[Musha_Soturi]

Ridiculous. Surely its better if more of the UK gets on with that scheme? Reduced fares for all. It makes transitioning from trains to buses so much easier. No worrying at all. Anti-London sentiment goes too far sometimes.

I blame Meadows

[Lirlond]

I take the bus because I can't afford a motorcycle. Atleast the fares in Glasgow are reasonable compared to elsewhere in the country.

[CHEEZMO™]

I hate people who play music on buses.

TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TSSSSS TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TSSS TSSSS TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TSSSSSS TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Hot Coldman]

UNF UNF UNF UNF UNF

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BWEOOEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUBWUB

[KungFuBill]

No, only London. There was a plan to extend Oyster into Manchester and Bristol, but the city councils got upset that they would be following a London innovation and have decided to go their own way with contactless payments despite Oyster working for Europe's largest city and being ready to go.

Cardiff buss have introduced a scheme where you get a 'IFF' card, works basically like an Oyster card for top ups etc). Fares are the same though so no price incentive to get one. £1.70 single fare (anywhere in the city) or £3.40 for a day travel pass. Fair play, the bus service here is great. Only downside - you have to have the exact change but I guess that solves the driver's 'no change' problems when you hand them a £5 / £10 note!

Only problem with transport here is no night busses and fucking expensive taxi fares after a night out.

Personally I'm all in favour of extending the oyster scheme. It works SO well.

[Kentpaul]

I take the bus because I can't afford a motorcycle. Atleast the fares in Glasgow are reasonable compared to elsewhere in the country.

You can pick up a decent motorcycle for a grand Bro

[Musha_Soturi]

Cardiff buss have introduced a scheme where you get a 'IFF' card, works basically like an Oyster card for top ups etc). Fares are the same though so no price incentive to get one. £1.70 single fare (anywhere in the city) or £3.40 for a day travel pass. Fair play, the bus service here is great. Only downside - you have to have the exact change but I guess that solves the driver's 'no change' problems when you hand them a £5 / £10 note! Only problem with transport here is no night busses and fucking expensive taxi fares after a night out. Personally I'm all in favour of extending the oyster scheme. It works SO well.

KungFuBill you're back!!!! Where have you been? I was a little worried about you

[KungFuBill]

Aww Musha! I am back, family crisis averted, new job in the pipeline and an upcoming move to contend with, so not sure how much I'll actually be around over the next couple of weeks. I've PM'd you with a bit more info mind. Bummed to miss the meet (as well as waste a perfectly good £15 on a coach ticket I didn't use)

[Musha_Soturi]

Aww Musha! I am back, family crisis averted, new job in the pipeline and an upcoming move to contend with, so not sure how much I'll actually be around over the next couple of weeks. I've PM'd you with a bit more info mind. Bummed to miss the meet (as well as waste a perfectly good £15 on a coach ticket I didn't use)

Pm'd you back ;)

Glad you're back!

[Little Old Man]

Buses are horribly expensive. I was in a rush once to get to a hospital appointment, which was less than a mile away. Decided to get the bus, and it cost me £1.80. Single fare, and they don't do return fares. Yet it costs £2.40 for a return train ticket to Liverpool, a good half hour away.

And of course the bus was filled with extras from the Mos Eisley Cantina.

[Lirlond]

You can pick up a decent motorcycle for a grand Bro

I don't have a grand! Need a job first >:

[CHEEZMO™]

Need a job first >:

Me too bro

[zomgbbqftw]

Cardiff buss have introduced a scheme where you get a 'IFF' card, works basically like an Oyster card for top ups etc). Fares are the same though so no price incentive to get one. £1.70 single fare (anywhere in the city) or £3.40 for a day travel pass. Fair play, the bus service here is great. Only downside - you have to have the exact change but I guess that solves the driver's 'no change' problems when you hand them a £5 / £10 note! Only problem with transport here is no night busses and fucking expensive taxi fares after a night out. Personally I'm all in favour of extending the oyster scheme. It works SO well.

Fuck Cardiff Bus and their "exact change" rule. When I started Uni it was £1 for a ticket, then at some point during the year they changed it to £1.05 and introduced that exact change rule which meant everyone had to scramble around for 5p coins.

Oyster is great though, £1.35 for a single is pretty cheap in the grand scheme of UK public transport, though expensive in historical terms given the inflation busting rises we've had to pay for Crossrail and the East London extension. I hope it will be worth it though. The Tube is still the best mass transit system I have used bar the Tokyo Metro. It is just so comprehensive and the season ticket prices aren't bad, just the daily prices are poor. Oyster singles are good, I can go from Heathrow all the way to my house for £2.90 which is pretty cheap given the distance.

[fizzelopeguss]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19177411 Not this shit again

My cochrane was having a proper good old whinge that day. :lol

[GJS]

Ridiculous. Surely its better if more of the UK gets on with that scheme? Reduced fares for all. It makes transitioning from trains to buses so much easier. No worrying at all. Anti-London sentiment goes too far sometimes.

