Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
1–10 of 236 posts
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#2Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket
inspector do their job.
In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs.
Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and listening to music. They can't load their app. They huff and sigh disrespectfully. The guard can't get focus. For a moment they point phones at each other like cowboys in a gunfight standoff. She doesn't have a wifi signal, so now there's a long and embarrassing delay while passenger and guard stare at each others feet.
Finally a joyful beep releases them from technological tension. Everyone in the car sighs with relief and she moves on to the next grinning smombie.
The whole technology is a festering shitshow foisted on people by over-zealous tech peddlers.
Paper tickets rule.
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#3Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
This doesn't match up with my experience. The "tickets please" acts as a warning to phone-ticket users that they need to get the QR code visible.
Could depend on when you travel I suppose.
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#4Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
Kids these days, how dare they use technology, am I right, fellow luddite on the internet?
People lose paper tickets. People throw them on the ground. Stations are littered with them. Oh, and people do spend ages looking through their pockets, bags, coats and other places for where their paper ticket is at.
You're just being contrarian because you're on a tech website, tbh.
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#5Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
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Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#6> Nowadays, the industry would very much like you to ditch your paper ticket in favour of a fancy mobile barcode one (or an ITSO smartcard2); not only do they not have to spend money on printing tickets but they also gain the ability to more precisely track the ticket’s usage across the network and minimise fraud.
And unsurprisingly only a subset of tickets are available on the apps. Therefore the government gets its “fare simplification” it’s so badly wanted, through the back door, in a sense, the harder it pushes mobile tickets
Eg rover tickets are not on the ticketing apps. These can be excellent value.
Edit: also the government very recently announced [0] they are to scrap return fares. This will without a shadow of doubt increase prices for a great many journeys.
[0] https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/end-of-the-line-for-ret...
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#7Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
The e-tickets I use on my local commuter rail are nothing like what you described. When I want to use a ticket, I activate when I get in the train and then the conductor glances at it and sees whatever they need to see. Zero difference from paper ticket. They just walk down the carriage looking at paper tickets and phones all the same.
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#8Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
Kids these days, how dare they use technology, am I right, fellow luddite on the internet? People lose paper tickets. People throw them on the ground. Stations are littered with them. Oh, and people do spend ages looking through their pockets, bags, coats and other places for where their paper ticket is at. You're just being contrarian because you're on a tech website, tbh.
> littered with them.
I don't see that. The ticket barriers are programmed to retain used tickets. And please lay-off the "contrarian" slurs, I'm just telling you what I see with my eyes each day. If you looked up from your phone you might notice too :)
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#9Nobody who cheers "mobile tickets" has ever watched a guard or ticket inspector do their job. In the UK, a guard with good eyesight and a sprightly, cheerful manner can almost run through the carriages shouting "tickets please!" and see, with a single glance, all s/he needs. Then she gets to the muppets with phones. They faff, fumble and fuss. They scowl at being interrupted watching videos, browsing social media and…
The e-tickets I use on my local commuter rail are nothing like what you described. When I want to use a ticket, I activate when I get in the train and then the conductor glances at it and sees whatever they need to see. Zero difference from paper ticket. They just walk down the carriage looking at paper tickets and phones all the same.
I'm on SWT. Where do you have ones that are eyes-on? Our guards have
to do the scan-beep dance and it slows everything to a crawl.
Re: Reversing UK mobile rail tickets
#10The photo of a UK train ticket is very interesting. Reading Green Park station isn't yet open, AFAIK: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/RGP/details.html