7 April, 2004

We know where you've been

Transport for London operates the Oyster card, a prepayment system for travel on the London Underground ('tube'), buses, trams and 'surface' rail within London.  Not a bad idea, but....

In recharging his Oyster card, Tintil discovered that the card contains a complete record of every bus and tube trip he's made, including the time and date of the journey.  Oyster cards are registered to the individual, so this travel log can be readily linked to his name, address, even his bank details.

So if it's on the card, where else might it be recorded?  Who has access to this information?  Why?

Needless to say, if I was in London, I'd still be buying individual tickets, anonymously, with cash.