While we're on the subject of oyster I'll throw my oar in. I've used Oyster since it was first introduce several years ago. Generally speaking I much prefer it to paper tickets due to my semi-regular talent for losing and/or damaging them.

I am however somewhat puzzled by how poorly supported Oyster Extension Permits (OEPs) are across the vast majority of the overland network in London, Forest Hill station included.

For those who don't know what OEPs are (which seems to be most people): they're needed for Oyster card users with monthly or annual season tickets on. Every time you want to travel outside your zones you have to load an OEP onto your oyster so the system can charge you the extension cost. This system just "works" on the underground without messing around with OEPs.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronli...#section-5

I have a 1-3 zone season ticket on my oyster. Recently I attempted to travel to Croydon from Forest Hill so needed to load an OEP on my oyster so I could get there without having to either a) buy a paper ticket or b) getting a penalty fare when I got there.

Foolishly I assumed it would be simple to do so with my oyster card by putting an OEP on it. I discovered the following:

- Forest Hill station ticket office can't load OEPs onto oyster cards (and the staff don't know much about them)!
- Forest Hill station ticket machines can't load OEPs onto oyster cards!
- 2 out of the 3 newsagents with Oyster machines within a 5 minutes walk of the station hadn't even heard of OEPs. (FYI The one that did is on Dartmouth Road past For Your Eyes Only DVD rental next to the old Cafe Jeera).
- No station along the entire London Bridge to Croydon line can load OEPs onto oyster cards (although London Bridge underground can)

I'm struggling to see how this is anything other than a grossly inconvenient and hopelessly under supported way of doing things. It renders having a season ticket on an Oyster card much worse than using either paper tickets or just pre-pay.