Re: [NSW] CityRail Ticketing (longish)

["Michael" <mpfeiffer@iprimus.com.au>]

I always assumed that when it said it could only give up to $19.90 in change
it meant exactly that. It could give back $19.90 per transaction. If the
fare was $20.10 (heaven forbid) and you put two twentys in it would give you
$19.90 back in change (coins of course.)

I might be mistaken.

Michael

"GLEN STEPHEN REYNOLDS" <glen1079@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:pY9r6.13685$v5.59069@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
>
> "Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> news:3aac1137$0$25466$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > Two events have happened lately that really have made me think twice
about
> > using CityRail trains.
> >
> > Firstly, I rocked up at Thornton the other day and went to the window to
> get
> > my ticket (only had a $50 note and didn't want 23 $2 coins in my
pocket).
> The
> > guy tells me that tickets are only sold at the machine, but changed the
> note
> > for me no problems.  A couple of days later, same station, same problem,
> go to
> > the window to change it, and the guy bites my head off, saying "By
railway
> > law, you've got to carry as close to the exact fare as possible."  Now,
is
> > that true?  Secondly, why are they all helpful one day, then treat you
> like
> > shit the next? After all, I'm only trying to do the right thing, and BUY
A
> > TICKET.  I can't remember if it was the same guy or not (the impression
I
> got
> > was that the guy was just being lazy and didn't want to have to add up
50
> with
> > 5s, 10s and 20s).  Finally, why can't the ticket machines give change
back
> in
> > notes?  It can't be that hard to do.
> >
> > Secondly, yesterday me and the better half decided to go down to Sydney
> for
> > the day.  Go to Morisset, and ask for a return to Cowan and a
Daytripper.
> The
> > woman behind the window tells me that she can't sell two tickets at
once,
> it's
> > against railway law to carry two valid tickets at once, they've been
> > blackbanned and taken off their computers.  Now what the hell was this
all
> > about?  As a result, we had to get off at Hornsby, get the Daytripper
> there,
> > and wait for the next train to the city.  Nice work CityRail, don't make
> life
> > convenient for your customers, but put them through the ringer.  The
point
> I
> > can't see is how the two tickets are both valid for the same area?  The
> > Daytripper's boundary is Cowan, and all we wanted to do was get to that
> > boundary.  Again, only trying to BUY A TICKET.  Of course, I should have
> > realised that being able to get a return and a Daytripper at once was
too
> > convenient, so it had to go.
> >
> > For all that, both times, seeings as we were never asked for our
tickets,
> it
> > would have been easier and cheaper to go without.... think about it.
> >
> > --
> > Al Pout
> >
> > No matter where you go, there you are
> >
> > I arrived at the Sydney Domestic Airport on Friday with my wife and had
to
> wait 22 minutes to buy a Day Tripper because they only have one line for
> manual transactions.The line was around 20 long. The majority of
passengers
> wanted information on the Sydney Transport System.The ticket machines do
not
> sell Daytripper Tickets.I listened to three trains depart while we waited
in
> line.I feel that they should have more ticket windows opened. When it was
> time to fly home to Brisbane the ticket window at Sydney Terminal had one
> booth open with a line of approx 15 people.So we went to use one of  two
> ticket machines but it would not accept $20 notes a message came up it
could
> only give change to a maximum $19.90.So we tried the other machine but the
> Domestic Terminal key would not register.So I got the a City Rail staff
> member to show me what I was doing wrong.Nothing the machines were
faulty.I
> walked down stairs and bought our tickets from a man behind the
counter.Come
> on City Rail the Olympics are gone but you still need to look after the
> tourists.
> Glen Reynolds
> tenglen79@hotmail.com
> These comments are those of the author.
>
>