Poetry Thursday - Ode to the Oyster Card by M@

For visitors to London, here's a poetic guide to using the Oyster Card...

Always touch in and always touch out,
When using your contactless card.
Except on a bus, where you only touch in,
Remember: it isn’t that hard.

Always touch in and always touch out,
When seeking a vehicle on rails.
Except on the tram, down old Croydon way,
Where touching out leads to big fails.

Always touch in and always touch out,
But don’t touch a thing in the middle.
Except if you travel through some outer zones,
Where pink readers add to the riddle.

Always touch in and always touch out,
Your card works on all transport modes.
Except for the bikes; to hire one of these,
You must dick around with pin codes.

Always touch in and always touch out,
You don’t need to wait in a line.
Except on the Clippers, where tickets are king,
You’ll need one to ride on the brine.

Always touch in and always touch out,
You’ll soon reach your maximum cap.
Except on the Javelin, Dangleway and Clippers,
Who’ll all give your wallet a slap.

Always touch in and always touch out,
You’ll find you can board any train.
Except for the grouchy old Heathrow Express,
Conformity is such a pain.

Always touch in and always touch out,
For Oyster is now here to stay,
Except that we’re shifting to contactless cards,
And the hipsters all use Apple Pay.

Words by M@. Image by Matthew Gidley in the Londonist Flickr pool.