notoriously easy to access without a ticket, are you sure you weren't coming "from" the outside of the station "via" the platforms???

Had I successfully tapped in or not I wondered?

Unsure, I went to the next one which let me tap in again - giving the same positive beep and the usual entry text. No error about tapping in twice or anything.

Just wondered? No doubt you noticed an RPI with an eye on you... Lucky you got away with it this time, just make sure you "wonder" next time too or your next "free ride" might be more expensive than you bargained for.

 

[jon0844]

I think it's cheaper to get a London Terminals ticket sometimes and use Oyster if I am merely making one return journey on the tube. £7.90 for the train, as against £12.20 for a Travelcard - giving me £4.30 'to spend'. I probably paid more by exiting at FPK than KGX, but it was more convenient for me.

Anyway, I used my ticket to exit platform 4, then used the very first validator next to the first steps down to the southbound platforms. This was the one that said 'closed' but perhaps the display had a similar 'frozen' message like the gates at KGX?

I'm surprised the second one didn't give an error if I'd successfully tapped in, but perhaps validators don't give errors like a gateline would?

 

[causton]

I'm surprised the second one didn't give an error if I'd successfully tapped in, but perhaps validators don't give errors like a gateline would?

Can confirm validators do give 21/22 (already used) errors as people try to touch out in the subway in Watford Jn, then at the gateline validator too!

 

[matt_world2004]

Some contactless cards are causing buffer overflow errors causing all sorts of weirdness to the card readers

 

[jon0844]

Can confirm validators do give 21/22 (already used) errors as people try to touch out in the subway in Watford Jn, then at the gateline validator too!

On that basis I guess I hadn't tapped in the first time, which is worrying as the beeps are quite important!

I could have had lots of grief if I didn't check, as I might not ordinarily do. So could many other people.

 

[Mojo]

I have, in the past, touched a standalone validator more than once and still been given "entry." I have also been given the passback rejection code (42) with a multi-use ticket.

I'm trying to think if there is anything that distinguishes the locations (eg. OSIs, continuation exit) that could explain it.

 

[Muzer]

Some contactless cards are causing buffer overflow errors causing all sorts of weirdness to the card readers

Bloody hell, really? Whoever wrote the software needs their licence to operate a computer revoked

 

[hassaanhc]

I've previously used a standalone validator showing the orange light but "closed" without issues, likewise a particular barrier at Waterloo mainline showing the red light but "Ready" (this one has been like that for a long time now :?). I do remember that the standalone validator didn't change display at all, but not sure about Waterloo.

I did however end up with an incomplete journey at Paddington when my 165 from Southall arrived on top of a 180 in an unbarriered platform, and I couldn't be bothered to do the slight detour to the standalone validator. I went straight to the Bakerloo Line barrier to enter while already touched in from Southall, which gave the incomplete for that bit, luckily I had a Travelcard.