The cheaper way of commuting

roundasapound · Post by **roundasapound** » 13 Jul 2008 09:50

Hi

IMO logic would state that if you have a season ticket from London Bridge to London Victoria to use on the railway, there are 2 routes to take:

1) London Bridge via Peckham Rye to Victoria
2) London Bridge via Forest Hill and Crystal Palace to Victoria

These routes go through zones 1-3-1. In effect going almost in a circle. As the journey on the ticket starts and ends in London there are no exceptions to the route.

Travelcards state zones because you can use different modes of transport i.e DLR, bus, tube, overground, tram, train. Whereas season ticket you are using only one form of public transport.

They cannot penalise you if you get off inbetween. You do not have to get off at the exact stop at the end of the journey.

So no breaking the rules. It's like having a ticket to go from Sydenham to Leatherhead and getting off at Sutton, it may not work in the barrier but they'd have to let you through (I've done this) as the ticket covers the whole journey.

And I think those banging on about ripping off the railway are just over reacting, GET A GRIP! People aren't talking about not having a valid ticket for the journey. It's not fare evasion

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 13 Jul 2008 09:56

finding legal cheaper ways to travel is called common sense.

Its like booking tickets online or in advance to get discounts of up to 90% in some cases....

digime2007 · Post by **digime2007** » 30 Jul 2008 12:47

If you don't fancy Besonby's cunning plan you can still increase the flexibility of your ticket. Just make sure the destination is specified as London Terminals and not London Bridge.

This should cost the same and means you can travel from Sydenham to London Bridge, London Victoria or Charing Cross. Maybe others too, Besonby?

Also Besonby - given your proposed money saving ticket - do you think you could travel legally from Sydenham to London Bridge if the Victoria -> London Bridge service wasn't running? On a Sunday for example, or early morning.

Weeble · Post by **Weeble** » 30 Jul 2008 16:03

Howard Staunton wrote:An accountant would be prosecuted for encouraging tax evasion. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is a different matter. If one can travel by a cheaper method without breaking the ticket restrictions that seems OK to me.

Well that's it exactly - it's exploiting a loophole. Stations on the loop line are peculiar quirk of the system (in that both ends of the line are London terminals).

I wouldn't really equate it to buying advance purchase rail tickets, because the rail companies actually intend people to purchase those tickets - whereas they clearly don't intend people travelling from Sydenham on a regular basis to be able to use a ticket from New Cross Gate.

I think bensonby is probably right but I wouldn't want to be the guinea pig to test the system! If think if Southern are reading this they'd probably be consulting their lawyers, as if this gained populatary they would stand to lose a heap of revenue. For that reason I'd imagine they would make an example of anyone exploiting the loophole if they thought the law was on their side!

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 30 Jul 2008 16:26

digime2007 wrote:Also Besonby - given your proposed money saving ticket - do you think you could travel legally from Sydenham to London Bridge if the Victoria -> London Bridge service wasn't running? On a Sunday for example, or early morning.

Probably not. That's why I quoted those specific trains at the end of my post at the start.

digime2007 · Post by **digime2007** » 31 Jul 2008 12:29

So there you have it. It's a cheaper ticket but limits when you can travel. Makes sense. I'm sure Southern are quite happy with this trade off. Cheaper prices and less flexability go hand in hand.

They make the rules and set the prices. Ticket use on rail loops might seem strange but you'd be naive to think they are not quite aware of these peculiarities.

For example, if you buy a season ticket on the Southern website and say you want to go from Sydenham to London Bridge it automatically substitutes London Terminals for London Bridge. Meaning they are not only aware that an A->B ticket can ALSO be used to go from A->C but are happy for it to be used in this way.

Big businesses are constantly trying to take us for every penny they can get and it's the consumer's responsibility to see through the flannel and get the best deals they can. Nothing illegal in that at all. There's a whole website - www.moneysavingexpert.com - devoted to this and not a lawyer in site.

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 31 Jul 2008 12:47

digime2007 wrote:So there you have it. It's a cheaper ticket but limits when you can travel. Makes sense. I'm sure Southern are quite happy with this trade off. Cheaper prices and less flexability go hand in hand.

They make the rules and set the prices. Ticket use on rail loops might seem strange but you'd be naive to think they are not quite aware of these peculiarities.

For example, if you buy a season ticket on the Southern website and say you want to go from Sydenham to London Bridge it automatically substitutes London Terminals for London Bridge. Meaning they are not only aware that an A->B ticket can ALSO be used to go from A->C but are happy for it to be used in this way.

Big businesses are constantly trying to take us for every penny they can get and it's the consumer's responsibility to see through the flannel and get the best deals they can. Nothing illegal in that at all. There's a whole website - www.moneysavingexpert.com - devoted to this and not a lawyer in site.

absolutely!

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 8 Aug 2008 14:42

Just a quick update, I've just ordered my next season ticket online... London Bridge - London Victoria - Starting on the 1st of Sept. for a month. I'll let you knwo how I get on!

I'm anticipating a little bit of an argument at the barriers! I'll be sure to get myself a nice glossy copy of the terms and conditions of carriage!

digime2007 · Post by **digime2007** » 8 Aug 2008 15:03

Recently it seems like the ticket inspectors have given up both at Sydenham and Forest Hill.

They seem to let people through without looking at the tickets properly. At Forest Hill I've seen people walk though without even showing a ticket! Noone challenged them at all.

roundasapound · Post by **roundasapound** » 8 Aug 2008 16:17

good on you bensonby

I wish my journey enabled me to by this ticket because I'd be right there with you.

I'd rather argue with the staff at Sydenham than have to travel from Lower Sydenham using Southeastern and get on the DLR

Let us know how you get on, you will be the bane of their existence

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 21 Aug 2008 09:34

it appears the railway gods are conspiring against me!

I ordered the ticket and it didn't turn up and I wasn't charged... I rang and they took my details again but still nothing happened! I rang again just now and they havn't processed the ticket! Looks like I'm going to have to buy it at the station!

I'll keep you all posted....monday week is when I need a new ticket.

(on that note, I'm actually going on holiday for a week in mid-september....does anyone know if there is a way of saving money on the week that I won't use?)

lambchops · Post by **lambchops** » 21 Aug 2008 10:58

yeah.

stay indoors and subsist on beans and toast.

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 21 Aug 2008 12:23

I asked for that didn't I?

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 1 Sep 2008 08:49

so there we have it...today was the first day I used my new ticket.

It didn't work in the barriers at Sydenham for some strange reason, but the woman just looked at the ticket and let me through without a word.

I won't claim complete victory until I've beern through a few times.

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The cheaper way of commuting