ChristopherJ
Member
Tried to buy an Oyster card today and what a bloody hard job it is.
I don't have any need for an Oyster card because my employer issues me with a monthly 1-6 travelcard but I'm now on leave for 4 weeks over the Olympic period and subsequently don't have my work travelcard so I had to go and buy an Oyster card for my leisure trips around London.
I know it's £5 for the Oyster card plus a £5 credit deposit, so I took a £10 bank note down to my local Tube station to buy one. Went up to the ticket machines and only the 'coins only' machines dispenses new Oyster cards. Because I had a £10 bank note and the ticket office queue was massive I dediced to go to the local off license next door and get the shop keeper to exchange my bank note for ten £1 coins. Go back to the Tube station and the ticket machine then refuses to accept one of the ten £1 coins and subsequently refuses to issue me an Oyster card. I have to queue up for 20 minutes in the booking office queue just to buy one, this isn't the end of the story...
...what really ****ed me off is that I'm not a royalist and couldn't give a toss or two thirds about the Royal Family but what does the booking office clerk hand me...? A limited edition 2012 Diamond Jubilee oyster card! Arrrgh!!! :roll:
Basically, anyone who doesn't have an Oyster card has either to 1) use a credit/debit card, 2) walk around with their pockets filled with £1 coins or 3) queue for half of their day at the ticket office. Why can't the ticket machines that accept bank notes dispense Oyster cards? Why do TfHell have to make everything so bloody difficult?
As soon as I get back to work I'm burning that horrible Oyster card, I'm a miserable person I know, and proud of it, too.
I don't have any need for an Oyster card because my employer issues me with a monthly 1-6 travelcard but I'm now on leave for 4 weeks over the Olympic period and subsequently don't have my work travelcard so I had to go and buy an Oyster card for my leisure trips around London.
I know it's £5 for the Oyster card plus a £5 credit deposit, so I took a £10 bank note down to my local Tube station to buy one. Went up to the ticket machines and only the 'coins only' machines dispenses new Oyster cards. Because I had a £10 bank note and the ticket office queue was massive I dediced to go to the local off license next door and get the shop keeper to exchange my bank note for ten £1 coins. Go back to the Tube station and the ticket machine then refuses to accept one of the ten £1 coins and subsequently refuses to issue me an Oyster card. I have to queue up for 20 minutes in the booking office queue just to buy one, this isn't the end of the story...
...what really ****ed me off is that I'm not a royalist and couldn't give a toss or two thirds about the Royal Family but what does the booking office clerk hand me...? A limited edition 2012 Diamond Jubilee oyster card! Arrrgh!!! :roll:
Basically, anyone who doesn't have an Oyster card has either to 1) use a credit/debit card, 2) walk around with their pockets filled with £1 coins or 3) queue for half of their day at the ticket office. Why can't the ticket machines that accept bank notes dispense Oyster cards? Why do TfHell have to make everything so bloody difficult?
As soon as I get back to work I'm burning that horrible Oyster card, I'm a miserable person I know, and proud of it, too.
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