Yes, it would be easier if it actually
was asked for first. These days there can easily be several screen presses before you even get to the point where it asks for the card, e.g. on the Wordline large screen machines that GWR have installed at Reading, from memory:
- 1st press to interrupt the screen saver
- 2nd press to say I want to buy tickets
- 3rd press to say I want to collect previously purchased tickets
There is also usually a short delay in response time between each of these presses. I then have to get my wallet out and retrieve the card, insert it, wait for acceptance and then reverse the process, returning my wallet to my pocket for security before I retrieve the scrap of paper on which I've written the booking reference (or my phone to view it in an e-mail). Then type it in, return my phone to my pocket and retrieve my wallet again (where I will store the tickets) while I wait for them to print.
Just my personal experience but finding the booking reference usually involves a lot more "faffing" than finding the card. I retrieve my card several times per day and don't really have to think about doing it. Also as noted above the current process involves a lot of "context switching", from reading and pressing the screen to dealing with card and wallet, then back to the screen again to enter the code and finally back to the wallet to put the tickets away.
I think the key limiting factor for me is I am not comfortable having my card and wallet out of my pocket for any longer than necessary and certainly not while I'm doing a task that involves cognitive distraction (such as entering the booking code). From my point of view a much better sequence of events would be:
- Get the booking code to hand as I walk up to the machine
- Tap at the screen a few times to bring up the screen where I enter the code
- Enter the code which I'll have easily to hand
- Put away the code (phone or paper scrap) and take out my wallet
- Insert the card and then return to wallet, wait for tickets to print (shouldn't happen until card has been removed, to avoid left-behind cards)
- Keep my wallet out while attention is focused on the tickets printing and putting them away (no cognitive distraction involved here)
I don't know if it's just me and the way I do things but I would find the above sequence much more convenient and less cognitively taxing!