In message <tb46jv$g602$2@dont-email.me>, at 17:51:59 on Mon, 18 Jul
2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>> In message <tb0njb$3ncss$2@dont-email.me>, at 10:17:15 on Sun, 17 Jul
>> 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> In message <cdi2dhdl5hcm8fa3egfcbsl26frm8hq9rb@4ax.com>, at 12:44:24 on
>>>> Fri, 15 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>
>>>>> These days, many Americans would just automatically fire up the Uber
>>>>> app.
>>>>
>>>> We know there's a holding area for black cabs at the airport. Is there
>>>> an equivalent for Ubers, and if not where do they "hover" waiting for a
>>>> fare? Do they charge a supplement for picking up at the airport.

******* Ubers *******

>>> Yes, airport pickups incur a surcharge, just as drop-offs do, as the
>>> drivers have to pay the airport in both cases.
>>
>> They pay the airport the whole surcharge?
>
>Oh, Roland.

A good example of a content-less posting.

>>>> Later... I've found an answer for the first question, there's a
>>>> designated first-in first-out queuing area just north of the tunnels. A
>>>> bit of drive from T4, but there we are.
>>>
>>> PHVs aren't booked on a first-in first-out queuing system, and the AVA is a
>>> bit more than that. I might ask the chauffeur about the AVA on the journey
>>> to the airport next week.
>>
>> A good idea, my information is from the Heathrow website *this week*...
>>
>>> <https://www.thechauffeur.com/complete-guide-to-heathrow-licensed-parkin
>>> g-area/>
>>>
>>> Sustainable Travel Manager for Heathrow Airport, Theo Panayi announced the
>>> ‘Authorised Vehicle Area’ (AVA) will be open to the industry on 15th
>>>June
>>> 2016 and will cost only £1 per hour for those staying up to 5 hours, with a
>>> maximum stay of 12 hours.
>>
>> ...not a third party website from six years ago.
>>
>
>Can I introduce you to the novel concept of 'search engines'?
>
><https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/by-taxi-or-mini-
>cab/authorised-vehicle-area>

Wich bit of that haystack confirms or denies the Uber
first-come-first-served policy?

Or perhaps Uber's own site:

Pickups at LHR
How pickups work

It's easy to receive trip confirmation from riders leaving the
airport. However, these trips work a little differently than others.
To receive a trip confirmation at LHR, you need to enter Heathrow's
Authorised Vehicle Area (AVA), where you will be placed in the queue
to receive a pickup confirmation from the airport.

Here’s how it works:

Drive into the dedicated waiting area located at the AVA, post code:
TW6 2EQ. You'll be placed in the queue for the next pickup. Pickups
work on a first-come, first-served basis
*********** AHEM ************
Once you receive a trip confirmation, follow the in-app directions
to the Short Stay Car Park and the designated pickup row.
After parking your car, meet your rider on foot at the designated
pickup area
--
Roland Perry

