Is this night ticket a Zurich thing? I have never seen anything like it in other kantons Perhaps that is because we do not have public transport really after midnight, the last tram in Bern goes at 0:01!
My two cents worth. We live in Lausanne. Often my husband has to go to London so he takes the train from Lausanne to Geneva. I accompanied him on one of these journeys. At the Gare in Lausanne, we purchased return tickets to Geneva airport. We were returning a few days later. On the return jouney, the inspector told us our return ticket was not valid because it was only valid 24 hours. The thing is, my hubby goes to Zurich often and buys returns tickets. These ARE valid apparently, to be used on different days (within ten days or something like that) and the reason they are valid is because the distance between Lausanne and Zurich exceeds a certain amount. Now hubby is rather upset at this stage and using the F word did him no favours. So, the inspector spends 25 minutes of the 42 minutes journey from Geneva to Lausanne (thereby missing other potential opportunities to catch fraudsters having only checked about 5 passengers, including us, by this stage) writing out a fine. Hubby writes tickets to CFF, speaks to a 'senior official' there, uses the F word again (not good) but manages to get out of the fine by showing the CFF office his original air tickets (which he had to get back from his office where he had sent it for reimbursement). The thing is, there might be rules but they really should be fair and sensible. This is a very controlling country. And don't get me started about the whole dog issue.........
sorry, forgot to mention that hubby spoke to senior official and suggested that they include this distance rule on the screens (where we purchased the tickets - those automatic machines) and he said there was not enough room to write this sort of thing, which is clearly incorrect. Then proceeded to give hubby diatribe about how fantastic the rules are. OK, WHOT EVA!
I don't understand - what else do I need to know to comment on Humanists post. I was mildly amused that his nickname didn't seem to coincide with the tone of his post?
This is not unheard of in Switzerland in fact the rail network is a run by robbing Bast--ds to be honest.
Last year I bought my kids a GA for the year at a cost of 4200chf. This covers for all travel for twelve months on all types of public transport. One day my daughter was coming back from Geneva to Bern on the train and she had lost her purse. She could prove her ID as she had her permit with her. Now normally if the kids have forgotten their rail cards they get a small ticket and have to pay a 5 frank fine, but not this time it was an 80chf fine, even though they could see on the data base that she had a valid GA, but had been a vitim of bad luck..........
Also if you dont pay this fine within 20 days you get slapped with another 20chf on top etc etc..........I found this out when my other daughter got a fine and forgot to give me the bill.....
I am not a fan of fair dodgers and in the end I agree they should be punished but to fine kids for forgetting a rail card or in your case when your ticket had expired by only a few hours, some consideration should be given to the circumstances, especially when they want to keep drunken bums off our roads..........Congrats for being sensible anyway......despite the fine....
I know that there are two types of trains, one of those that you need a ticket to get on and you can't buy one on the train and the other you can. I always thought most long distance SBB trains are ones that you can buy a ticket (with an little extra on top) so no one ever gets a fine. So this is weird indeed that she got fined. Usually you purchase the ticket and you redeem it within a week with proof of GA to get your money back (minus Sfr5). Did she have money for the ticket?
charellesett: if you lose your GA and get fined 80 chf, just take the fine the the SBB schalter, there you will be able to hand it in, show your GA and pay 5 chf.
Gav: My heart bleeds for you and all the other people who made innocent mistakes . I've been done myself on more than one occasion, but I took it on the chin. Bottom line is - you cocked it up!
Imagine you owned the SBB. Would you adopt a friendly fuzzy bunny policy where fare evaders have the option to talk nice and get out of it? boo hoo, I'm new here/ I forgot / I didn't understand / I'm sozzled ?
All the posters here are honest folk who made a one-off genuine mistake!
Why does SBB not recognise these otherwise upright and law-abiding people have simply made an innocent mistake? And save it's energies for real fare dodging criminals.
Don't you mean "fluffy bunny"? Isn't fuzzy bunny roadkill?
I found out something interesting about the train passes. They are retroactive. I needed a pass to travel to Zurich on a daily basis. I requested a GA, but it takes about 2 weeks to receive it. In the meantime, I was advised to purchase a monthly pass, which ironically cost more than a GA. And after I receive my GA, I can then return the monthly pass for a full refund, as long as the GA covered the same time period.
So if you ever get slapped with an 80CHF fine, I wonder if there might be something you can do to quickly convert it into a monthly pass for yourself. So here's an imagined scenario:
Joe Blow and Dan Dufus both get on Tram 14, both forgetting to buy a ticket. A plain-clothes ticket control guy pops up from his seat and yells "Billet Kontrolle!". Now Joe Blow is streetwise, cause he reads the English Forum postings. Dan Dufus, on the other hand, stopped reading the English Forum postings after he was reprimanded for posting off-topic. Dan Dufus hangs his head in shame as he is handed the 80CHF fine. Joe Blow smiles as he gladly accepts the 80CHF fine, and even winks at the female partner of the Billet Kontrolle guy. Immediately after getting off the tram, Joe Blow proceeds to the SBB ticket window and proceeds to buy a 45CHF monthly Zone pass, effective on that very day. A week later, Joe Blow appears at a different window SBB ticket window, presents his monthly pass, and the 80CHF fine. He mutters something incomprehensible like "No gut sprechen Dutch". Poor Dan Dufus reconsiders his daily habit of ordering a Caramel Machiatto Frappucino from Starbucks.
I'm surpsised by all the people that seem to get stung and victimised when tzhey forget their GA. I've done it on a couple of occasions, but the inspectors have always made it clear that I can claim the money back (-5CHF for being stupid of course)
On a positive note, when I first came to Switzerland I bought a half price card for the first year. After about 11 months I knew I would be staying, and went into the station to purchase a GA. After completing the purchase the guy asked me if I had a half price card or any other season ticket. When I said yes, but it only had a few weeks to run, he asked for it and refunded the exact amount that was remaining on it. I was quite impressed..
And Dan Dufus wouldn't reconsider his daily habit of going to Starbucks, because it is a truth universally acknowledged that Starbucks consummers are unable to ...umm, ooh, Thank You Nurse. Just received my Rant medication. That's better... You should try some of this stuff