Kathy

Hi - I just got back from a wonderful trip to Vienna, and many thanks for all the help from all of you. One thing really puzzled me about the Vienna transportation system. I rode the metro, the buses and the trams and i never, in the time i was there, saw anyone pay to get on. I had a Vienna Card which provided free use of the system for three days -- but i never had to produce it. I just boarded the trams, the buses and the trains. There are no turnstiles in the subway and the bus and tram drivers don't even look at you when you board. The second and third cars on the trams don't even have any transportation employees working in them so you just get on and sit down. I honestly don't get it. Does this city operate on some kind of honor system? In three days i never saw anyone pay a dime or produce a ticket and the system was very busy due to holiday shopping. Anyone have any answers?

Bob Brown

Hi Kathy. We did the same as you. We bought a copy of the Wienerkarte each and just went. On the bus, we showed it to the driver. My understanding is that at the metro stations you are supposed to insert your ticket into a "composter" that date/time/place stamps it before you board the train. We rode all over for 3 days and two nights and never had to show anything, except on Bus 55. <BR>The SNCF uses a similar system. Before boarding the train, you "composte" your ticket in a machine. Buses in Paris also have a stamping machine.

Paige

Yep, it's the honor system. It's the same here in Munich. If you get caught without a ticket here, it's a 60dm fine. I've lived here for 2 years and ride the train to and from work and all over on the weekends and have been checked 5 or 6 times. A lot of people, myself included, have monthly passes. I actually forgot it one day and got checked! I should've just paid the fine but instead went to a horrible office and waited in line for an hour to show my card, have my hand slapped and pay a 5dm fine. The honor system works well in these parts because people here tend to follow the rules.

Hans H

Paige: The 60 DM are the minimum fine. Depending upon the city, they let you get away with this minimum fine a few times or only once (or not at all if you get very impolite). But the transportation company keeps the record for two years (at least here in Bonn that's the time limit) and if you get caught several times, it takes you to court. Since using public transportation without paying is fraud, this can get you a criminal record and a much higher fine. <BR>

Anna

A plain clothes transit officer checked our tickets when we were in Vienna, so they do occasionally check.

Clair

Hi <BR>Yes we do have tickets in Vienna it's just that you didn't see them ! Everybody (well almost everybody !) in Vienna buys a season ticket for a year or month and so, apart from the beginning of the month, you'll very rarely see anybody buying or stamping tickets. <BR>The authorities are especially strict on the 1st day of the month though as they know that most people forget to buy their tickets in advance and will be on their way to get this month's ticket <BR>But, yes it is pretty much an honour system, if you get caught it costs you about ATS 550. The buses, trams and underground (US=subway) systems are all linked and it really is a great idea to be able to use all forms of transport with just one ticket. <BR>BTW, a single ticket (which has to be stamped when you enter the underground station/tram etc) is valid for 1.5hrs, and you can change (from tram to bus etc) as long as you are still travelling in the same direction ! (ie you can't go quickly into and out of the city centre on the same ticket, at least in theory !) <BR>Lots of European cities have this system ! Oh, the ticket inspectors are in "plain-clothes" (ie no uniform) but you'll soon recognise them as everybody else will start frantically looking for their tickets !

nickie

Hans H : forgive my impertinence, but did you happen to go to school in Bad Godesberg?