Oyster cards are the ones which don't meet the current Government recommended specification for smart cards.

Most areas of the country are adopting the ITSO not-for-profit standards, and Oyster will have to adapt to meet the ITSO standards before the country is unified.

Down here in Brighton they are currently just setting up separate ITSO cards for Southern Rail, and Brighton & Hove buses, which will eventually be usable on either service. As every other area gets it all up and running, and Oyster joins in, then that is when it can all be linked together country wide.

[Lirlond]

So I was bored there.

I read up on the Electoral College.

Why do Americans put up with that?

[zomgbbqftw]

So I was bored there. I read up on the Electoral College. Why do Americans put up with that?

Something something representation...

I don't really know though but there is a good chance that Obama will lose the popular vote and win the EC so don't think too badly of it as without it we may end up with Romney. D:

[Garjon]

No, only London. There was a plan to extend Oyster into Manchester and Bristol, but the city councils got upset that they would be following a London innovation and have decided to go their own way with contactless payments despite Oyster working for Europe's largest city and being ready to go.

You really can't see a problem with the current setup of London's public transport system?

Besides, for most cities, it is far simpler to have basic citywide day and week tickets due to the size of the area in question compared to London. We do have contactless payment, but it is a load of balls; the machines don't work half the time and it can't be used on Merseyrail.

[zomgbbqftw]

You really can't see a problem with the current setup of London's public transport system? Besides, for most cities, it is far simpler to have basic citywide day and week tickets due to the size of the area in question compared to London. We do have contactless payment, but it is a load of balls; the machines don't work half the time and it can't be used on Merseyrail.

That's why Oyster is so great, one no longer needs to buy tickets or mess around with change for a ticket machine or wait in a line. All people have to do is top up pay as you go and then use it. It can even be done over the internet and then the barrier terminal itself will update the amount on the card.

I haven't had an Oyster machine fail on me for a long time now, when they were first introduced they had some problems but now they are very reliable and a lot of stations are unmanned in the evenings with the barriers closed now because it is that reliable.

The best thing about Oyster is that it turns into a day pass once you have reached the required amount of travel worth in the day, so if one were to top up £10 at the beginning of the day and use the tube and bus network extensively it would only take like £7 for the Zone 1/2 pass after about four tube/bus journeys leaving the rest untouched even if you take a total of 20 journeys in the day. I use my Oyster for my monthly season ticket which comes to about £160/m and since it is registered, if I lose it I can block it and order a new one without losing my season ticket.

Why did Liverpool introduced its own system at a massive cost when Oyster is a proven low cost system? It makes no sense, if it works in London, it works everywhere in the world.

[Garjon]

That's why Oyster is so great, one no longer needs to buy tickets or mess around with change for a ticket machine or wait in a line. All people have to do is top up pay as you go and then use it. It can even be done over the internet and then the barrier terminal itself will update the amount on the card. I haven't had an Oyster machine fail on me for a long time now, when they were first introduced they had some problems but now they are very reliable and a lot of stations are unmanned in the evenings with the barriers closed now because it is that reliable.

It happened to me at Marylebone this year. It worked eventually, but after about 10 tries; one of the guards had to get involved. I thought he was going to fine me at first. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it impossible to know if you're out of money on the card when you first board the train without checking online etc first?

The best thing about Oyster is that it turns into a day pass once you have reached the required amount of travel worth in the day, so if one were to top up £10 at the beginning of the day and use the tube and bus network extensively it would only take like £7 for the Zone 1/2 pass after about four tube/bus journeys leaving the rest untouched even if you take a total of 20 journeys in the day. I use my Oyster for my monthly season ticket which comes to about £160/m and since it is registered, if I lose it I can block it and order a new one without losing my season ticket.

I hate the lack of proper concessions in London ie outside, the cost of a day ticket is usually around the price of two journeys. Plus I'm not sure how that's really a big advantage to say, just having a monthly pass.

Why did Liverpool introduced its own system at a massive cost when Oyster is a proven low cost system? It makes no sense, if it works in London, it works everywhere in the world.

It didn't really, the system was forced in by Arriva and Stagecoach, hence it is not used on the rail network. Then there's the simple logistics; having to set up pay stations all across the city, put turnstiles on every station when it is not really feasible, most bus journeys being fairly short and requiring changes. It just wouldn't work, well, not without significant investment anyway.

[Mr. Sam]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it impossible to know if you're out of money on the card when you first board the train without checking online etc first?

No, it will tell you when you first beep in if you don't have sufficient funds.

[shorty_symd]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19176729


:(

[Garjon]

No, it will tell you when you first beep in if you don't have sufficient funds.

Fair enough, thought it just let you in anyway.

[zomgbbqftw]

It happened to me at Marylebone this year. It worked eventually, but after about 10 tries; one of the guards had to get involved. I thought he was going to fine me at first. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it impossible to know if you're out of money on the card when you first board the train without checking online etc first?

That's pretty unlucky, I use the underground everyday and I haven't had a problem at the barriers for ages, longer than a year for sure.

