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Staying on station when using oystercard

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Devonman2014

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Hi

Just bought a oystercard....now you have to tap in and out at start and finish stations.
That I understand

But what if you want to travel to a station and spot on the station

So basically you don't tap out, reading tfl site there's a max journey time set between tapping in and out, go beyond this you get fined ?

That correct ??
 
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Hadders

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Oyster PAYG is not recommended when spotting due to the issue of exceeding the maximum journey times. A paper ticket is best.

If you exceed the maximum journey time you don't get fined but you pay a maximum fare which I believe is £8.80 and doesn't count towards the daily cap.
 

Merseysider

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Yes, you would be better off with a paper ticket, or a Travelcard if you are visiting multiple locations. Some, but not all, and certainly not the majority of stations, allow access to the platforms upon purchase of a platform ticket, so perhaps something to enquire about at the station you choose to camp at.
 

Tetchytyke

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Yeah, your understanding is right. If you exceed the maximum journey time you will be charged a maximum fare by TfL. If you (for example) travel out to zone six and don't touch out/in, and get stopped on your way back into town, you may well also be liable for a Penalty Fare.

Oyster also struggles with circular journeys, so again you might have issues with the maximum fare if you attempt to touch out at the same station you touched in at.

If you're intending to stay on stations spotting, or do a lot of line bashing, you're best off paying the extra and getting a paper ticket.
 

furlong

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If you're intending to stay on stations spotting, or do a lot of line bashing, you're best off paying the extra and getting a paper ticket.

Or get permission from the station staff to touch out but remain platform-side (some station managers might prefer to sign you in as a visitor).
 

Fiyero

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Not the same thing but I got caught out when helping a friend do the tube challenge. I got to Cockfosters, he dashed off to get a bus and I just got back on a train rather than tapping out and in taking myself over the maximum journey time. Paper tickets seem the way to go!
 

Tetchytyke

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Do you have any examples of that?

It was Finsbury Park, which admittedly is slightly different because it is mostly standalone readers, but a couple of years ago on my girlfriend's Oyster. In at the GN gateline, out at the GN gateline, in on a tube standalone reader (GN up the spout). Sorted out by the ticket office very quickly, but still a bit inconvenient.

I also had an issue where I did London Bridge NR- London Bridge NR via Thameslink, NLL and the ELL but that seemed to be an issue with maximum journey times and the OSIs at West Hampstead and Dalston Kingsland/Junction (it was a few years ago!) rather than anything else.
 
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MikeWh

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It was Finsbury Park, which admittedly is slightly different because it is mostly standalone readers, but a couple of years ago on my girlfriend's Oyster. In at the GN gateline, out at the GN gateline, in on a tube standalone reader (GN up the spout). Sorted out by the ticket office very quickly, but still a bit inconvenient.
Yes, that'll be the continuation exit setting. It's nowhere near as big a problem now the NR station is gated.
I also had an issue where I did London Bridge NR- London Bridge NR via Thameslink, NLL and the ELL but that seemed to be an issue with maximum journey times and the OSIs at West Hampstead and Dalston Kingsland/Junction (it was a few years ago!) rather than anything else.

That's a circular journey. The OSIs will join each bit up so you end up with the journey being London Bridge NR to London Bridge NR. If you took more than 30 minutes then it'll charge two incomplete journey charges because it doesn't know where you've been. Contactless would make a better fist of it because it looks at all the touches and would break the journey at either West Hampstead or Dalston charging you two single journeys. Eventually Oyster will do the same when it switches to back-office processing.
 

dcd

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There is also the problem that even if you tap out and leave the station and tap back in again within about a quarter of an hour and move on. The system tries to do you a favour and make it one journey which may be cheaper than the 2 separate journeys. However the combined journey/s can take you over the time limit for a journey.

Every time this has happened for me, contacting Tfl and explaining has got me a refund.

I now use a paper ticket when spotting, but there have been rumours that they will be removed in favour of oyster/contactless cards.

BTW I have never had a problem just asking to be let on a station to spot.
 
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