Why the objection to using ticket gates?

[shx]

I'd say "roll on smartcards", but unfortunately, everything seems to have moved to interfering smartcard technlogies now, meaning that you end up having to take the individual smartcard out of the wallet for it to work, as it interferes with your Oyster, office access card, and 3 NFC credit/debit cards.

That's a problem sitting on the barrier-side of the mechanic. Currently, ticket barriers read the first NFC they get aware of, test it if it's allowed, let you through if yes, reject you if not. The barriers aren't even checking if the chip they read belongs to them. Reading all chips the reader can see is possible, determining which one(s) can theoretically contain valid tickets is easy.

 

[hwl]

That's a problem sitting on the barrier-side of the mechanic. Currently, ticket barriers read the first NFC they get aware of, test it if it's allowed, let you through if yes, reject you if not. The barriers aren't even checking if the chip they read belongs to them. Reading all chips the reader can see is possible, determining which one(s) can theoretically contain valid tickets is easy.

I foresee a large market for mesh or foil wallets in the future!

 

[Tibbs]

That's a problem sitting on the barrier-side of the mechanic. Currently, ticket barriers read the first NFC they get aware of, test it if it's allowed, let you through if yes, reject you if not. The barriers aren't even checking if the chip they read belongs to them. Reading all chips the reader can see is possible, determining which one(s) can theoretically contain valid tickets is easy.

I'm sure some bright spark will come up with a way of loading all your smart cards onto one Ubercard which then intelligently picks the best NFC to use depending on where you are and the deals on offer...

 

[fowler9]

I'm sure some bright spark will come up with a way of loading all your smart cards onto one Ubercard which then intelligently picks the best NFC to use depending on where you are and the deals on offer...

Imagine if that got lost or stolen.

 

[shx]

I'm sure some bright spark will come up with a way of loading all your smart cards onto one Ubercard which then intelligently picks the best NFC to use depending on where you are and the deals on offer...

As long as the original card providers surrender their keys, that's even possible with todays cellphones - at least the Android variants are able to use their NFC reader to emulate a chip. Without the help of your card provider, this won't happen (unless you're willing to spend ~200k$ on Amazon EC2 for each card).

 

[transmanche]

I'm sure some bright spark will come up with a way of loading all your smart cards onto one Ubercard which then intelligently picks the best NFC to use depending on where you are and the deals on offer...

An NFC-enabled mobile phone would probably be able to do all that...

 

[user15681]

My NFC phone is quite handy sometimes. All I have to do is wave my phone over my Oyster card and my current balance will flash up on the screen.

 

[jon0844]

My NFC phone is quite handy sometimes. All I have to do is wave my phone over my Oyster card and my current balance will flash up on the screen.

It doesn't read the balance from the card though does it? You tag the card so an app can go online and read the balance when you hold it against the phone (as against apps for Octopus in HK which do read the card data).

I just have a widget that shows my balance which is quicker!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I once saw an elderly chap put his ticket into slot on his left as he approached the ticket barrier. As he stood waiting for the barrier in front of him to open, one of the group of teenagers passing through the barrier on the left took his ticket, much to their amusement. Poor bloke then was accused of not having a ticket and started to get some grief. I went to his aid and explained what I had seen and he was let through but there was no apology or even good grace about it. Well done, Leeds.

Perhaps he was left handed? Then it's the obvious thing to do.

 

[Starmill]

If the success rate for Oyster cards was as low as 90% then there would be some serious congestion problems during the peak at many stations.

I'd say it's closer to 98 times out of 100.

I'd say that 'nine times out of ten' is a figure of speech, not a scientifically accurate representation of the barrier-operation success rate.

 

[djjawuk]

I'd love to use the barriers properly. But since my paper MetroCard was replaced by a 'smartcard' I can no longer use the barriers at Huddersfield. Apparently they'll be updated in March (having only been installed last year). This can only have been done to maximise congestion in the ticket hall.

Then at Leeds the queues are so long sometimes that you can't read the display showing which barriers are set to accept smartcards and which are for tickets only, so you queue at one barrier and then might need to go to the back of the queue and start again.

Also +1 to what Baxenden Bank said about left handers.

 

[Chrisgr31]

Why not use ticket barriers?

My new annual season ticket came in to force on 28 December. I first used it on the 2nd January.

On the way on Friday 10th January it refused to operate the barrier at Charing Cross. On Monday 13th I confirmed it wasn't opening barriers.

On Tuesday 14th I had it replaced.

On Friday 17th January the replacement refused to operate the barrier going home. Confirmed as faulty this morning so will replace it again tomorrow morning.

Much easier to go through a manned gate!