NEVER again to Ischia Italy
 

We have traveled to many places outside of the USA and even other parts of Italy but I have never disliked a place more. I have never posted a bad review on anyplace but I feel I must speak up Now. I am not sure If being American is making a difference here in Ishia or not but we have not encountered any good hospitality towards us.

BUT the worst of it was the 200 euro bus fine we got. We were on a very crowded bus the ticket stamp machine was in the back and couldn't get to it same as many locals. A man got on right before the last stop and I was holding my paid ticket in hand he pulled us off the bus ( but he didnt pull anyone else who hadn't stamped. first showed us 25 euro fine then doubledi it then tripled it . He tore my ticket like the other person local but he let them but continued to tell us we had to pay him. I tried to find someone who spoke english but the other guys at the bus terminal just shrugged their shoulders an laughed.

Sorry the words are a bit messed up typing on my phone and still very upset. We had no money left from paying the fine and had to walk from porto to our hotel in pointe ...not an easy stroll at this point.

If anyone reads this post ( like Peter british in ischia) I would like to fun out if there is anywhere an American can get help with the reduce loud fine we paid and the way we were treated. We werent just out the fine we had also just bought our tickets in a tabac shop.

What a scam, what rip off. I am full Italian and I have a great disdain for the Italian people here. It is very sad. And if I could I would get out of here today....

how unpleasant! and I have to say I wonder if this was even an official or some tricky person looking for someone to scam. Waiting to hear what the Brit has to say.

This sounds odd. Are you sure he was really employed by the bus company? Did you get a receipt?

Sounds like a fairly frightening moment, but...why did you actually pay him?

If you have a ticket, I thought you were supposed to board at the rear so you had access to the stamp machine. The locals who got on and did not use the stamp machine most likely had a pass and did not need to use the machine. Most locals are not using single tickets.

Yes we did get a receipt. Everyone was entering by the front, a few from back. The bus was so packed you couldnt move. Some women pushed in with about 4 school kids had tickets. They even tried to pass their tickets back and it was so crowded they couldn't. Others tried to get tickets stamped some didn't bother.

Why did we pay....I am still trying to answer that.... Maybe fear... I don't know what would you do if someone is showing you a badge an yelling at you and acting all official.

I am still furious....what could have been and should have a wonderful day at the gardens was ruined by some guy with a badge and some kind of man complex....

I hope some day he gets to come to the states and is shown the same courtesy as a newbie to the area as we were.

Here's a warning on Peter's blog about the bus fines.

WARNING: It's incumbent on you to have a valid ticket - which includes stamping it in the
validating machine on the bus AT THE START of your trip... with a multi-journey ticket,
only necessary the first time you use it!).

Inspectors regularly patrol the buses, and vigorously enforce the rules, with on-the-spot
fines of €50 or so!!

As previous travels must have shown, public transport here in Italy manages to be relatively cheap thanks to the use of an honour system - rather than guards or conductors on every bus, tram or train.

But, to go with that, passengers are responsible for having a ticket that's correct and valid for their journey and those who fail to comply get hefty fines - be they transgressing in northern, central or southern Italy... and regardless of where they're from:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_Tuscany.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...ome_Lazio.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...a_Liguria.html

The last such thread I remember on the Ischia forum there seems to have disappeared now, but innumerable letters appear in the island newspaper from Italian holidaymakers who've been "caught out" in similar situations to those in which you found yourselves.

..........................

As for Ischia's EAVbus company, their 2011 Charter (*) says the rules are set by the Regione of Campania, and allow for a maximum fine of 100 times the fare due.

And here the cheapest tickets for non-residents cost €1.60 each - is that what you paid?

Looks like €320 for two people - which is reduced to only a third, if paid either immediately to the inspector or to their offices within 60 days (an alternative that's probably rarely offered to anyone unlikely to be in the country that long).

Should have brought the total down to €107.. some $140.

Not sure why you were asked for any more, unless perhaps you also weren't able to provide the inspector - who has the same authority as a local police officer in this regard - with your ID documents?

