2) I guess it IS a wrong place to look for sympathy after all, a lot of replies prove the fact that like a lot of the Swiss people many of you: a) went through something similar, took the pill and now think anybody else should do too for good measure; b) probably have a swiss accent by now cause you've assimilated too much (not a compliment). I believe there should also be room for flexibility and common sense, that's all.
I was guilty of sitting down in a wrong place, unintentionally mind you. And it felt especially crap because it was not intentional and could have been avoided as I'm not a chancer generally but was very tired and just anxious to get home. And I did check what carriage (part of the carriage as in my case yesterday) I got into this morning, so the rules are working. Well behaved society here not that voluntarily civilised I guess.
Appreciate the Thanks from people who looked beyond the "Oh, proves her wrong!" but shared the pain
Something which reminds me of being picked on by a school prefect in my first year for some minor infraction that made absolutely no sense who responded when questioned by me why - "because it is buried deep in a dusty and dark place in the rules and because I also got punished for it." i.e. rather than try to communicate and utilise common sense all too often a perverse pleasure is taken in seeing the same pain inflicted on others as was once one's own misfortune to befall.
Not a great way too live life. There can be so much more...
It's true that after 7 in the evening on the Zug S-Bahn after a tiring day at work, you could make the mistake. The trains are fairly empty in both classes, the comfort is the same (though the seats are a different colour) and the first-class compartment is only one door out of maybe 8 along the full length of the train. Although it does have a yellow stripe and a big "1" next to it.
I find the inspectors are usually very understanding. A couple of weeks ago I lost my Halbtax on the train between Basel and Luzern: I saw the inspector coming, got it out of my wallet to show her - and it fell down the gap between the wall of the compartment and the armrest of the seat, getting stuck in there somewhere. The inspector did not see this happening but she believed me and didn't fine me.
You have to accept that in the eyes of the law you were in the wrong, frustrating as it may be. On another day with a different inspector maybe you would not have been fined, but that would have been a bonus.
First time going to a conference with colleagues to Luzern. Forgot to time stamp the day pass that had been given to me at work because I was under the mistaken impression that the conductor did it. Got fined on the train, no excuse for not knowing and colleagues most apologetic for not explaining. They even paid my fine for me (a measly 10 francs). I did not whine about it on the intertubes or seek 'sympathy'. I just got on with it. I then took it upon myself to learn more about how the train system worked and paid attention to changes. I wonder sometimes if there was a loud bang outside if half the expats would fall to the ground quivering and then seek solace on EF expressing how 'emotionally distraught' they were and 'overwhelmed' while the other half are expected to give them a gentle pat and a soulful 'there there'.
( Source: Thisislondon.co.uk )
I am so glad that only the UK thinks this is a logical way of pricing a ticket.
Last time I was in the UK, I asked three railway staff if my ticket was valid for a particular train. None of them had any idea, because the rules and pricing structure are so complicated
If yes, I want a medal.
The closest we came was on a way back from Luzern to Basel, where I had spent a whole day with my mother and 4 of her super loud brazilian friends (like us!). So, during the day we went on a boat ride that had a very similar ticket to the train one, that should have been kept for both ways. As I mentioned I am obsessed, I kept my mom's and mine in a safe place and asked everybody else to do the same. One of the friends, however, somehow managed to throw the train one away and keep the boat ticket. It was already past 23h when we were checked in the train, the guy waiting patiently for the last person to find her ticket, when all she had was this boat one. He was like "No problem, I'll be back if you find it!" and I was utterly shocked as I had told them several times that if they had no ticket they would all surely be fined, "because that's how it is here in Switzerland!" He wasn't back, of course, and she got away with that boat ticket! :P
Last week I was in the mountains where I have a holiday home and a permanent "visitors card" which entitles me to free use of the bus and trains in the local area.
One day I went for a long walk and decided to catch a bus home as the snow had got slushy in the afternoon. I didn't have my visitors card nor my ski card on me, but no problem I thought, I shall simply pay for the bus fare - the enormous sum of CHF 2.
I got on the bus, handed over my money, and the driver asked me why I didn't have a visitors card. I explained that I had left it at home and also, for some reason, mentioned that I had also left my ski card at home. He then proceeded to go into a long rant about carrying my cards on me if I wanted free travel. I politely pointed out to him that I didn't want free travel and again tried to give him my CHF 2. He refused to accept it, but continued to shout at me as I sat on the bus and grumbled about it throughout the whole bus journey to any local that got on!!!
Oh, and in Germany you can get fined for walking through a first class car, even if you obviously have no intention of actually sitting there.
As you might remember Stephen, thanks to Mrs T the UK railways were privatised and split into many. And fares change massively depending on time, route, etc. Many offers for special routes and times. So if you buy a 'cheaper' ticket for travelling on a certain train, or route- but then decide to travel at peak time or shorten or change your route- you'll be fined heavily. Say there is a special offer London-Market Harborough for a period of time, but you have to travel to Wellingborough, where the offer is not running a the time. Tempting to buy a cheaper ticket to MH (one stope further) and come off at W. But if you get caught it will cost you a hefty fine. Arrghhh the joys of UK trains- where finding prices and any other info if you have to travel across different privatised companies.... it would make you really nostalgic for Swiss trains, honest. Prices for the same route can vary by a huge amount depending on day or time, special offers, family tickets, etc- nightmarish.
In this case, the OP may well have made an 'honest' mistake. But day in, day out, many try the trick hoping not to get caught, and come up with a sopp story when they do. So sadly the system has been tightened up for all. If they were sympathetic, sadly a proportion of the population would see it as a opportunity. Dommage.
I understand that sometimes, things go wrong. I too forgot my Abo or didn't realize I had to pay the ticket the 2nd of January because I was a fool not to renew my Abo in december. Got lucky twice. But when one is caught for this kind of things, it's just bad luck and a lesson learnt. Nice to talk about it at a tea party (Kaffeklatsch/à l'heure du thé) but with a self ironic smile on one's face.
Nevertheless, I spent once half an hour bugging people in Zürich HB to be sure I got the right night supplement ticket thingie. The price of honesty is sometimes high in terms of nerves... I admit that too.