Ginster

Hey all, So an update from me, with 4 minutes to spare before a train I put my oyster on the panel on the new ticket machine and could I find where to get an OEP from? Of course not! I eventually managed to get a single gold card ticket to North Dulwich (which I think is the equivalent of boundary zone 2) and ~just~ made my train. So after doing the right thing, reading up on this, finding out the ridiculousness of the scheme I wasn't actually able to do it. Then reading above with the mess at Charing Cross with the staff not even knowing these existed? Does not bode well... I will try the idea of getting an OEP on well before I need it and hope that works (thanks JohnL). I have also written to TFL. Applespider - thanks for the backup. Bic Basher - I think we'll have quite a few appeals. I don't even know why I checked the website, thousands won't so won't have a clue about this situation. Medley - I use zones 1 and 2 for work, otherwise I don't go outside that often, but when I do it annoys me that I have to go through all this. Basically I feel nothing has changed for me with the introduction of Oyster at train stations! And incase anyone suggests going to PAYG - I get a great discount buying an annual travelcard and also as it is a gold card (becuase it's annual) I get a third off off-peak rail travel for me and 3 others so it has those benefits I don't want to lose. Will be interesting to see if TFL get back to me, they haven't on the other occasion I wrote to them about something... Must keep my eyes open at London Bridge in the mornings for the next "Meet the Managers" session as I will definitely take time out to talk to someone about it all!

I'm really disappointed about how the scheme is going to work. I assumed I could just swipe my card (I have a zone 1 and 2 annual card on my oyster) and get on the train and as long as I touched out the other end it would work it all out. Unfortunately after doing some reading today it seems whenever I want to go outside of zone 2 I have to get an "Oyster Extension Permit" from a machine, ticket office or newsagents. So really, that isn't going to save me any time or effort from before when I had to queue up to buy an extension (and as ticket machines have never sold extensions I've always had to queue at the office or when that has been closed I have to hope that the station at my destination "believe" me (as I don't see why I should have to buy the full ticket from the machine when I already have part of it paid for.) Does anyone know if this is permanent? Why can't the machines work all this out and charge me accordingly? I'm so disappointed that this isn't as good as I thought it would be.

A few choices, none that are much fun... as already mentioned, train to L Bridge then Jubilee line (average 55 mins door to door for me from East Dulwich) - it's hell but you get used to it (eventually...) Boat is lovely but extra cost on top of travelcard. Train from Peckham Rye (or Nunhead) to Lewisham and the DLR up is great as you're kinda going in the "wrong" direction, train nearly empty, get on DLR at first stop (takes about 40 mins station to work). Annoyingly though in the morning there is only the 8.35am from Peckham Rye which doesn't work for a 9am on the dot start. If you want to throw it out there you can get the 78 bus from Nunhead to Tower Hill and get the DLR in that way. We need a bridge from SE London to the Wharf, to be able to get a bus or to cycle there directly would be great. Even with the East London Line extension (eventually) it will be hell trying to squeeze on an already packed Jubliee line at Canada Water...

Def trawl/crawl the Lane, love The Bishop (usually start there for food), couple at Liquorish and usually end at Adventure. The cocktails are pricey (but bit less than central London) but are lush. Staff are great fun, good music (mix of 80s/90s usually) and it's usually a great night! Boho always seems fairly empty, hopefully it's just a slow starter! Have a good night!

Only just seen this thread, I think I was visited by the same person last week - I had food on the stove which was an easy excuse to escape and to add to my usual "not interested in anything sold door-to-door" so didn't even find out her name but saw the Aviva badge. Well done on reporting and good that they replied so well! If I'd let her speak and she'd tried scaremongering stuff I would have definitely taken her name and done the same, let's hope she's now "off the streets"!

I've saw Neil Stuke last weekend (mentioned in another thread, works in the new Franklins shop). Have seen Tracy from Corrie (Kate Ford) quite a few times in the summer when heavily pregnant. Walked past James Nesbitt on Lordship Lane. Girl from Peep Show Olivia Colman quite a few times. And Richard Grieve (Neighbours/Home and Away and now Jonny Foster in Emmerdale) lives a few doors down from me, used to have black hair but now is a silver fox!