In message <4r18dhdr8pbf3ld65cobek8q198aqfskab@4ax.com>, at 14:01:28 on
Sun, 17 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>On Sun, 17 Jul 2022 09:45:40 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>In message <taphqi$1hg8$1@gal.iecc.com>, at 16:55:46 on Thu, 14 Jul
>>2022, John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> remarked:
>>>According to Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>:
>>>>>Arguably, there would have been a greater modal transfer if BAA had simply
>>>>>made the tunnels and stations available for BR or TfL to use, just as
>>>>>there's been a much greater modal transfer to the Tube.
>>>>
>>>>It met the required modal shift, without prejudicing the commercial
>>>>targets to repay sufficient of the construction costs.
>>>>
>>>>Modal shift to the Tube is a completely different issue, because the
>>>>target market for the tube and HEx don't overlap at all.
>>>
>>>While I agree that the markets are fairly different, NEx does have a £5.50
>>>90 day advance purchase which happens to be the same as the tube fare.
>>
>>The pricing model has changed over the years, and when HEx was built,
>>advance purchase fares of any kind on the railways weren't common. There
>>were a few, typically named APEX (after whatever that stood for in the
>>airline world).
>>
>>Twenty years on from when HEx started, we shouldn't be thinking that ten
>>years before that, when they planned the business model, they expected
>>to have that price point available in 2022.
>>
>>>Maybe they figure it's free money, tickets sold to people who would
>>>never ride HEx otherwise, or some kind of perverse marketing to
>>>persuade people that it's their own fault for not booking ahead,
>>
>>It could be simply to be able to give the impression "it's not as
>>expensive as you think it is". Airlines have done similar things with
>>"seat sales", although there probably wasn't much availability of the £1
>>tickets.
>>
>>>but they have some interest in the price sensitive market.
>>
>>Presumably you don't have to specify the *time* of travel, just the
>>date?
>
>I've now checked, and that's correct: you just book a 'Fixed Date
>Single Advance' ticket for a date, not a particular train ('Fixed Date
>Single Advance tickets are valid for travel anytime of the day').
>
>But you wouldn't like them: "Fixed Date Single Advance tickets are only
>available as e-tickets or mobile tickets"

That has the advantage for a traveller, of avoiding them having to
grapple with a TVM to collect a TOD paper ticket.

However, the concept of "e-ticket" includes being able to print them
out, and I think that's what I'd do, especially given the minimum
90-days-in-advance stipulation, and unless they are compatible with one
or other "wallet" [the App description hints at a proprietary in-app
wallet, as well as a PDF] a 90-day-ago m-ticket hidden in my email
doesn't really work for me.

From NRES:

mTicket

An mTicket is a train ticket held on your mobile device in a rail
travel app. Just download one of the free apps and purchase a ticket
online for participating stations.

eTicket

An eTicket is purchased online and is emailed to you; you can then
either scan the barcode on your phone at the gates or print the
ticket out and scan it at the gates.

I do wish people would stick to a common nomenclature, in just one
posting here we have:

eTicket/e-Ticket;

mTicket/mobile ticket/m-ticket

Hang on while I check the wallet situation (naturally I have the app on
my phone).

Lo and behold:

Our shiny new app is now available via the app store. This app{1} will
no longer work on your mobile device so please delete this app.

{1} By which I'm sure they mean the old app, not the shiny new one.
Although I have seen apps like his where the new version objects to the
phone, so in fact you *can't* carry on using the new app after all. I
wonder what happens m-tickets in a wallet in those circumstances? This
is the sort of thing which makes me *very* wary of new-fangled
ticketing, that you simply can't guarantee it will be there when you
need it.

The app gets typical Marmite reviews. If it works people like it, but
too many say it simply doesn't work (forgets config info, throws away
tickets and so on)
--
Roland Perry

