Ticket Machines - should they be covered up more?

[heart-of-wessex]

Hey all,

What does everyone think of TVMs at unstaffed open stations?

There was a TVM at Trowbridge on the Westbury side (the machine being in open air), and once it had been raining, it was pretty much useless! I tried to buy a ticket to BTM once, and tried hitting the buttons, it wasn't responding. It seemed to then go by it's own devices and selected STD RTN to Weymouth! All well and good if I wanted to go there, but I wanted to go the other way!
I pressed cancel and tried pressing the BTM button again, this time it offered me a ticket to Portsmouth. In the end I gave up!

Another time I was at St Helier and they have a FCC TVM in a little shelter, but is only the width of the machine so of course it had been raining at an angle thus ended up on the screen. I tried to get a TC and instead it tried selling me a 7 day TC. I managed to keep whacking the cancel button then I wiped the buttons I wanted with my coat sleeve and hitting the button until it selected it. Doing this over and over with each button was a pain.

Does anyone else find this annoying or have a TVM in open air and being useless in the rain.

What was worrying me at St Helier was there are no ticket offices there, nor no guards on the 319s, being OPO, so wondered how to explain to the guys at Sutton Ticket Barriers, when I would have bought my TC there, that I had no ticket.


Cheers,

James.

 

[TEW]

You've hit the nail on the head. TVMs are useless except in dull but dry weather.

Too sunny and you can't see the screen.

And if it rains the buttons don't work.

I am pretty sure on train and barrier staff know about the problems though and you would be fine buying a ticket from them in such conditions.

 

[class 313]

Just explain to staff at Sutton that the ticket machine at so and so wasn't working and I'd like to by a ticket.

Its the same at Watford, if you don't get a ticket check on the St Albans Abbey - Watford Junction line, you just go up to the gate and by a ticket.

 

[jv3531]

They are only any good if you want a ticket they sell. They don't sell all tickets, and certainly don't do all destinations. Ours was that good it lasted until rammed by a 4x4

 

[Mojo]

On the Bristol platform at Nailsea and Backwell they are trialling a cover over the ticket machine. It's not exactly ideal though as many parties would have preferred something to cover Customers using the machine as well!

 

[djw1981]

Most FSR ones are in the platform shelters (I know not all stations have them). Even installing a bus shelter, with a door, around the TVM would be a start, but we have seen the alleged costs of such constructions!

 

[me123]

^ Cambuslang is a good example, where the machines are in the "bus-shelter" waiting areas. Certainly a logical answer IMO. I think it's the same at Jordanhill as well.

 

[djw1981]

Also, Alloa, and IIRC Hairmyres. I think the two projects were connected, as was fitting lights to the shelters - same power source as the TVM. Help points were also fitted in most cases.

 

[TheSlash]

I think we should be able to pay the guard all the time, it makes the guard look usefull to clueless but dangerous accountantsmanagers

 

[djw1981]

Hmm in both Scottish examples quoted, a lot of people are doing short trips to barriered stations, and a TE / Guard would not have time to cover a whole train, so TVM's make sense as people can buy before they travel.

Thinking about it, I think Lenzie's TVM is outside, but under the platform canopy. Not heard any complaints about it and weather. Whoich make are the SWT ones? The FSR are Schidt and Bachmann.

 

[devon_metro]

On the Bristol platform at Nailsea and Backwell they are trialling a cover over the ticket machine. It's not exactly ideal though as many parties would have preferred something to cover Customers using the machine as well!

Didn't the machine get trashed?

 

[ADRboy]

The new TVM at Airdrie is worse than useless, It's got a mini-shelter which doesn't protect the screen unless the rain falls 100% vertically which it rarely does in Airdrie, It should have been put in the new waiting room!

 

[me123]

100% agree! I have been forced to buy on the train on many occasions when it rains in Airdrie, and anyone from anywhere near Airdrie should know that it rains A LOT! But on the few days a year when it is dry, it is a fantastic resource to have at such a relatively busy station.