I got onto the train between Zurich airport and Zug a couple of weeks ago, and as i entered the first class section i thought it seemed busier than usual.
I found a free seat and then started playing 'Bookworm' on my iphone.
Ticket inspector came round and he told the first group of people to move to second class very nicely. This continued all the way along the carriage and he got progressivly angry as each person only had a 2nd class ticket (except me).
By the time he reached the last group (a group of british women in their 40's) he exploded and shouted at them (in swiss german) that this was first class and basicly to get the hell out!!
One of the women shreaked in her defence exclaiming 'How were we supossed to know?'.
This is were i jumped in and explained to her everywhere the number '1' is displayed.
She was still in defensive mode and said 'I did not see it'.
To which i replyed 'Did you even look?'.
Then the ticket guy asked them to hurry up and move as they were now bothering paying 1st class customers.
I was now left in the carriage all alone.......i may or may not have gotten naked.
cheers
SC
I already had thanked you for the post. Is there a way to thank twice for that pic?
I think I'll send him some greens
Plus, I cannot stop imagining him naked
Often times foreigners work the system to their advantage and these are the people that the conductors get very abusive with. I seen a woman claim that she thought her itinerary was a valid ticket even though it was a itinerary for a ticket to a different location on a different day. She was told to get off the train at the next station, this happens frequently with the passenger attempting to feign ignorance. Often they do it over and over again on the same route and become known. She may have just waited for the next train to continue her journey.
Anyone who tries to cheat the system should feel lucky to only receive verbal abuse and not a 80 CHF fine. But many times, as in the case of the above passanger, they dont get embarassed. In fact in their cultures the conductors are stuipd nits to fall for excuses. The problem is that these passangers do not pay their fines and the conductors know this. Their only recourse is to have the passenger arrested which they would rather not do.
And even then there may be problems:
SBB Complaint: Fined for handwriting date on day pass
The majority of people I've seen caught for riding without a ticket have handed over their Identitätskarte, not an Ausländerausweis. Are they not working the system? What are the failings in "their culture"?
One of our own moderator used to ditch the train fair and he is 100% Swiss.
But ... as so often, the huge majority of honest people have to pay the price for all those who, day in, day out - play the system. Maybe this person was the 3rd, or 4th - or more, the ticket inspector had come across that day - perhaps the 10th, or more that week, etc. Which means that the one too many gets his or her head bitten off. NOT right - at all- but far too many take the *iss, and ride on the trains with an un-stamped ticket hoping they will get a 3 for 1. And one reason why the rules have changed - and that inspectors have been instructed not to accept any excuse from anyone - be they Swiss or foreign, which is irrelevant to the issue.