Annual taxsaver ticket keeps failing

[Redsoxfan]

My gf has an annual taxsaver ticket through work.

She has had it replaced around 5 times in the last 12 months as far as I can recall.

Any reason why this should keep happening? She keeps it in the IE wallet, away from all her credit and bank cards.

She complained to one to the ticket inspectors in Connolly the last time it happened (2 days previously she had spent 45 minutes of her lunchtime at Dublin Bus having the ticket replaced again), and he said 'not to worry, smart cards are on the way soon'

[Mark Gleeson]

Principle cause of damage is use in the on bus validator which seems to eat tickets up. The bus validators have always given trouble. I know someone who has a bus/rail for about 4 years and only once did it require replacement owing to getting eaten by a validator, then again its rarely used on the bus

The IE smart card is actually out there I've seen it in use by staff

[Colm Donoghue]

I had a rail only ticket that died, and my bus/rail lasted a year.
wife's bus/rail only made it 4.5 months though.


The inspectors have smartcards at Tara alright.

Any word on DB bringing in smartcards for annual/monthly tickets to tie in with these?
Won't IE have to make all turnstiles smartcard enabled?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by colmd

The inspectors have smartcards at Tara alright.

All staff seem to have one, staff at all smartcard enabled stations certainly have (Clontraf, Connolly, Tara, Grand Canal Dock, Lansdowne Rd and Docklands, add Adamstown to that as well). Still looking for a photo

Originally Posted by colmd

Any word on DB bringing in smartcards for annual/monthly tickets to tie in with these?

Ask Martin Cullen, he is sitting on the whole thing

Originally Posted by colmd

Won't IE have to make all turnstiles smartcard enabled?

Tender is out, we have suspicions that certain stations are enabled as well from a past trial

I've heard rumours about Heuston getting turnstiles

[Redsoxfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Principle cause of damage is use in the on bus validator which seems to eat tickets up. The bus validators have always given trouble.

The thing is, she never uses the bus. Only Maynooth and Connolly really.

I noticed a few years ago that when using my travel pass on the bus it stopped working, so I just used to flash it when walking on.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Redsoxfan

I noticed a few years ago that when using my travel pass on the bus it stopped working, so I just used to flash it when walking on.

That works fine on the bus since the driver simply pushes a button on the ticket machine to record you, there is a desk in Connolly for annual ticket holders as well to get you through

[bigjim]

I had a similar problem a few years ago with my monthly tickets, one of the guys at Seapoint suggested that its magnetic strip got close to the other cards in my wallet and corrupted the info on it. Since then I've always kept my train tickets separate from my other cards.

Now I don't know if that was the actual reason, but I haven't had that problem in years.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its very important to note that no matter what type of ticket it is the stripe is rewritten every time it goes through

Now practical tests will show bank cards can take quite a lot of punishment in terms of magnetic sources, I've put through some very very badly damaged ones on a counter swipe and they worked, there is of course a long list of tricks to it

Best advice is to where possible use the newer turnstiles with the black top they seem to be less damaging

I got a monthly ticket swallowed at Dockland on opening day, got it back still works fine.

[Redsoxfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

That works fine on the bus since the driver simply pushes a button on the ticket machine to record you, there is a desk in Connolly for annual ticket holders as well to get you through

Yeah, the problem is more on the Maynooth side where she has to attract the attention of one of the guys behind the counter to get the metal gate opened. This can take time in the mornings if there is a long queue for tickets. I have told her tho go straight to the front and wave the pass, but she isn't as forthright (or as ignorant!) as me.

Just wondering if it's normal, or if there is anything that can be done to 'preserve' the ticket. I'm presuming it is particular to something she does with the ticket as it has been happening too much-I haven't had to have my ticket replaced in well over 2 years and we use the same stations etc.