Sharp practices outside the UK

[eoff]

This forum is full of examples of over zealous and downright wrong actions by revenue protection staff in the UK.
I'm wondering if anyone has experiences of sharp practice to share from abroad.

My two examples are:

1. On a trip to Dresden city from the Airport I was hassled by an inspector for making the mistake of assuming that a ticket purchased from the underground airport platform ticket machine would be valid and not knowing I had to stamp it in a different machine.
2. Am just back from Nice. Despite having a Pass Sud Azur 7-day pass that had been activated by travel I was open to a fine if I did not 'activate' it on each and every journey.

 

[Tetchytyke]

On a trip to Dresden city from the Airport I was hassled by an inspector for making the mistake of assuming that a ticket purchased from the underground airport platform ticket machine would be valid and not knowing I had to stamp it in a different machine.

Compostage is common in Germany. Berlin is the same.

 

[farci]

In the Hamburg metro I was stopped by an Inspector demanding my ticket, when I reached my destination station and l was leaving the carriage. I had left the ticket at my seat but the Inspector held the train until I retrieved the ticket. I seemed to be the only suprised passenger...

 

[Flying Snail]

In the Hamburg metro I was stopped by an Inspector demanding my ticket, when I reached my destination station and l was leaving the carriage. I had left the ticket at my seat but the Inspector held the train until I retrieved the ticket. I seemed to be the only suprised passenger...

Probably should have been fined for littering.

 

[Tester]

I don't think these are examples of sharp practice, merely cultural differences.

'When in Rome' comes to mind!

 

[Bletchleyite]

In the Hamburg metro I was stopped by an Inspector demanding my ticket, when I reached my destination station and l was leaving the carriage. I had left the ticket at my seat but the Inspector held the train until I retrieved the ticket. I seemed to be the only suprised passenger...

Not sure why you'd not assume you needed your ticket until you had left the station, that's the rule basically everywhere isn't it?

The inspectors in Hamburg are plain clothes (but easy to identify really due to their behaviour) and they generally will get people getting up to alight if it looks a bit like you've recognised them. They did that to me once, the guy looked seriously disappointed when I produced a valid ticket.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

From what I've heard SBB inspectors are extremely strict on Interrail travel logs being filled out/checked in immediately on boarding, whereas in other countries they will often turn a blind eye.
Perhaps they get a commision? Chinging a group of oblivious Interrailers for 90CHF(?) each would be quite a good money earner.

 

[Segedunum]

I remember having a day pass for the Seville Metro back in 2016. I spent about two hours on the system riding end to end and ticking off most of the stops.

Was rather bemused to find my ticket wouldn't work when I tried to exit a station - an inspector informed me if I spent more than 60 minutes at a time on the system next time I'd get a Penalty Fare!

I'd understand if it was PAY-G or a single ticket, but threatening someone with a ticket valid for the entire day seemed a bit extreme.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

I remember having a day pass for the Seville Metro back in 2016. I spent about two hours on the system riding end to end and ticking off most of the stops.
Was rather bemused to find my ticket wouldn't work when I tried to exit a station - an inspector informed me if I spent more than 60 minutes at a minute on the system next time I'd get a Penalty Fare!
I'd understand if it was PAY-G or a single ticket, but threatening someone with a ticket valid for the entire day seemed a bit extreme.

I wonder if it's a measure intended to prevent vagrants from riding backwards and forwards all day long.

 

[signed]

In Prague (and most networks that use the stamping method), if you stamp/validate a ticket any more than once it becomes invalid and you will be hit with the 1500CZK (~50GBP, reduced to 1000CZK if paid under 15 days) penalty,

 

[Segedunum]

In Prague (and most networks that use the stamping method), if you stamp/validate a ticket any more than once it becomes invalid and you will be hit with the 1500CZK (~50GBP, reduced to 1000CZK if paid under 15 days) penalty,

I once bought a VBB (Berlin) weekly pass and was chastised by a DB conductor for stamping it at all (despite most other tickets needing stamping).

By contrast in Budapest I once tried to enter a metro station with a single ticket validated on a tram a few minutes earlier and the inspector at the top of the escalator was surprisingly amicable in calling me back, telling me my error (the very shortest term single tickets are for one vehicle only) and trying to work out if a day pass would be better value - all in fluent English!

