The Happy Oyster

Tap! Tap! Tap 'n Go with the Oyster card!
It's one of the things Londoners do. Keep one in your wallet and it makes you feel that the 'world is your oyster'! naa...not really. (you dont' have to believe everything that I say! ;) )

Really what it does is, it allows you to top- up money to travel across all transport systems in London, namely the London Underground, the buses, DLR (Dockland Light Railway), trams and some boats and upto stations on the National Rail services which are in London.

All you need to do is tap it at the barricade machine (I don't know what that device is called. This is my best description of it) in the station and it records your entry. When you exit, you have to tap it again at the barricade machine and it will deduct the cost of the journey automatically.
Also, mind you, there is no other way out. If you have tapped 'in', you have to tap 'out'.

The best part is that these cards can be topped up at any local cost-cutter, convenience stores or newsagent shops at the counter for no cost.

I used to go to a local newsagent at Amen Corner in Tooting, South london, as the gentleman was a nice 'Patel Uncle' (as I called him). There are a lot of Patels in London (they are a certain Gujarathi community) and they are very enterprising by nature. My parents loved having conversations with him when they visited me. Also, with the remaining change left after the top- up, by default,  I would buy a Bounty chocolate and eat it on the way while walking to the station :)