legov Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 The driver on the bus I had to get today was black and I paid my fare using one of those abolition of slavery commemorative 50p coins. :? I digress but you British still use coins to pay for public transport?! :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 The driver on the bus I had to get today was black and I paid my fare using one of those abolition of slavery commemorative 50p coins. :? I digress but you British still use coins to pay for public transport?! :shock: If David Brent is to be believed you can pay for the bus (or anything else) with postage stamps, not sure if it is in fact true or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 In Birmingham you can ONLY use coins to ride the bus. I think the stamps thing is true though (although, again, not on buses in Birmingham) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 No as in thought you would be using cashless cards or something along that line. Edit: Even **** China uses cashless transactions these days in the bigger cities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 The driver on the bus I had to get today was black and I paid my fare using one of those abolition of slavery commemorative 50p coins. :? I digress but you British still use coins to pay for public transport?! :shock: Sure, what do you do, barter with chickens? (Sorry!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 Our coins are still worth something. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2011 Ah, English buses. There's nothing like being in a queue of people getting onto a bus where the driver has to dish out change to everyone or people have to count coins at the till before everyone can get on One of the best things we did over here was introduce 'exact change only'. You find that most have it ready (funnily enough). And those who don't have exact change simply get a receipt for the surplus which they can then go to the bus HQ to cash in at their leisure. No queues and no doddery old bints holding everyone up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 Most cities here do try to enforce exact change, but people don't like it. Me for one. Especially as they make the fares daft amounts like £2.30. I blame one-man buses. Bring back conductors with tickets machines and a bag of change - and provide some employment opportunities. Might cheer the grumpy drivers up a bit too, if they can be left to get on with driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 That's what it's like in Brum. Exact change only. And if you don't have exact change and pay too much then it's tough shit. When I lived in leeds the buses used to drive me mad in the morning. Took so long for people to get on the sodding bus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Most cities here do try to enforce exact change, but people don't like it. Me for one. Especially as they make the fares daft amounts like £2.30. I blame one-man buses. Bring back conductors with tickets machines and a bag of change - and provide some employment opportunities. Might cheer the grumpy drivers up a bit too, if they can be left to get on with driving. Higher transport costs, lovely. The costs of British public transport in my humble view is already shocking, no need to make it spiral further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2011 That's what it's like in Brum. Exact change only. And if you don't have exact change and pay too much then it's tough shit. Well that's typical half-assed council robbery too. Why not just give a receipt. The M.O. is to save time, not rob people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I last went on a bus 11 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 Give a receipt? About as much chance of that with Leeds bus drivers as "please" and "thank you". They'd go on strike if you suggested it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2011 The machine gives the receipt, not the driver. You drop your fare into a slot at the top of the machine. It falls down and the driver can see via a clear window how much you've put in. He presses the button for your fare and he then pushes the amount for the receipt. You take both and continue on. No please or thank you required Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 **** me, that's clever. I'm moving to Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2011 Har har. Seriously though, don't ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packoman Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hmmm, we don't have that down here in Cork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer1 Posted February 15, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2011 I blame one-man buses. Bring back conductors with tickets machines and a bag of change - and provide some employment opportunities. Might cheer the grumpy drivers up a bit too, if they can be left to get on with driving and chatting up the new clippies. :nod: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 They have the smartcard now in Brum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 The driver on the bus I had to get today was black and I paid my fare using one of those abolition of slavery commemorative 50p coins. :? What I find most incredible here is that 50p was able to buy you a whole fare. Were you travelling a couple yards up the street or something?! The driver on the bus I had to get today was black and I paid my fare using one of those abolition of slavery commemorative 50p coins. :? I digress but you British still use coins to pay for public transport?! :shock: To clear things up my bus fare was £2.50, thats where the use of coins comes in to play. The route was quite short which is why it was cheap. Also it went through some little villages right next to the power station where all the mutants live, I was looking out for a kid playing the Banjo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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