I hate the lack of proper concessions in London ie outside, the cost of a day ticket is usually around the price of two journeys. Plus I'm not sure how that's really a big advantage to say, just having a monthly pass.

I don't get your problem? You want cheap travel? It's London. Don't expect shit.

It didn't really, the system was forced in by Arriva and Stagecoach, hence it is not used on the rail network. Then there's the simple logistics; having to set up pay stations all across the city, put turnstiles on every station when it is not really feasible, most bus journeys being fairly short and requiring changes. It just wouldn't work, well, not without significant investment anyway.

Ah, I didn't realise it was not a citywide system. In that case yeah, seems pretty lame and I can understand why you are down on the idea. Oyster is fucking great though. I was suspicious when they introduced it, but there is no way I would go back to paper tickets only.

[Kentpaul]

9th pint. Ready for for another few chinner can suck my large thick cock. After his patter this morning he deserves some shaft

[BGBW]

Bah. DLR has switched from accepting bus passes to only accepting travel cards. When did that happen?

[Qasiel]

Bah. DLR has switched from accepting bus passes to only accepting travel cards. When did that happen?

They accepted bus passes?? What heresy is this?

[Cindres]

I ride my bike everywhere I would get the bus these days. Loving the exercise.

[Qasiel]

Me too, Cindres. Public transport (bus and a DLR) costs around 6 or 7 quid a day to get to and from work and can take up to about an hour and a half. Cycling on the other hand only takes me 40 minutes, door to door and I'm feeling much better for it (with the exception of breathing in the crap on the main roads I use).

Still, going through Greenwich Park/Cutty Sark is pretty awesome. There were belly dancers at the Cutty Sark foot-tunnel this evening!

[Cindres]

Me too, Cindres. Public transport (bus and a DLR) costs around 6 or 7 quid a day to get to and from work and can take up to about an hour and a half. Cycling on the other hand only takes me 40 minutes, door to door and I'm feeling much better for it (with the exception of breathing in the crap on the main roads I use). Still, going through Greenwich Park/Cutty Sark is pretty awesome. There were belly dancers at the Cutty Sark foot-tunnel this evening!

DLR's come up a few times, what's one of them?

[siddhu33]

DLR's come up a few times, what's one of them?

Docklands Light Railway. Been around for ages; it's an automated train system. Remember throwing up on someone when I last went on it...(8-9 years ago)

[Lirlond]

Guys what looks better, this or this?

[shorty_symd]

second pic for me.

[Qasiel]

Docklands Light Railway. It's an automated train-like transit system that goes all through London's dockland area (Canning Town, Canary Wharf, Bank, Greenwich)

[Musha_Soturi]

Guys what looks better, this or this?

2nd pic.

[Mr. Sam]

Second.

[Galvanise_]

Second.

Hair pulled back is risky business.

[Suairyu]

Guys what looks better, this or this?

Second, but it looks incredibly 90s.

You don't have the hair type or shape to do pulled back.

I say get a new haircut.

[Lirlond]

Cheers, I've been considering a new haircut, or atleast a better way of styling it, but I don't know what'd look good haha

[Suairyu]

Cheers, I've been considering a new haircut, or atleast a better way of styling it, but I don't know what'd look good haha

Go into a quality hair dresser and ask them what they'd do. Any half-decent stylist can work with you to get a new look.

[Darren870]

2nd, and also shave.

[Darren870]

I've never had a problem with my oyster card in my 2.5 years here.
Good system, but NYC is better. None of this zone stuff. Just $2.50 to get in and you can go pretty much as far as you want until you leave.

London has a better rail system though.

[blahblah...blah]

2nd, and also shave.

Winner of thread (combined with Suairyu's haircut suggestion)

[BGBW]

I've never had a problem with my oyster card in my 2.5 years here. Good system, but NYC is better. None of this zone stuff. Just $2.50 to get in and you can go pretty much as far as you want until you leave. London has a better rail system though.

But Hollywood has depicted the NYC sub system as a grotty place to be with a 85% chance of being attacked if you use it.

[Darren870]

But Hollywood has depicted the NYC sub system as a grotty place to be with a 85% chance of being attacked if you use it.

Probably true in the outskirts :). I just like the one fee to get in and go wherever.

[Kentpaul]

Lirlond remove that hair from the bottom of your face.

[fizzelopeguss]

Clank got zapped?

[Musha_Soturi]

Clank got zapped?

Who got what?

[Kentpaul]

Who got what?

Clank got zapped

Sounds like a line from a 90s quentin tarantino movie.

ZEDS DEAD BABY BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

[Cindres]

I've never had a problem with my oyster card in my 2.5 years here. Good system, but NYC is better. None of this zone stuff. Just $2.50 to get in and you can go pretty much as far as you want until you leave. London has a better rail system though.

When I was in New York I saw all kinds of funny shit on the subway too. Dancers, singers, etc etc.
Took it as far out as Coney Island and it was fine for the whole journey. No jive suckas tryin to start no trouble on the train.