Prefixes are common in the English language, but thanks to London Transport, one word with a prefix has now been changed to help us Londoners (and tourists) financially – overcharging!
For many of us, travelling using an Oyster card is the most inexpensive way…unless you forget to touch out at the end of your journey on a pre-pay account. This is not uncommon, and if you do, you are charged a full fare instead of the cheapest. At the time, this can’t be undone. However, it has now been reassessed so that the card “remembers” your journey so you’d be charged the correct fare if you forgot. Post-2003, Londoners have been taking advantage of this system, and to prevent misuse of the Pay-as-you-go system (not a travelcard), you have to touch in and touch out of each journey, otherwise would have to pay the full amount of a 1-6 zone fare for a single journey – a massive £7.60.
However, you can complain and get a refund by calling a telephone number (an expensive pay-per-min number, of course), and provide the Oyster card number and the relevant journey details, otherwise your claim is considered ineligible. I’ve always been an anti-London transport user, but when I have to use the bus or tube, I’m definitely pro-Oyster because generally, it’s a quicker and more convenient.
Before, it was a nightmare having to queue to get on a bus to buy a ticket, or to get in and out of the tube using a paper card. I particularly think tourists underestimate its value because once you pay a deposit you can get that back when you leave, or it can be used it again anytime in the future, as it lasts forever. Ex-students always tell me how good it is. However, I have been charged incorrectly on occasion and when this does happen, it really de-values the system. So hopefully, when this new way gets going (there’s no exact start date ), it will definitely help us that little bit more. We wouldn’t have to worry as our journeys home would be prefixed!
Word Building: Prefixes We always use hyphens with pro-, anti-, ex-, self- and non-. We never use a hyphen with un- or in-. With other prefixes, it depends on the word.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| Mis- | Do something incorrectly | Misuse |
| Under- | Not enough | Underestimate |
| Un- | Not | Uncommon, undone |
| In- | Not | Incorrectly, Inexpensive, Ineligible |
| De- | Remove | De-value |
| Post- | After | Post-2003 |
| Ex- | Used to be | Ex-students |
| Pre- | Before | Pre-pay |
| Re- | Do something again | Reassessed |
| Anti- | Against | Anti-transport |
| Over- | Too much | Overcharged |
| Pro- | For | Pro-Oyster |
