Great Western Coffee Shop

Went to buy a ticket from Exeter Central to Newton Abbot from the machine and was presented with this message (apologies for the quality but I don't have the software with me to improve it.)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/tktmc.jpg)

What is all that about?  I thought there was only one route between the two anyway but it might well confuse the occasional traveller.  The fact the machine would not then take my brand new ^10 note meant I had to go to the ticket office anyway!

(If you can't read them, the options include "MO TU WE &WKND","MO TU TH &WKND", "MO TU FR &WKND" and "TU TH FR &WKND")

Is this something to do with the season tickets that are suitable for part timers (and thus are specified for certain days of the week) which are available in the area? Though quite why it's offering you the options for a normal single or return ticket I'm not sure.

I suppose it could be - but seems strange to ask it under the heading of "which route do you want to take?"

(As an aside why is the photo the right way round on my laptop but when viewed on my iPhone it is rotated 45 degrees?)

45 degrees? Normally a rotated photo on a camera phone is 90 degrees!  ;D

Yes of course....  ;D

I believe the days selected for a part time season are printed in the route section of the ticket, hence them being the options for your route. If the TVM asked you whether you wanted a day ticket or season before asking what route this could probably be solved. In other areas there are routes only available for season tickets which are logical, so you might select on a TVM and then only be given the option of a season ticket.

Part time season tickets, 3 weekdays plus weekends. The prices for a part time month season ticket between Exeter Central and Newton Abbot is ^84.90 compared to ^124.50 for  a full time month season ticket

That would make sense now I know - but a bit daunting for the average would be passenger looking for a simple single or day return...

Possibly because of the way you took the picture?? I think if you hold the iPhone length ways it does that...

I'll ask my housemate, he knows everything about them... :-X ::)

Yes, I myself have an iPhone. But he is always telling me new things about them every single time I use it!

What is all that about?  I thought there was only one route between the two anyway but it might well confuse the occasional traveller.  The fact the machine would not then take my brand new ^10 note meant I had to go to the ticket office anyway!

One problem with TVM's that take cash is that when short of Change they will ONLY take the Correct money (or Card) payment.
It comes up in small red print bottom left of scene, Tender Correct Money Only or use card

Also for Fares under ^5 you Can't pay with ^20 notes, and I think at times depending on change levels in M/C for fares under ^10. Always check when buying ticket which Bank notes are pictured (Bottom left of screen) if only coins and ^5 note are shown then you can't use notes above ^5, if only Coins are shown you can only use coins (or card).

Or try and purchase a ^38.30 fare (Frome - Newbury First Class Off-Peak Return with Railcard) insert 2x ^20 notes and watch the machine fail and refund you ^40 in ^1 coins. Then the face of the Guard on the Westbury train. Fuming to put it politely... :-\ :-X

He told me in future not to bother. That's just great when you see signs advertising Penalty Fares everywhere >:(

I don't get that.  Normally, tradesmen like to receive change (they have to pay banks for coinage).

On the thread, I am amazed you are all using cash.  My wife says I am like royalty; if they don't take a card, then I turn to her and say 'can you pay this person?'. 

I never, ever, have more than ^10 on me in cash.  What's it for (given the evidence above?.

Generally, I rarely carry more than ^10 - ^20 on me. Normally when I do carry cash it's because I have to pay a Taxi Fare or something. Or in a Coffee Shop where they don't accept cards for less than ^10 (And we have a few of those in Somerset >:( ) I am a huge fan of Contactless Card Payments as you'll often find that you can use it for free where there might otherwise be a charge. (Subway is a prime example)

Sadly a lot of places that accept Contactless Payments aren't aware that they do. Or don't like to accept them. I once had a spot of bother in a Restaurant in Bath where I paid using a Contactless Card and the waitress said: "We don't accept Contactless Payments due to fraud sir" Except that I had already paid, The symbol came up, so I used it. (I'm lazy and won't "Chip and PIN" if I don't have to.) The waitress insisted that she refund me and I use my card again for Chip and Pin. I declined (I declined, not the card ;) ) and promptly left the restaurant, knowing my Credit Card Statement would prove I'd paid the bill if they tried any funny business...

On this particular occasion it was when I was carrying a bit more than ^40 after withdrawing the funds from the bank due to being temporarily relieved of my Business Credit Card. (Gave it to my sister to order a piece of equipment for her GCSE Photography Exam which she forgot to return before I went home)

Also for the tradesman comment. I'm an IT Techie... I run a "Cashless" Business...

On a totally different level, If everyone withdrew all their money from the High Street Banks then there would not be enough money in the Country to give out which makes me question whether money even actually exists... Along with the chap who ran Rapidshare or MegaUpload (Think it was there former) who got sued for an amount in the "Trillions" I believe. All very well and good but no such money in The World as a whole exists!!

Your anti-penultimate paragraph explains all.  I must admit I was slightly surprised you had no card.  Having said that, I have several and just regard the ones that are spare as useful back up.  I think if I did as much travelling as you, especially by PT, I would probably carry about ^40 just as a safeguard.  If a mugging threatened, it would be no great pain just to say 'take it and be happy'.

I haven't really used these TVMs.  I just punched in an internet code as I had booked online.  One still needed to insert one's card though, not sure why.

Erm ... 'ante-penultimate', possibly - although, before TerminalJunkie savages me again, I do accept that there are no hyphens in Latin. ::)

On a more practical note: the requirement for one to insert a card before punching the code is to provide an audit trail for the ticket provider: 'that particular ticket was claimed / printed at that machine by someone using that specific card on such and such date'.  In case of any subsequent fraudulent claim to the contrary, obviously. ;)

On any other occasion, I would've used another card. But on this particular occasion as it was for Business. I had no interest in using my personal debit card. That can and routinely does cause Tax issues with the HMRC - I had to explain to them why my expenses on PT were so high (and believe me they are) as they *thought* something was a miss; it was. It's called a refusal of a Driving License on Medical Grounds. A subject covered in depth on this Forum in several places I suspect so I won't revisit it... Even though I just did :-X

Once that was explained they were satisfied. They just couldn't understand why I had so many "Travel Expenses" but I guess it wouldn't have hurt them to look at the Fuel and Vehicular expenses to find them at: nil ::)

As for the mugging. As most of you all know, that recently happened. I was carrying with me in cash the humongous sum of 18 pence. The **** (Choose your own expletive :P ) was welcome to it, but when asked if I had cash and I said No. He didn't push it and took my other stuff instead, all of which was recovered in about half an hour by the OB. If he'd have tried to get my wallet, the outcome of the whole situation I'm sorry to say would've have been very, very different indeed........... :-X

A part of me still regrets not giving the guy what for... But I received an e-mail from Police Forensics over Christmas who have stated that fingerprints on parts of my property are not mine. So as I have all the property back and learning that news I can't help but feel rather smug about that...

I'll shut up now I've completely hijacked the thread *thetrout reminds himself not to do that!*

What was wrong with 'third'?  ???

Trying to be clever, forgive typo, all good fun though.