to want a better way of paying for buses?

[ButterpieandCheese]

I am sick and tired of having to walk past my nearest bus stop to go to the cashpoint to get cash out, then into a shop to get change, then on to the bus to get a little slip of paper that I have to carry about and not let it get ripped or crumpled or lost with the five million bus tickets in the bottom of my bag.

I also have to know at the beginning of the day exactly what transport I will be taking where, if I will be using the metro, ferry or train at any point, and know the fares for all so I can work out whether to get a single, transfare, day ticket, purple zone, day rover or day explorer. Then I have to work out how much I will travel over the next 7 days and month to work out if I should get a season ticket, and what type.

In short, I am jealous of the Oyster card, but I'm too northern to survive down there for the sake of a more conveinient public transport ticketing system.

Tyne and Wear transport operatives, sort yourselves out, you downtrodden yet plucky inhabitants of a freezing cold land! People have to go into toon to buy brown ale and...er..stotties...and talk about...bridges, boats and coal and that..and...er...have little fishes on dishes and big worms round hills...

(OK, I'm not a Geordie, I'm from Lancashire, where you kind of feel a bit in awe of buses not pulled by horses, but I expect more from places with actual underground trains and ferries)

I do enjoy that Go NE have lumped us in with Newcastle and Gateshead on thier colour coded ticket scheme. Our bins may say Sunderland, but our bus tickets say Newcastle!

(and here ends a post that must make little sense to anyone outside of t+w)

Ha Ha! I love my annual all day all zones blue pass. :) It's my car substitute. May not be as door to door but it's a damn sight cheaper to run. ;)

It cost £860, but I can use it anywhere in Tyne and Wear, on anything. And having it means I can make spontaneous journeys which I wouldn't or couldn't if I had to plan bus fares. I love the flexibility of it.

Just hope I can earn enough to justify one for next year.

I also love that kids with an Under 16/Pop card can get an all day ticket for Tyne & Wear for just £1. I do keep a stash of pound coins for when I have to go on buses with ds in tow. Unfortunately I'll have to start paying for dd too come September.

Along the 207 rout there are ticket machines because the 207 bus isn't allowed to take cash fares due to the amount of drivers being held up.

They are trash they hardly ever work and they tend to just take your money and give you nothing and all you can do if they do that is write down the number of the machine and what time it was and then call TFL who will at some point refund your money (and then walk home).

Everything is a good idea until it comes to this country, then it's a disorganised mess thats left to rot.