 

[simonw]

I remember having a day pass for the Seville Metro back in 2016. I spent about two hours on the system riding end to end and ticking off most of the stops.

Was rather bemused to find my ticket wouldn't work when I tried to exit a station - an inspector informed me if I spent more than 60 minutes at a time on the system next time I'd get a Penalty Fare!

I'd understand if it was PAY-G or a single ticket, but threatening someone with a ticket valid for the entire day seemed a bit extreme.

Doesn't the London underground act a bit like that if you don't exit in time. Not a penalty fare but a charge

 

[rvdborgt]

From what I've heard SBB inspectors are extremely strict on Interrail travel logs being filled out/checked in immediately on boarding, whereas in other countries they will often turn a blind eye.

In some other countries. In France, many inspectors are also checking the activation time stamp and will fine €50 if that was after departure of the train. I once heard that someone was even fined when the train was delayed and the activation timestamp was after the planned departure, but before the actual departure. Of course that was an error (some inspectors make up their own rules) and Eurail reimbursed the fine.

 

[cool110]

Doesn't the London underground act a bit like that if you don't exit in time. Not a penalty fare but a charge

Only when using PAYG, not when you have a pre-paid Travelcard.

 

[stadler]

Some countries public transport in Mainland Europe has awful gestapo revenue inspectors that even make our worst revenue inspectors look good. We hear a lot about the UK but i would say a lot of Mainland Europe is even worst. Their inspectors tend to be a lot stricter.

The most common issue is tourists and people from other countries (or those who do not use public transport much) who are unaware about the validation system. To someone coming from the UK (or the many other countries where these validation stamping machines are not used like Ireland / Iceland / AU / NZ / CAN / USA / Russia / Belarus etc) it makes no sense. When you buy a ticket from a ticket machine you would expect it to be valid straight away without having to do anything else.

There are tens of thousands of reports online from all over Mainland Europe of foreign tourists being unfairly fined because they had no idea that you had to validate tickets. Major cities in Mainland Europe must make thousands (or even millions in the case of some cities) a year from their gestapo ticket inspectors fining unaware foreign tourists who had no idea that you had to validate tickets. The inspectors rarely show any leniency to tourists who had no idea about the stamping system.

Unfortunately a lot of the revenue inspectors are on commission but they only get commission if you pay the penalty fare in full on the spot. Most systems in Mainland Europe will allow you to give your details (and pay nothing on the spot) and then dispute the fine in an appeals process or in a court but the revenue inspectors hate that. Normally if you appeal it then it means that they lose their commission so they specifically pressure people to pay on the spot.

Mainland Europe just needs to start installing ticket barriers at metro stations at railway stations and get rid of the stamping process. Just make tickets automatically valid from the moment they print out the machine just like the UK does. That would reduce a lot of negative revenue inspector interactions.

 

[izvor]

In one town in Romania (which I won't name!) many years ago I caught the tram from the centre to the station, which was normally a single trip. However on this morning there was some track work taking place so I had to change onto a special shuttle tram for the last couple of stops. Naturally I assumed that my single ticket would be valid on this but no; as soon as the shuttle tram pulled away the only other person on board got up, showed his ID and demanded to see my ticket. When I explained the situation (which of course he knew perfectly well) he said I still needed a separate ticket for the second bit and proceeded to write out a penalty fare ticket. My protests fell on deaf ears. When I said I had no Romanian currency left (it was my last day in the country) he said, no problem, there is a change office at the station, accompanied me there and stood by until I changed the currency and paid him.

The inspector was polite but insistent, and luckily spoke some English. I got a proper receipt for the fine (about £4 I think) but the whole thing was a bit of a scam, whether officially sanctioned or just he was on commission and knew a nice earner. He also seemed on unusually good terms with the guy in the exchange office...

 

[Tester]

In one town in Romania (which I won't name!) many years ago I caught the tram from the centre to the station, which was normally a single trip. However on this morning there was some track work taking place so I had to change onto a special shuttle tram for the last couple of stops. Naturally I assumed that my single ticket would be valid on this but no; as soon as the shuttle tram pulled away the only other person on board got up, showed his ID and demanded to see my ticket. When I explained the situation (which of course he knew perfectly well) he said I still needed a separate ticket for the second bit and proceeded to write out a penalty fare ticket. My protests fell on deaf ears. When I said I had no Romanian currency left (it was my last day in the country) he said, no problem, there is a change office at the station, accompanied me there and stood by until I changed the currency and paid him.

