Buses in East Dulwich (Lounged)

[SeanMacGabhann]

I have noticed that every time I try and board a bus in the area, I am asked to provide "cash" or show an oyster card. You would think that an oyster card is something they can issue free or for a one off charge but np - they want you to put your hard-earned cash "onto" the card as well!

Surely this is just a cash-making excercise and is designed to penalise people??

Worse - I managed to get on a bus recently without paying (teh driver was looking the other way) and these fascists came on and fined me ?20!!! Is that fair price for a bus journey????? I was only going one stop after all

[Moos]

Who are you, and what have you done with Sean?

[Brendan]

Bus conductors eh? Those corporate fat cats! Not to worry comrade MacGabhann they will be first up against the wall, come the revolution.

[SeanMacGabhann]

dear God moos - hopefully the spelling of "teh" proved it was really me

And hopefully everyone realises satire when they see it??

[georgia]

Of course - I could never believe that you would get on a bus without paying....;-)

[Nero]

I have noticed that every time I try and board a bus in the area, I am asked to provide "cash" or show an oyster card. You would think that an oyster card is something they can issue free or for a one off charge but np - they want you to put your hard-earned cash "onto" the card as well!

Sean, I don't understand what you mean.

[KalamityKel]

Sean you were only going one stop? ::o u lazy thing get off and walk! :p

[SeanMacGabhann]

either I'm not getting other peoples sarcasm or people took my initial post at face value! (Brendan excluded)

[Moos]

Ah-ha... thought you were making a point but think I must be having a slow day because for the life of me couldn't see what it was! :-$

[Nero]

I'm really lost, here. (And disappointed, because I love a good bus-related rant, too.)

[SeanMacGabhann]

hmm rather than respond to yet another "I got fined for parking where I shouldn't have" (but this time got off on a technicality) I just throught I would recast the whole argument from the view of public transport users

very clumsily I admit... but I tried to squeeze in:

Accusations of raising revenue at own expense? Check

Cheating the system and resent paying the price? Check

Laziness? Check

But unlike parking, everyone just thought (quite rightly) I was being weird to complain about these things

[Moos]

Lord McG you have a point, but it's not a wholly fair analogy.

Buses- clear system, easy to use, hard to (genuinely) claim you didn't know what you were doing. Not so with parking. I'm not saying you can use ignorance as a defence, but (back to your ratiojalisation/emotion point re: posting) it helps understand where people are coming from, i.e. I didn't MEAN to break the rules. It is undeniably frustrating to be whacked for a big fine when you tried to do it right.

Buses - one central public company, one set of rules. Not so with traffic wardens. Bus drivers aren't incentivised to catch fare dodgers either-at least, I think not! (That's presumably why the fare-dodger-catchers on buses and trains talk to people they've caught and make a decision whether to fine them or not...don't think you get that with traffic wardens.

Oh dear, was that me trying to be serious? Shame on me. Back to the Lounge!

[????]

Sean - poorly executed (sorry) and done to death surely? If you want to start this one again we can rumble....

[SeanMacGabhann]

yep - agreed ???? - already held my hands up. But thanks for dropping by ;-)

[KalamityKel]

With regards to Moos comment "Bus drivers aren't incentivised to catch fare dodgers either-at least, I think not!" it's certainly not the drivers responsibilty to catch anyone dodging a fair. They can certainly stop the bus and tell whoever is in the wrong to get off with the classic line "this bus aint going nowhere until you pay or get off" but anything else is down to the revenue (ticket inspectors) or even transport police/normal police to deal with - hence why sometimes the driver will do a "code red" for them to come a deal with it. :)

[SeanMacGabhann]

oooh yeah - I forgot to address Lady Moos's points

"Buses- clear system, easy to use, hard to (genuinely) claim you didn't know what you were doing. Not so with parking. I'm not saying you can use ignorance as a defence, but (back to your ratiojalisation/emotion point re: posting) it helps understand where people are coming from, i.e. I didn't MEAN to break the rules. It is undeniably frustrating to be whacked for a big fine when you tried to do it right. "

Weeeeel you'd be surprised how many people don't use buses at all because they find them confusing - "which side of the road? How do I know when to get off" etc etc. Plus, we have long since passed the stage where many drivers even pretend to get things wrong. Libracarr's post about his latest fine on another thread is a good example."i know the rules, I diagree with them but I got off on a technicality". As I've said before whilst waiting for the bus at the library - I see people park up right in the bus stop just to use the cashie - every single day. They are not being caught out by ignorance of the rules

"Buses - one central public company, one set of rules. Not so with traffic wardens. Bus drivers aren't incentivised to catch fare dodgers either-at least, I think not! (That's presumably why the fare-dodger-catchers on buses and trains talk to people they've caught and make a decision whether to fine them or not...don't think you get that with traffic wardens. "

Bus drivers aren't incetivised but teams of inspectors are. And last I heard there isn't much discussion if you're caught - there used to be but that's gone. People say it's a nanny-state but the reason it's become less possible to "negotiate" is so many toe-rags abusing the system

[Moos]

Actually, it's Her Serene Highness Empress Moos von und zu Moos, but my friends just call me Moos...

OK, I guess I started so I'll finish (although fear this thread is providing diminishing returns)

Agree finding bus routes is confusing! but I meant bus fares. If you think they're confusing, maybe you should walk! I agree there are bus fare-dodgers too - of course there are - but I don't think they can say they didn't mean to dodge. Don't disagree with your 'got off on a technicality' point, though.

Are teams of inspectors incentivized by the number of people they catch?

I haven't been caught without fare on a bus, so I can't comment on your last but I have to admit I have twice been caught without on a train, both times through stupidity - yes, I do know the system but forgot my card had run out. Once the guy fined me ?20, and the other time he just made me pay for a single, which I thought was kind of him.

[Jamma]

Oh Sean, you've embarrassed yourself with this one haven't you. Leave comedy and satire to the professionaly comedians eh? Why not just delete this whole thread and we'll all say nothing more about it.

[SeanMacGabhann]

don't think I haven't thought about it Jamma - but it'll serve as a monument to folly ;-)

[Moos]

Poor Sean. Sorry.

[Administrator]

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