On 16th May 2017, I used my computer to log in to my Oyster Account. After logging in, I visited the webpage:
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/journeyHistory.do
I obtained details of the recent transactions which occurred on my Oyster Card.
On 15th May 2017, we left the Great Western Railway (GWR) train at Paddington Station. We touched our cards on the solitary touch-machine which was on the GWR train platform. My card was my Oyster Card. My touch was recorded by London Underground as a touch-in at 18:36 hours, that is 6:36 pm:
18:36 Touch in, Paddington [National Rail]
At 18:37, we were ascending the stairs, which took us away from the platform with the GWR train at Paddington. At 18:37 London Underground created a serious discrepancy in its records:
18:37 Touch out, Buckhurst Hill
I did not touch-out at Buckhurst Hill at 18:37. Instead, London Underground created an imaginary touch-out. The discrepancy was associated with the creation of an impossible journey. The train allegedly left the Great Western Railway train line at Paddington at 18:36 hours, and arrived one minute later on the London Underground Central Line at Buckhurst Hill at 18:37 hours:
18:36 - 18:37 Paddington [National Rail] to Buckhurst Hill
After climbing the stairs at 18.37, we saw a stationary fire engine with a flashing red light. Paddington Underground station was closed, and a crowd of about 50 people had gathered outside the closed gate at the entrance to the station. We went to the Costa café because the tube station was closed. The café was very near the closed entrance to Paddington Underground station.
The station re-opened later, and I entered Paddington Underground station at 19:34. A touch-in was recorded by the touch-in machine:
19:34 Touch-in, Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle/District and H&C)
We waited specifically for a Hammersmith (formerly Metropolitan) Line train, because we wanted to avoid walks, tunnels, lifts, stairs, escalators, etc. We wanted to change trains easily at Mile End. Unfortunately, there were no Hammersmith Line trains. The station announcer proclaimed that a Signals Failure had interrupted the flow of trains on the Hammersmith Line. We decided that we would catch a Circle Line train, instead of the missing Hammersmith Line train.
At about 19:54, there was a blank screen on the platform at Paddington station. A blank screen meant that there were no trains approaching in the foreseeable future. I decided to go to the toilet while we were waiting, and the nearest one was at the Costa café. I left Paddington Underground Station at 19:56:
19:56 Touch out, Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle/District and H&C)
I returned to Paddington Underground Station 6 minutes later, at 20:02:
20:02 Touch in, Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle/District and H&C)
We soon entered a Circle Line train, and we changed at Liverpool Street on to a Central Line train.
I left the Central Line train at Buckhurst Hill Underground Station. I climbed the stairs to the touch-out machines. The touch-out machines attendant was watching the touch-out machine. At 21:18, I placed my card on the touch-out machine for several seconds, but the light stayed red. The red light made me suspect that the railways touch machines were malfunctioning. The red light also made me start to wonder how much London Transport had charged me for my journey on 15th May 2017. The light was still red, therefore I asked the touch-out machines attendant if the touch-out machine was broken. He claimed that it was not broken, and he asked me to touch the touch-out machine again. I touched the touch-out machine again, and the light finally turned green.
During my journey, from Paddington Station to Buckhurst Hill Station on 15th May 2017, I applied my Oyster Card to the touch machines a total of six times. I touched the touch-in machines 3 times, and I touched the touch-out machines 3 times. I touched-in as many times as I touched-out.
At 18:36 I touched-in once on a Paddington GWR (National Rail) platform.
At 19:34 I touched-in once at Paddington Underground Station.
At 19:56 I touched-out once at Paddington Underground Station.
At 20:02 I touched-in once at Paddington Underground Station.
At 21:18 I touched-out twice at Buckhurst Hill Underground Station.
What would have happened to me if I had less than £13.30 on my Oyster Card? Would I have been charged with an offence?