The inspector was polite but insistent, and luckily spoke some English. I got a proper receipt for the fine (about £4 I think) but the whole thing was a bit of a scam, whether officially sanctioned or just he was on commission and knew a nice earner. He also seemed on unusually good terms with the guy in the exchange office...

Now THAT is a sharp practice

 

[Beebman]

I once bought a VBB (Berlin) weekly pass and was chastised by a DB conductor for stamping it at all (despite most other tickets needing stamping).

I visited Berlin last week and I used the BVG app to buy 24-hour tickets. I assumed I didn't need to scan it before boarding the train but at the Airport station I asked the friendly conductor of my train to Hbf who was standing on the platform if I needed to scan it and he confirmed that I didn't. Once on the move he came round and scanned QR codes, and all was well with mine. Likewise my QR code was scanned OK when I returned to the Airport but I had no other checks on DB trains including the S-Bahn.

On BVG, I showed my QR code to a bus driver but he said there was no need for me to have it scanned. On the U-Bahn I didn't scan it anywhere but when I was on a U2 train there was a ticket inspection by two uniformed security staff. One of them looked at my ticket on the app and he accepted it without scanning it. However a young lady sitting opposite me couldn't produce a ticket and she was led off the train by the two staff at the next station where they began to question her on the platform.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I once bought a VBB (Berlin) weekly pass and was chastised by a DB conductor for stamping it at all (despite most other tickets needing stamping).

You don't have to stamp those? How else would they know when it was started? Ours certainly were, I did it at the bottom of the lift in the airport right in front of the train that would leave just after we got on.

We never got our tickets checked in Berlin for the 8 days we were there (we bought a single for getting back to the airport).

 

[eoff]

Multi-day tickets are a real mess. Often an n-day ticket will start from the day you purchase it, an nn-hour ticket will start from the first journey. But other than my Nice trip I have never had to validate a multi-day or multi-hour pass per journey.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Multi-day tickets are a real mess. Often an n-day ticket will start from the day you purchase it, an nn-hour ticket will start from the first journey. But other than my Nice trip I have never had to validate a multi-day or multi-hour pass per journey.

In Germany it's not even consistent between cities. In Hamburg there are no validators. In some other places you only have to stamp an undated ticket, and in others you need to stamp all tickets.

 

[Segedunum]

You don't have to stamp those? How else would they know when it was started? Ours certainly were, I did it at the bottom of the lift in the airport right in front of the train that would leave just after we got on.

We never got our tickets checked in Berlin for the 8 days we were there (we bought a single for getting back to the airport).

It had a start date on IIRC - as my lecture from the conductor consisted of him pointing at the date and the stamp alternately saying "datum, kein datum, datum, kein datum" (and so forth - shall we say he'd definitely been in the job long enough to have worked for the Reichsbahn).

 

[Struner]

Some countries public transport in Mainland Europe has awful gestapo revenue inspectors that even make our worst revenue inspectors look good. We hear a lot about the UK but i would say a lot of Mainland Europe is even worst. Their inspectors tend to be a lot stricter.

The most common issue is tourists and people from other countries (or those who do not use public transport much) who are unaware about the validation system. To someone coming from the UK (or the many other countries where these validation stamping machines are not used like Ireland / Iceland / AU / NZ / CAN / USA / Russia / Belarus etc) it makes no sense. When you buy a ticket from a ticket machine you would expect it to be valid straight away without having to do anything else.

There are tens of thousands of reports online from all over Mainland Europe of foreign tourists being unfairly fined because they had no idea that you had to validate tickets. Major cities in Mainland Europe must make thousands (or even millions in the case of some cities) a year from their gestapo ticket inspectors fining unaware foreign tourists who had no idea that you had to validate tickets. The inspectors rarely show any leniency to tourists who had no idea about the stamping system.

