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Post by hotelinspector on Dec 14, 2008 11:10:09 GMT
As the crowds of Christmas shoppers arrived at Epping station yesterday, the ticket hall started to become crowded. Like most weekends or public holidays, Epping sees its fair share of 'once a year tube users', all gathering around the touch-screen oyster/payment machines looking confused or bewildered. As well as the 'oh, I don't usually do public transport' women queueing at the machine, there is usually a very long line of people waiting to speak to the ticket office clerk asking things like "How much for a return ticket to London" or "I want 3 adults and 4 children to Oxford Street, return".
Anyway, my point is...as the ticket hall began to fill up, the Customer Service assistant standing at the ticket gates opened the wide gate and told people to "just go through it's fine", even without tickets. When they asked "but what about getting out at the other end", he replied "don't worry just tell them to telephone Epping".
Is this right? Is this an over-crowding measure!?! If you know Epping, you'll know that overcrowding is hardly Covent Garden crowding!
I was very amused by it all. Annoyed station staff and customers who had no idea even what a tube looked like. Mix this, with busy christmas shopping, the rain, the wind and the grey skies - what a wonderful Saturday! ;D
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Post by Tubeboy on Dec 14, 2008 11:14:01 GMT
Am guessing the ticket clerk was going for a break, or to go and float/service the machines, so to accelerate this, the assistant ferried people through. Have done it many a time myself.
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Post by Tomcakes on Dec 14, 2008 11:22:01 GMT
Spent an absolute age queuing at Euston Square to top up an Oyster yesterday - with people in front who were mostly buying things you could get from a machine (travelcards, single tickets etc)! Or asking things like "how do I get to so-and-so" - there's an assistant on the gates who can answer those questions! Unfortunately I needed to pay with cash so had to go to a manual window.
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Post by happybunny on Dec 14, 2008 12:01:12 GMT
You know the MFM's (larger touch-screens) can take cash Tom  |
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Post by happybunny on Dec 14, 2008 12:07:10 GMT
Oh and as for just letting people through, I never used to do this.. unless it was absolutely necessary (as you said.. hardly Covent Garden style congestion).. as the SA I would have managed the queue and assisted people with the machines.. If they turn up at a station without having purchased there Oyster/Tickets in advance they can expect a queue! The only time they should be allowed to 'pay at the destination' is when there is no window, and no machines (or machines not taking cash and/or cards). It creates big problems if they get stopped by a RCI (I assume judging by the "tell them to phone Epping" that the SA didn't inform the NOC that people were being allowed to travel ticket-less, therefor RCI's wouldn't be aware, and may penalty fare passengers.) Also what happens when they get to the other end?? If it is a central London station the booking office queue may already by very long (just as busy as Epping probably) and some have had there excess fare windows closed lately ... And of course there are stations where no booking office facilities are available.
SA's should think hard about there colleagues at the other end before allowing people to travel without a ticket, negative on there Oyster, not touching in... etc etc !
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Post by Tubeboy on Dec 14, 2008 14:35:12 GMT
Yes point taken HB.
The situations I was mainly involved in were people wanting railcard reductions, no window open, so they HAD to pay at their destination. Similarly, with one of three machines faulty, then another gets a jam on it, clerk goes to sort it out, queues build up, you let people the other end know, and of course advise the NOC.
[Avoids ranting about station staff numbers being cut to the bone]
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Post by happybunny on Dec 14, 2008 16:13:34 GMT
There are certainly situations where paying at the other end is the only option... and as you say they plus NOC should be informed...
But I know from my station days there was a few lazy SA's (certainly on my group).. who may have been asked for help or had a Oyster query that might have required them to use there movie or something (if say, the booking office was closed), and instead they just said go to your destination and bother someone there. Which doesn't do there colleagues any favours.
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Post by Tomcakes on Dec 14, 2008 18:27:35 GMT
You know the MFM's (larger touch-screens) can take cash Tom Only BoE cash - which I didn't have any of... |
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Dec 14, 2008 18:40:18 GMT
Do MFMs take £50s yet?
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Post by marty66 on Jan 16, 2009 21:07:56 GMT
Not at the moment...£20 note is the largest they take. Probably just as well as they only give change in coins.....I can see some unsuspecting customers buying a £3.00 ticket, using a £50 note expecting notes back, and getting £47 in coins! |
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Jan 17, 2009 3:40:04 GMT
And that's the principle reason why they don't accept £50 notes in the first place - the machine can only hold so much change!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 6:21:42 GMT
Also prevents fraud, losing money on a fake or misread £50 (or £100) is a lot worse than a £20 when no-one can really be held responsible, unlike a cashier making a mistake.
I had the reverse of Tomcakes' situation at Holborn a while ago, some woman was being plain stupid in front of the MFM causing a queue whilst the ticket clerk was waiting for people to come over. Walked straight over to him and people were still waiting for the machine when I left. Idiots.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 8:50:48 GMT
From my experience machines don' t misread notes. However note jams both accidental and deliberate are a problem.
As there is a perfectly acceptable way to have more than £20 lost in a machine, although to post the circumstances on an open forum may be a tad irresponsible.
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Post by Tomcakes on Jan 17, 2009 12:15:25 GMT
I don't know about the scanners they use, but don't they do things like UV checks etc - which is probably going to be as effective, if not more, than a cashier taking a quick look at it and chucking it in the till.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2009 20:35:25 GMT
Quick question on oyster. I live near Southend in Essex. Where is my nearest place to top up my oyster card, seen as I cannot make head nor tail of the tfl oyster website?
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Post by Tubeboy on Feb 2, 2009 20:38:49 GMT
Seeing as your internet connected, that might be a good start.
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Post by suncloud on Feb 2, 2009 22:42:56 GMT
Quick question on oyster. I live near Southend in Essex. Where is my nearest place to top up my oyster card, seen as I cannot make head nor tail of the tfl oyster website? There aren't any places near Southend that I can see on the website... Probably the nearest oyster outlets would be around Romford or Upminster sort of area... I think most stations from which you can travel from using PAYG will have top up facilities, whether ticket office or machine or both. |
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Feb 2, 2009 23:23:26 GMT
If you're not on the Upminster line, then the closest place to you will probably be Stratford. Depending on where you want to be in London, going all the way into Liverpool Street may be the best option.
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