Comments on: in london, you’re never more than 10 feet from a program http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/ a view from the space station Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:50:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Dan Karran's blog http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-60 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:08:53 +0000 http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-60 <strong>London Oyster card craziness</strong> I had been meaning to blog about this a month ago but never did, though a post by Jo Walsh has just reminded me about it. Jo writes about being frustrated by the transport system in London and especially the... London Oyster card craziness

I had been meaning to blog about this a month ago but never did, though a post by Jo Walsh has just reminded me about it. Jo writes about being frustrated by the transport system in London and especially the…

]]> by: Dan Karran http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-59 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:52:00 +0000 http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-59 Last time I was travelling through London, just before Christmas in the midst of the fog chaos, I managed to leave my jacket in the loos at Heathrow. Realising I'd forgotten something, I got off the tube at Hatton Cross and jumped back onto the next train going back to Heathrow. Leaving the gates, I spotted a 0.20 on the display and thought, that's a good deal for a short journey! Luckily I found my jacket again, and went back to the tube. This time, the gates wouldn't let me through, giving me only a cryptic number for the reason. The guy at the open barrier wasn't much more helpful, especially after I told him I knew I had almost 8 quid on there. He told me I had no credit and I should see the guy at the ticket desk. At the ticket desk I was told the same thing, that I didn't have any money on there. I kicked up a fuss, knowing that I had money on there, and thinking that the last journey had cost me 20p. I explained the situation about 5 times, and he seemed confused. There was no record of me going into the system (I'd touched in, and the gate had opened), but then I'd come out, back to where I'd started. To them, after I'd told them what had happened, that was me going in without touching in, going one stop down the line, starting another journey without first touching out and then in again, and touching out for the first time. (Although why I got charged a double fine automatically, without them knowing that I'd touched in at the same place, I have no idea). I didn't leave the desk until he'd re-credited the fine (minus a fee for a single journey, if necessary). Thankfully, he did just that. I was very grateful because he didn't have to, but as someone who was f*cked over by the system, I would have been very angry if I wasn't reimbursed. The London Underground guy told me that the Oyster cards had caused more trouble for the staff behind the desks than the perceived benefits, and wished they were never introduced. As you say, the queues may be shorter, but they take longer because the queries are hellishly complex. (sorry for the long comment!) Last time I was travelling through London, just before Christmas in the midst of the fog chaos, I managed to leave my jacket in the loos at Heathrow. Realising I’d forgotten something, I got off the tube at Hatton Cross and jumped back onto the next train going back to Heathrow. Leaving the gates, I spotted a 0.20 on the display and thought, that’s a good deal for a short journey! Luckily I found my jacket again, and went back to the tube.

This time, the gates wouldn’t let me through, giving me only a cryptic number for the reason. The guy at the open barrier wasn’t much more helpful, especially after I told him I knew I had almost 8 quid on there. He told me I had no credit and I should see the guy at the ticket desk.

At the ticket desk I was told the same thing, that I didn’t have any money on there. I kicked up a fuss, knowing that I had money on there, and thinking that the last journey had cost me 20p. I explained the situation about 5 times, and he seemed confused. There was no record of me going into the system (I’d touched in, and the gate had opened), but then I’d come out, back to where I’d started. To them, after I’d told them what had happened, that was me going in without touching in, going one stop down the line, starting another journey without first touching out and then in again, and touching out for the first time. (Although why I got charged a double fine automatically, without them knowing that I’d touched in at the same place, I have no idea).

I didn’t leave the desk until he’d re-credited the fine (minus a fee for a single journey, if necessary). Thankfully, he did just that. I was very grateful because he didn’t have to, but as someone who was f*cked over by the system, I would have been very angry if I wasn’t reimbursed.

The London Underground guy told me that the Oyster cards had caused more trouble for the staff behind the desks than the perceived benefits, and wished they were never introduced.

As you say, the queues may be shorter, but they take longer because the queries are hellishly complex.

(sorry for the long comment!)

]]> by: mikel http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-58 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 08:28:22 +0000 http://frot.org/devlog/2007/01/26/in-london-youre-never-more-than-10-feet-from-a-program/#comment-58 If maps tell stories, what can they say about international trafficking of people, the women trapped in prostitution, their origins, and the changing criminal zones? A lot I imagine, though it's a very fine line here to daily mail pedo-map type yellow journalism or platial hooker map type banality. But done carefully and correctly, could be powerful. I've recently been involved in preparing data on Darfur for google earth, and it's quite disassociating working on that raw data, but the result will be good I think. Like your insights into TfL. The one lament I'd add is that I want that tracking, but I want my ride data, and everyone else's too. Imagine the visualizations. If maps tell stories, what can they say about international trafficking of people, the women trapped in prostitution, their origins, and the changing criminal zones?

A lot I imagine, though it’s a very fine line here to daily mail pedo-map type yellow journalism or platial hooker map type banality.

But done carefully and correctly, could be powerful. I’ve recently been involved in preparing data on Darfur for google earth, and it’s quite disassociating working on that raw data, but the result will be good I think.

Like your insights into TfL. The one lament I’d add is that I want that tracking, but I want my ride data, and everyone else’s too. Imagine the visualizations.

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