Unfortunately a lot of the revenue inspectors are on commission but they only get commission if you pay the penalty fare in full on the spot. Most systems in Mainland Europe will allow you to give your details (and pay nothing on the spot) and then dispute the fine in an appeals process or in a court but the revenue inspectors hate that. Normally if you appeal it then it means that they lose their commission so they specifically pressure people to pay on the spot.

Mainland Europe just needs to start installing ticket barriers at metro stations at railway stations and get rid of the stamping process. Just make tickets automatically valid from the moment they print out the machine just like the UK does. That would reduce a lot of negative revenue inspector interactions.

seems you have no idea about “gestapo”…

 

[Gordon]

Sharp practice or not (and most of what I have read in this thread is not sharp practice, simple applying the rules...) the user is (surely?) duty bound to find out what rules apply - although I realise this is MUCH more difficult in the 'smart device 21st century' with fewer staff to ask.

 

[signed]

Multi-day tickets are a real mess. Often an n-day ticket will start from the day you purchase it, an nn-hour ticket will start from the first journey. But other than my Nice trip I have never had to validate a multi-day or multi-hour pass per journey.

A lot of networks based on smartcard work that way. They want the data, that's why it's mandatory

 

[DanielB]

The most common issue is tourists and people from other countries (or those who do not use public transport much) who are unaware about the validation system.

Not only validation systems, but even the most basic validity rules. Last weekend I was on a bus in Amsterdam when a tourist entered and wondered why his ticket was rejected by the validator when trying to check in.
Turned out he had just bought a GVB day ticket, but the bus to his hotel was operated by Syntus so his ticket wasn't valid there although the trip was within Amsterdam.

Most bus drivers would allow you to travel at own risk in those cases, but you will have a problem when tickets are checked.

I do notice myself often that it's pretty hard to find those rules when you are not familiar with ticketing in a town abroad. Usually they are not even mentioned on the website as locals now it already.

 

[simonw]

Sharp practice or not (and most of what I have read in this thread is not sharp practice, simple applying the rules...) the user is (surely?) duty bound to find out what rules apply - although I realise this is MUCH more difficult in the 'smart device 21st century' with fewer staff to ask.

Depends. On a trip to madrid, a uniformed official told my wife and me we could load two journeys on one physical ticket for use by the pair of us. He omitted to tell us that the ticket needed to be passed back to the other person to be swipped again, despite the lack of turnstiles, rather defeating the purpose of only having one piece of paper and resulting in a 50 euro fine when we came to xit.

 

[WestAnglian]

From what I've heard SBB inspectors are extremely strict on Interrail travel logs being filled out/checked in immediately on boarding, whereas in other countries they will often turn a blind eye.
Perhaps they get a commision? Chinging a group of oblivious Interrailers for 90CHF(?) each would be quite a good money earner.

Just got back from an Interrail trip to Switzerland and the only log check I experienced was on a Paris - Lausanne TGVLyria. None on BOB, SBB, MSB or elsewhere although they did scan my barcode.

However, on a Interlaken - Basel train on Monday a ticket check took place shortly after leaving Interlaken. Three groups in my carriage had standard-class tickets. All were told they had to pay the upgrade to the next stop but were free to stay, and pay the upgrade to their destination, or go to Standard (which was only a third full). All three opted to stay.

All quite civilised.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Sep 2025 ==

Mainland Europe just needs to start installing ticket barriers at metro stations at railway stations and get rid of the stamping process. Just make tickets automatically valid from the moment they print out the machine just like the UK does. That would reduce a lot of negative revenue inspector interactions.

No! Barriers are horrible and expensive. I'd much prefer open stations and checks, as most places have, and we had at one time.

 

[The exile]

Sharp practice or not (and most of what I have read in this thread is not sharp practice, simple applying the rules...) the user is (surely?) duty bound to find out what rules apply - although I realise this is MUCH more difficult in the 'smart device 21st century' with fewer staff to ask.

Although much easier to do in advance - particularly in cities that expect tourists.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No! Barriers are horrible and expensive. I'd much prefer open stations and checks, as most places have, and we had at one time.

Without dragging this off too much, gatelines have a number of key advantages, such as not being able to accidentally enter a system without a valid ticket, and crime reduction (though it doesn't totally prevent it - the Paris Metro is ridden with minor crime e.g. bag snatching and pickpocketing - but imagine how much worse it would be on a wholly open system!)