Changeless bus passenger denied boarding

Walter Briscoe wrote:
> On Sunday morning, about 08.00,I was on a 21 to Lewisham at London
> Bridge/Monument. A passenger boarded and tried to pay with a twenty
> pound note. The driver had no change and nor did other passengers. The
> passenger was made to get off the bus. I was horrified and complained,
> this morning, at 0845 300 7000. The stop is not "Pay before you board".
> It seems the operator should have issued a pay later chit.
> I have never seen this happen before; it would not have affected me as I
> use an auto-topped Oyster.

My father was an LT driver back in the 70s and 80s and they were told
that they were under no obligation to give change at all although they
should always try to do so.

Roy

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0809151945440.12470@urchin.earth.li >,
twic@urchin.earth.li (Tom Anderson) wrote:

> The problem is that
> cash comes in doses of 10 or 20 pounds, as notes. You cannot get
> money from a cash machine in any smaller quantity.

Er, I regularly get cash in £5 notes from a cash machine (in Cambridge).

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Sep 15, 3:02 pm, Simon <bouncinga...@> wrote:
> Shopkeepers are the bus companies bankers? They are paid by the bus
> company for this service? The shop is open even if it exists?
> Perhaps the bus company should give the drivers a reasonable float,
> after all they do trust them with cash.

I'm not saying buses should never give change but expecting a driver
to have enough change for 20 quid is perhaps optimistic. besides
which , its bloody annoying for the other passengers waiting trying to
board if the driver has to root around for loads of shrapnel because
some wally wants to pay with a large denomination note. If you think
I'm being unreasonable then go into a corner shop and see the reaction
you get if you try and buy a mars bar with a 50 quid note.

B2003

On Sep 15, 7:52 pm, Tom Anderson <t...@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> This is, to my mind, a major hole in the payment arrangements for the
> buses, and i believe i've ranted about this before. The problem is that
> cash comes in doses of 10 or 20 pounds, as notes. You cannot get money
> from a cash machine in any smaller quantity. Bus drivers may refuse these,
> and you certainly can't use them in the little ticket machines at stops.
> Thus, if you're not near an open shop, whether because you're somewhere
> remote or it's late, you're a bit stuffed.

If someone has a high value note and no change (though to be honest
how many people knowing they're going to catch a bus later wouldn't
make sure they had some pound coins on them?) and the bus driver has
no change he should have the option to issue tickets for however many
journeys the note would pay for. The passenger can then either hand
over the whole note or get off and walk.

B2003

On Sep 16, 1:41 am, rosenst...@cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0809151945440.12...@urchin.earth.li >,
>
> t...@urchin.earth.li (Tom Anderson) wrote:
> > The problem is that
> > cash comes in doses of 10 or 20 pounds, as notes. You cannot get
> > money from a cash machine in any smaller quantity.
>
> Er, I regularly get cash in £5 notes from a cash machine (in Cambridge)..


There's one in Russell Square that gives fivers as well. It's been
suggested that it has something to do with proximity to students, but
if so it's not consistent.

Boltar wrote:

> If you think
> I'm being unreasonable then go into a corner shop and see the reaction
> you get if you try and buy a mars bar with a 50 quid note.

Isn't there an actual law that allows retailers the ability to refuse
payment if offered in too high a denomination?

Tom Anderson wrote:

> This is, to my mind, a major hole in the payment arrangements for the
> buses, and i believe i've ranted about this before. The problem is that
> cash comes in doses of 10 or 20 pounds, as notes. You cannot get money
> from a cash machine in any smaller quantity.

Even today I still sometimes get £5 notes out of some HSBC branch machines.
It's not consistent though.

On Sep 16, 12:50 pm, "Tim Roll-Pickering" <T.C.Roll-
Picker...@qmul.ac.uk> wrote:
> Boltar wrote:
> > If you think
> > I'm being unreasonable then go into a corner shop and see the reaction
> > you get if you try and buy a mars bar with a 50 quid note.
>
> Isn't there an actual law that allows retailers the ability to refuse
> payment if offered in too high a denomination?

I thought it was the other way round, eg paying £150 in 2p coins.

In message <6j9krsF24gp9U1@mid.>, at 12:50:18 on Tue, 16
Sep 2008, Tim Roll-Pickering <T.C.Roll-Pickering@qmul.ac.uk> remarked:
>> If you think
>> I'm being unreasonable then go into a corner shop and see the reaction
>> you get if you try and buy a mars bar with a 50 quid note.
>
>Isn't there an actual law that allows retailers the ability to refuse
>payment if offered in too high a denomination?

They don't have to give change, and most of the time can refuse to do
the transaction if sensible payment isn't offered. It gets a bit blurred
in the public imagination when the retailer is a "public service" (sic).
--
Roland Perry

MIG wrote in message
2e959d3f-b3cf-4307-a582-60acdc217683...oglegro:

> On Sep 16, 1:41 am, rosenst...@cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0809151945440.12...@urchin.earth.li >,
>>
>> t...@urchin.earth.li (Tom Anderson) wrote:
>>> The problem is that
>>> cash comes in doses of 10 or 20 pounds, as notes. You cannot get
>>> money from a cash machine in any smaller quantity.
>>
>> Er, I regularly get cash in £5 notes from a cash machine (in
>> Cambridge).
>
>
> There's one in Russell Square that gives fivers as well. It's been
> suggested that it has something to do with proximity to students, but
> if so it's not consistent.

Most (all?) NatWest cashpoints allow you to withdraw cash in multiples of
£10 and this is dispensed as £10 notes - and for larger sums, often in £20
notes with just the remaining £10 (if any) as a £10 note. I've not seen a
cashpoint dispense £5 notes for many many years.