Re: [Melb] 27% of ticket machine out of order

[Michael Hendy <little_fish_in_a@bigpond.com>]

Bradley Torr wrote:
> 
> William Pearce <ben_issacs@optusnet.com.au> wrote in article
> <3b247a2b$0$25504$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>...
> >     Fellow Travellers,
> >     What's the position regarding auto ticket m/cs in Sydney? Do they
> there
> > suffer the same problems to the same degree that Melb. does?  From some
> > comments on this site it seems that they do.
> 
> As with all machines, there are occasional problems. However, from my
> extensive experience in travelling the CityRail network and using ticket
> machines, and from reading the complaints about the Melburnian automated
> ticketing system on this newsgroup, I would go so far as to suggest that
> Sydney's ticketing system is a thousand times better than the Melbourne
> system.
> 
> The most common malfunctions with the Sydney ticketing machines at CityRail
> stations are:
> 
> * An uncanny ability of the note acceptors on some machines to keep
> rejecting banknotes even if the banknote is crisp and clean and newly
> circulated, and even if you feed the banknote in the correct direction;

...in which case you crease the note a bit. No 2 machines are the same
like that...
 
> * They only ever give change in coins - so if you're buying a $1.10 ticket
> with a $20 note, you better be prepared for a heavy wallet;

I end up with that at least twice a fortnight.
 
> * Change often runs low and so you need exact change;

Fortunately I usually have exact change...

A little trick with the older TVMs is to stick $1 less than your fare
in, then a $2 coin, 9 times out of 10 you'll get a $1 coin back. Doesn't
work with touch screen TVMs though.
 
> * Sometimes the ticket printing apparatus runs low on ink, making the text
> on the ticket nearly illegible.

...or not printed at all (Try explaining that to a snapper!)
 
> Small fry problems, really. The machines are built like Panzers, they seem
> to be almost vandal proof. If only the same could be said about the rest of
> the CityRail system.....

They're pretty good as far as vandals go, but even they can get
vandalised at places like Casula...
 
> In all my travels, I've never been issued an incorrect ticket, been given
> the wrong change, or had a machine break down on me. Other CityRail
> travellers may well have their own experiences, I can only speak for
> myself.

I've had a TVM break down in my presence... once.

They do (generally) work well though.
 
> Regards
> BT

-- 
Michael Hendy

Webmaster, http://biisetup.cjb.net

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