A TFL Hit Squad, backed up by Three Police obviously no crimes at the time) swooped on Finchley Road and frognal Overground yesterday rush hour. They issued a penalty Notice of GBp 50, for everyone who their "hand reader machine" felt had not swiped-in their Oyster card. Ignored pleas of "yes I did" and said their instructions were to issue notices, and people can appeal if they like.
They refused to explain the procedure, snatched my purse to remove ID and kept saying "how much will you pay?". They would not allow me to pay by swiping out. The Officers' name tag was incomplete like the practice of police. His surname being just the first letter.If this is his real name-he needs to get a proper one to be allowed to be in this kind of job.
I am a middle aged female who was a strong supporter of Boris for mayor, but will never travel again on London Overground. I am very scared. Can someone help me to take Action against this Police State?

So let's get this straight, you didn't swipe in and you were trying to avoid paying your fare?

Not not straight at all!
I definitely swiped on and was attempting to swipe out. Its happened 3 times that I have paid the max on swiping out. I guess the card I got SOLD and pur PRE_PAID FUNDS ON has the same fault as all the late running trains!

The following information may help in preventing you paying the maximum cash fare in future - I've taken the relevant text for you from the "How to use your Oyster card" section of the "Get the most from your Oyster - A User's Guide" leaflet which is available online at the TfL website and in stations across the city...

"When you touch your Oyster card flat on the yellow card reader, a green light, accompanied by one beep means that it has been accepted for travel. A red light, accompanied by two beeps, means your card has been rejected. You must not go further until your Oyster card has been accepted for travel or you have paid separately for your journey."

These rejections can occur if the card is not actually held for long enough or close enough to the reader, that is why the advice is to touch the card flat to the reader, rather than to swipe it.

An additional piece of useful information to know is that an orange light on a reader means it is working and ready to read a card - if the light on the reader is an unchanging red, it means the reader is not working or not ready to read your card - wait for it to turn orange, or find another reader.

I know from my own experience how we tend to go through our travels in this city on a kind of autopilot and am willing to bet that unfortunately this is how the majority of these mistakes arise.

You know how it is, you're in a hurry, you can see your train about to pull up or there's a thousand other people crowding around you and you just want to be somewhere else and as you rush through the system you swipe your wallet at the reader and carry on with your journey - phew, you've made it, you swiped your card and nothing can go wrong, can it?

But what if the card wasn't close enough to the reader for long enough for it to get a proper read? Are you sure you saw the green light? Are you sure it was one beep you heard and not two?

By taking the time to wait and check the colour of the light and the number of beeps given by the reader, you will avoid situations where a Revenue Inspector's hand held reader will not be able to detect a "touch-in" and end up with fewer maximum cash fare charges to your pre-pay.

Good luck in your travels!

>Hardworker60

>I definitely swiped on and was attempting to swipe out.

Can you imagine how many times a day ticket inspectors hear that...

amazing that oyster is the worlds only 100% reliable system

>imdx80

>amazing that oyster is the worlds only 100% reliable system

Read the story, loads of people on that train saying they "were sure they touched in".

That's a big "Hmmmm" from me (and the ticket inspectors by the sounds of it).

> That's a big "Hmmmm" from me (and the ticket
> inspectors by the sounds of it).

if 'loads' of people were objecting then maybe theres a faulty 'touch-in' reader somewhere

the system is always right

"I definitely swiped on and was attempting to swipe out"

If you definitely swiped in successfully – ie saw that it had been accepted as per CorBlimey’s description above – then presumably there will be a record of that and you can claim back your fine.

If the swiping in machine was faulty and it did not register your swipe in then I’m afraid that you are responsible for not noticing that. The inspectors can only go on what their equipment tells them.

"A TFL Hit Squad, backed up by Three Police.."

If they were rude and not showing proper ID then make a complaint to TFL and the Police. Information on how to do that should be easily available on the appropriate websites. If you don’t complain then you cant expect anything to improve.

"obviously no crimes at the time."

Firstly, are you saying that fare dodging is not a crime? And secondly, are you sure they were not Transport Police?

"I am very scared"

Blimey. Of what exactly???

> "I definitely swiped on and was attempting to swipe
> out"
>
> If you definitely swiped in successfully – ie saw
> that it had been accepted as per CorBlimey’s
> description above – then presumably there will be a
> record of that and you can claim back your fine.
>
> If the swiping in machine was faulty and it did not
> register your swipe in then I’m afraid that you are
> responsible for not noticing that. The inspectors
> can only go on what their equipment tells them.
>
I do not have an Oyster, buses are for masochists IMO and I use the subway maybe once every six to eight weeks so forgive me if I do not understand the vagaries of the system.
If the Oyster user UNSUCCESSFULLY swipes his or her card, would the barrier open, or would it bar entry and emit an audible warning signifying an error?

> If the Oyster user UNSUCCESSFULLY swipes his or her
> card, would the barrier open, or would it bar entry
> and emit an audible warning signifying an error?
>

The latter.

There is a fairly common rush hour scenario...

Impatient Traveller #1 approaches gate at maximum warp and merely waves their Oyster card at the reader, without reducing velocity, and collides with unopened gates. Impatient Traveller #2, following very close behind at equal or greater velocity, sticks their ticket in the slot or successfully places their card on the reader, gates open, hey presto Impatient Traveller #1 wanders through, leaving Impatient Traveller #2 in the hands of Surly LU Staff (Various).

Of course, Impatient Traveller #1 hasn't clocked that Impatient Traveller #2 actually gave them access to the station, and still don't when they get to the other end, where the system thinks they have blagged their way on thus charging maximum fare, or even that they are greeted by Surly TfL Inspectors (Various) and get a fine.

Then threads like these start.

> > or would it bar entry
> > and emit an audible warning signifying an error? The latter.

had it do a whiney beep and open the gate at the same time, luckily it was quiet otherwise i might not have noticed and spoken to the ticket staff to find out if it had been recognised before going to another station and end up paying 'maximum fair'