Paddington ticket barriers read issue

[whole diary]

[Boppy]

Cheers SDS Pad.

Each time I go through it now I'm ready for it to go wrong! 

What you describe happened to your staff pass sounds similar.  Why is the barrier trying to "Re-code" (08) your ticket before then trying to read it again?  It's this re-coding part that is strange.

I also recall another incident when after it failed at the Paddington barrier I then tried to use it in the main underground ticket hall barriers at Paddington.  Sure enough it failed (as expected) but the member of staff stood nearby as I tried the barrier commented at the time that it's very strange as my ticket's magnetic strip is reporting as blank.

Boppy.

[ChrisB]

I believe that the Pad barriers write to your ticket so that it knows you've passed through & to prevent you leding it to someone else to open the barriers. I think it can't be used again within 20 minutes - maybe that 'write' is failing?

[Tim]

... are you sure that is how it works. I assumed that the barriers just put your ticket number in a database so that the barriers knew if you were trying to get through twice.

[SDS]

Time last used is re-coded onto the magstripe of a ticket in the Gatelines.

As for staff passes, they are set up as gate passes and will be allowed through multiple times, however they still get the time coded on to them.

If you swipe a ticket (that has a magstripe still working!!!) on an avantix it will tell you the last time used in a G/L.

[Boppy]

Is this "time last used" re-coding different for the newer Paddington barriers compared to the older ones like at Reading or on the underground?

Cheers,

Boppy.

[eightf48544]

Slightly off the point have you noticed how slow the Padd barriers are compared with LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd).
 
You put the your ticket in it comes out slowly, then  when you remove it the barriers reluctly start to open.

Whereas with LUL it almost spits the ticket out and as soon as you remove it the barriers snap open. They also snap shut very quickly too!

[johoare]

Yes.. That gets me everytime.. I'm just ready to walk through.. then the pause.. then finally they let me through.. I've always wondered why.. Especially since they're really busy and there are always queues behind me..

Maybe they are counting passengers per second/minute and want to reduce the figures? 

[SDS]

Theres prob a Group Standard somewhere or guidance that states the speed of operation.

[devon_metro]

Theres prob a Group Standard somewhere or guidance that states the speed of operation.

That doesn't apply anywhere else? Southampton seemed positvely speedy when I passed through earlier...

[SDS]

That I cant answer, maybe local risk assessment? or maybe they need a major service and cubic havent got around to it yet!

[Boppy]

So of course after complaining about this I then have one of the longest runs (since mid-November) with a ticket before it failed this morning!!!

However it did fail (you guessed it) with the barriers at the end of the platforms at Paddington.  The Error code was 08 followed by 09 as suggested by you SDS Pad.

I'm not sure what this tells us apart form the fact that the initial read goes okay - the barrier then tries to do a write on a ticket just successfully read but this is the part that fails (Error 08).  It then pulls the ticket back in to re-read it and this then fails (Error 09).

I guess the next step would be to check what the information on my ticket now says - is it simply corrupt or has it been blanked (which is what one of the members of staff in the underground station once said had happened to it).  Also if a write fails in a ticket barrier - is this a once only attempt? - i.e. if the machine were to try more than once would the write maybe work second or third time around?

To be honest I'm just interested more than it being a problem - as long as I have several months between the need to get a replacement then that suits me just fine!

Cheers,

Boppy.

[newb]

sorry to bump this but i had the exact same problem. had the ticket for a day and i put it in the paddington barrier (leaving pad) it then spat the ticket out and the barrier changed to 'X' (it was green and entry was allowed when i inserted the ticket)

everytime now i put the ticket in any barrier i get seek assistance which is doing my head in and i cant bothered to cue up for ages to get my ticket replaced.. i guess i'm going to have to as having to show it to someone everytime is annoying.

just to add it seemed to do this.. it kinda seemed to 'have a think' and hold my ticket for a couple of seconds before spitting it back out, that is when the barrier changed to 'X'.

the barrier then tries to do a write on a ticket just successfully read but this is the part that fails (Error 08).  It then pulls the ticket back in to re-read it and this then fails (Error 09).

_{Edit note: Post amended fo fix quote. Chris.}

[Surrey 455]

This happened to me on Friday at Paddington. I left the H+C line at the footbridge barriers, went out and returned about 10 minutes later, putting my ticket in the barrier. It came out, was sucked back in before I could reach it, heard a mechanical crunching sound, it came out again and displayed "Seek Assistance". I didn't think to look at the code displayed. Sure enough trying to use the barriers at Wimbledon today the card was rejected. Have to get a new one tomorrow if it fails at Waterloo.

[standclearplease]

Is it possible to get a staff pass recoded? It would be handy..

Edit: Recoded in the context that mine has been previously 'wiped' and no longer works through the barriers.

[Btline]

I think this thread shows that smart cards are needed urgently for season ticket holders. They would also help by smoothing the flow of passengers through barrier pinch points. It would be possible to have a paper ticket as well, so that guards without readers could check.