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MasterCard Offers Apple Pay Users Free Public Transit in London Starting Today
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Sorry Mate, dire service compared to the Tube. I live in Boston, but travel back "home" to London about once a year. I love riding the Tube, hate the T. Both are heavily unionized so I'm not sure why one is so much better than the other. I personally find the Tube staff very helpful and friendly, sadly, can't say the same for T staff!
You've heard of the New York minute? Welcome to the London second... it is the time you've got to get through the ticket gates before people behind you start complaining!
It'd be easier on the Apple Watch than it would the iPhone; double click of the home button on the Watch. Unless you're feeling really brave and carrying your expensive smartphone around in your hands at crush hour!
You've heard of the New York minute? Welcome to the London second... it is the time you've got to get through the ticket gates before people behind you start complaining!
That and not making eye contact/conversation with the stranger sat next to you, haha.
As a Londoner, I get frequently annoyed by tourists in London. It's a city where everyone is very busy, and for me, I may have a couple of minutes to spare between meetings on other sides of the city.
Tourists seem to forget that London is a city with regular people going about their business. Especially at some touristy stations (Tower hill, which also is a massive commuter change point), it gets really bad. People don't know which way they're going, so stop at the barrier, or even worse, the stairs, to look where to go. Or they go through the barrier and stop, causing me (behind them) to get caught in the barrier. Or they stand on the left of escalators. That's REALLY annoying. Some of us don't have the few minutes spare to wait while you stand two-by-two having a chat on the escalators!!!!
/rant
The only city that is technologically capable of doing something like this is CTA in Chicago. Our subways in NYC don't have contactless yet. While our subways are great for getting anywhere in the 5 boroughs, the MTA's refusal to enter this century on payment technology is hilarious. Maybe by the time 2nd Ave subway gets built. lololol.
Well that's disheartening. I've always enjoyed visiting London, been a tourist there about four times. Sad to know my presence is so unwanted!As a Londoner, I get frequently annoyed by tourists in London. It's a city where everyone is very busy, and for me, I may have a couple of minutes to spare between meetings on other sides of the city.
Tourists seem to forget that London is a city with regular people going about their business. Especially at some touristy stations (Tower hill, which also is a massive commuter change point), it gets really bad. People don't know which way they're going, so stop at the barrier, or even worse, the stairs, to look where to go. Or they go through the barrier and stop, causing me (behind them) to get caught in the barrier. Or they stand on the left of escalators. That's REALLY annoying. Some of us don't have the few minutes spare to wait while you stand two-by-two having a chat on the escalators!!!!
/rant
As a Londoner, I get frequently annoyed by tourists in London. It's a city where everyone is very busy, and for me, I may have a couple of minutes to spare between meetings on other sides of the city.
Tourists seem to forget that London is a city with regular people going about their business. Especially at some touristy stations (Tower hill, which also is a massive commuter change point), it gets really bad. People don't know which way they're going, so stop at the barrier, or even worse, the stairs, to look where to go. Or they go through the barrier and stop, causing me (behind them) to get caught in the barrier. Or they stand on the left of escalators. That's REALLY annoying. Some of us don't have the few minutes spare to wait while you stand two-by-two having a chat on the escalators!!!!
/rant
Same issues in NYC. It's part of living in an iconic city. But I do wish there were "fast" lanes for residents and hearty fines for blocking turnstiles and stairs. Also for blocking the door when people are trying to get off it! (<-- applies to residents as well.)
I would like for these to be required study on the plane for tourists:
How to Survive in New York
Johnny T's Subway Tips
The tunnel they started today is only going to Battersea Power Station not the Atlantic unless Boris made a mistake while surveying the route
NFC is not as fast as Oyster when it comes to "from tap to walk through" process.
While I do not have metrics to support my claim, I suspect that most Londoners have at least one contactless card by now. As such, they are probably well aware how it works. But NFC, whether through a contactless debit/credit card or phone is still physically slower than Oyster.
You clearly have no idea how London works, so please stay away. And while people may be saving money, those who don't have a MasterCard and an iDevice aren't.
Not quite the same chip, Oyster cards have RFID and NFC is a subset of the RFID family. Close, but not the same.
At busy stations, during rush hour, when queues for some gates -- not turnstiles -- are half a dozen or so deep, every additional half a second matters. With Oyster, I can keep walking throughout the motion of touching the yellow reader. With NFC, I have to walk up, touch, wait a bit and then walk through. It definitely disrupts the momentum.
No wonder us Londoners get a bad rep. No need for that.
Yup, people moaning that it's slower than oyster are correct, it is, by about a second, it really makes no appreciable difference. Especially if you've pre authorised it, tap your watch and you're through faster than an Oyster card in most cases.
Might have been a bit harsh but the essence is still true: when in London, do what other Londoners do and how they do it. If I was to live out in the sticks and then go to New York, I may find the way they go about their daily life a bit peculiar, but I would go with the flow and try to blend in, not chastise them for expecting me to behave in a particular manner. When in Rome, do as Romans do.
I mean, I live in Portland and the public transport is amazing. No, it's not like the Tube in London (I've lived there) but Portland's Trimet is still amazing.
I did hear that they are going to raise your taxes (and only yours) to pay for this.
It's a perfect use for Apple Pay. Apple pay is very fast. You just want to find every negative thing you can think of. And why don't you try it before bashing it?
You response is reasonable and intelligent. And completely out of place here where massive negativism, apple bashing, and outright fabrication rules the day.