In message <tapc9i$2obvo$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:21:22 on Thu, 14 Jul
2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>> In message <ic1ochhd0r54pnb8eitp7tusgj9ubisi40@4ax.com>, at 12:19:28 on
>> Mon, 11 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>> On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:58:38 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> In message <tag169$1jpjr$1@dont-email.me>, at 02:16:41 on Mon, 11 Jul
>>>> 2022, Anna Noyd-Dryver <anna@noyd-dryver.com> remarked:
>>>>> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>> On 10/07/2022 12:09, Recliner wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 11:42:44 +0100, Roland Perry
>>>>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In message <t9n4v3$2a1ot$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:47:47 on Fri, 1 Jul
>>>>>>>>> 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> In message <ik2ubht4h1r0ta2pkkft07p97ehfftoni5@4ax.com>, at
>>>>>>>>>>> 15:56:34 on
>>>>>>>>>>> Fri, 1 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, 1 Jul 2022 15:20:46 +0100, Roland Perry
>>>>>>>>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> In message <r4vtbhd6kb09p124qr0kqqn94jemiinb1b@4ax.com>, at
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 14:57:12 on
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fri, 1 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, 1 Jul 2022 14:45:14 +0100, Roland Perry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In message <qqttbhd7u6puardojrhpf5tlb7gssudsq5@4ax.com>, at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 14:38:26 on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fri, 1 Jul 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, 1 Jul 2022 14:20:53 +0100, Roland Perry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In message <t9c9p0$gi6t$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:02:24 on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2022, Anna Noyd-Dryver <anna@noyd-dryver.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The thing about travel insurance (of which this is a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is that it looks at the percentage of times a claim
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> might need paying out. Not a good look for them to in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> effect be saying what some travellers would interpret as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Why not try our basket case way of getting to the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So far we've identified two out of how many equivalent
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> services worldwide who do offer it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That implies that it's not very popular (perhaps because
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> never thought of it' or 'we consider it so unlikely to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ever occur that it's not even worth writing it down').
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If delays are so unlikely to happen, then why not offer it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anyway, because passengers will be reassured (at very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> little cost to the train operator).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I think delays on that line are all too likely, and the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cost of refunds for a single delay could amount to hundreds
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of thousands of pounds (or more). Remember that a problem
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> on the GWML line could stop a number of successive services
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> resulting from the promise would have no chance of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> covering such costs.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> People need to be delayed so much that despite setting out
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in plenty of time (one of the conditions) they still missed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the flight. You aren't doing a very good PR job here.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm simply explaining why HAL couldn't take the risk of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> making such a rash promise (unless it had a deal where the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cost of refunds would be largely underwritten by NR and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GWR, meaning the DfT).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You're the one constantly trying to promote HEx.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure I'm promoting it (because my audience here is
>>>>>>>>>>>>> otherwise taking taxis from Heathrow to Central London).
>>>>>>>>>>>>> explaining why tens of millions of people have decided to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> And without HAL building the line, do you think Crossrail
>>>>>>>>>>>>>would have bored all the way to Heathrow and built the stations there?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> HAL didn't bore all the way. It only constructed the tunnels
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> airport, and the airport stations,
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> And do you think Crossrail would have done that instead?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> as it was obliged to do. Most of the route uses the
>>>>>>>>>>>>existing GWML and platforms in Paddington station.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On what planet do you think anyone believes there are HAL
>>>>>>>>>>>tunnels all
>>>>>>>>>>> the way from the airport to Paddington?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> You, apparently: "do you think Crossrail would have bored all
>>>>>>>>>> the way to Heathrow and built the stations there?"
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Bored all the way from Airport Junction obviously.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Obviously not. BAA was obliged to build the tunnels and airport
>>>>>>>>stations.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What tunnels are there between Airport Junction and Paddington?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oddly enough, there is one, and it was built for Crossrail. It's
>>>>>>been open
>>>>>> for several years, but I went through it for the first time quite
>>>>>>recently.
>>>>>
>>>>> Between Airport Junction and Paddington? Not yet you didn't.
>>>>
>>>> Ignore him, he's being deliberately obtuse. The question is only about
>>>> the tunnels/stations under the airport itself.
>>>
>>> Not the way you phrased your question: "do you think Crossrail would
>>> have bored all the way to Heathrow and built the stations there?"
>>
>> The only bit they could ever have needed to bore was under the airport.
>> You really are flogging one of the more long-deceased horses here.
>>
>>>> Interestingly, HS2 has been noticeably airport-tunnel averse,
>> ********************************
>>
>> Read that, then read it again!

On Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:49:03 -0000 (UTC), Anna Noyd-Dryver
<anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:

>I tend to end up having generic conversations with people who clearly know
>me because they greet me by name, and I have literally no idea who they
>are. This isn't a new thing, I first really noticed it at uni, 30 years
>ago.

I've found this more and more as I get older.

One issue of being a train driver was the transient nature of the job
- you see many faces on a day to day basis but often never get the
chance to match up the names (except you hear certain names frequently
in conversations for some reason) so most people just become 'errrr,
hello mate'!

On Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:01:33 -0000 (UTC), Anna Noyd-Dryver
<anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:

>> There's all kinds of reasons for that, to do with the demographics of
>> the users, who carries the risk of fraud, and so on. And of course you
>> sign into the phone first which adds a layer of security, and maybe
>> notice sooner if it's lost or stolen.
>>
>
>Nothing to do with demographics. 100% related to the fact that your phone
>confirms your ID (usually biometric). Therefore never a need to enter your
>pin at the terminal to confirm your contactless payment.

And no £100 limit on contactless either.

On Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:11:52 -0000 (UTC), John Levine
<johnl@taugh.com> wrote:

>>>These days with contactless it's chip+neither. It's been quite a while since
>>>I've been asked to provide either a PIN or a signature at the till other than
>>>at the pharmacy where I think it's a regulatory thing, they want a record of
>>>who's buying the drugs.
>>
>>If your card is lost or stolen, does the bank have a no-quibble refund
>>policy for subsequent contactless transactions?
>
>Yes. US law limits customer liability to $50 but in practice banks make it zero.
>
>It's all baked into their fraud model. If you use a card in a way that is
>very different from your usual pattern, it's likely to be declined, e.g., you
>nornally buy groceries, and suddenly you're buying two wide screen televisions.

When we were over there a few weeks ago, I was amazed how many vendors
required a signature with Apple pay.

After all, theres nothing to verify!

On the plus side, we used virtually no hand money in 3 weeks.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2022 18:31:00 -0000 (UTC), John Levine
<johnl@taugh.com> wrote:

>My local supermarket has a phone app that uses the phone's camera to
>scan the barcodes as I shop and put stuff in my bag. When I weigh veg,
>the scale shows a barcode I can scan, so I don't need to print a label
>or even to use a separate bag. When I get to the self-serve till, the
>app scans a barcode on the till's screen which then transfers the list
>to the till, and lets me finish there. The app only works when
>connected to the store's wifi which I imagine avoids a range of
>naughtiness.
>
>It's great, time at the till is usually under a minute. The app is
>Toshiba branded. Do they not have it where you are?
>
>My main complaint is that the supermarket has a separate shopping list
>app so I have to switch back and forth. That app sorts the list by
>aisle so I can make one pass through the store.

Ours (Sainsbury's) has a similar system. I prefer to use their
hand-held scanners though as their app doesn't stop my phone going to
sleep between items.

London calling <sf@london.london> wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:49:03 -0000 (UTC), Anna Noyd-Dryver
> <anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:
>
>> I tend to end up having generic conversations with people who clearly know
>> me because they greet me by name, and I have literally no idea who they
>> are. This isn't a new thing, I first really noticed it at uni, 30 years
>> ago.
>
> I've found this more and more as I get older.
>
> One issue of being a train driver was the transient nature of the job
> - you see many faces on a day to day basis but often never get the
> chance to match up the names (except you hear certain names frequently
> in conversations for some reason) so most people just become 'errrr,
> hello mate'!
>

Oh yes, "Alright mate" has been such a useful phrase over the years!

Anna Noyd-Dryver

Anna Noyd-Dryver <anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:
> London calling <sf@london.london> wrote:
>> On Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:49:03 -0000 (UTC), Anna Noyd-Dryver
>> <anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I tend to end up having generic conversations with people who clearly know
>>> me because they greet me by name, and I have literally no idea who they
>>> are. This isn't a new thing, I first really noticed it at uni, 30 years
>>> ago.
>>
>> I've found this more and more as I get older.
>>
>> One issue of being a train driver was the transient nature of the job
>> - you see many faces on a day to day basis but often never get the
>> chance to match up the names (except you hear certain names frequently
>> in conversations for some reason) so most people just become 'errrr,
>> hello mate'!
>>
>
> Oh yes, "Alright mate" has been such a useful phrase over the years!

Same in an open plan office where you share a floor with 3 other teams,
only one of which you work directly with. Mind you, some of them did start
putting their names on the desk dividers.

Sam

--
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