Despite all that, the multilingual notices posted on the buses warn of on-the-spot-fines of about €32 - $100 for two, and again not $200...

..........................

(*) The 2011 Charter:

http://www.eavbus.it/export/sites/de...2011Finale.pdf

.. but the addresses to which you should write - by letter (Posta), email or fax - are more easily seen on:

http://www.eavbus.it/opencms/eavbus/reclami/

..........................

As in previous cases, I'm not sure what more I can say - we've seen instances where people have made no effort to stamp their tickets, but have also watched them travel from hand to hand the length of the bus and back...

Some of the inspectors are more forgiving than others, however they're all employed to prevent fare evasion and can't let everyone off with only a warning - any more, presumably, than these guys do....

http://transportationnation.org/2012...-fare-evasion/

Peter

That would make me so mad too. I hope it doesn't ruin your trip.

Thanks for your response Peter. We did not have our passports with us because we had just checked into the hotel and we went right out. Our stupidity I guess but I also hear different opinions on taking your passport with you at all times ( which we usually do)

I guess I am so very upset because my husband and I are very honest people and the last thing we would do Is try to steal or take something that wasn't paid for or ours. I am sure that emailing the bus company will get the same response as the people watching us ( yeh more money for our economy) sorry I sound so bitter I know this is your home but I don't like being treated like a thief or a criminal.

I guess my only recourse is to never return. There is a world out there with places that are just as if not MORE beautiful and where the friendliness of the people far surpass what we have encountered here. Once again I do apologize if I offend you.

Lauratag.... It kind of did put a damper on things. DH kept pouring me wine this afternoon. I made a vow never to come back to Italy and he recorded it. I think I will stick to my pledge of no return here.

I will continue to travel but will stick to the states for the next several trips. We always love our state bases journeys.

It is an unfortunate thing to happen! I guess from their point of view you were riding without a valid ticket - it is their job to penilise people for this and your responsibility to ensure you validate your ticket. Could they have been nicer about it - absolutely, and that is a shame. Guess its a good lesson for all of us so thanks for sharing.

I hope that if this happened to me I would chalk it up to an (expensive) learning experience and put it aside and enjoy the rest of my trip. You've paid way more than that to get there and enjoy, so I hope you let the anger go and look at the bright side of your vacation. By letting this be the focus you are wasting even more money.

6abc - Its a big world, plenty of places to go!

Thanks all. I'll feel better after another glass of wine, another gellato, pastry and whatever else takes the edge off. Here's to tomorrow!!!!

Wine, gelato and pastry always make me feel better! Cheers!!!

Oh did I say I am sitting here eating the most wonderful peach ever. Don't know if it is from here but WOW....

Oh Peter one more thing we have asked at the front desk and the don't seem to know exactly. We want to go to la Martella gardens and then to Negomba( that is where we were headed to day). Exactly what sto do we need to get off of. The first day we were here we rode the bus around the island looking for stops we would explore later ( we did stamp our tickets) didnt see anything that indicated the gardens. If you can give a little help we would appreciate it. I did not buy a tour book for The island because I thought we would be doing one hike and one thermal garden. I have a hiking book but there is really not enough info. Thanks

Glad you're going to venture out again - and hopefully we'll be able to restore your opinion of the island!

For the record, whilst internet opinions on carrying passports may vary, Italian law requires foreigners to do so.

La Mortella is wonderful, and Negombo is our favourite of the spas - photos etc from our visits here:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/forio

... and here:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/spagards

But..

But...

But.... don't try going to La Mortella today - Wednesday 10th Oct. To quote from the "Times and Directions" item amongst those Forio pictures:

"To allow the staff time to work, they only open the gardens on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays - in 2012 from 09.00 to 19.00, and between Saturday 31 March and Sunday 4 November."

Hardly a substitute, but the Giardini Ravino should be open today?

Haven't checked recently but, from what I've read, Negombo will close for the season after this Sunday, October 14th - whilst Poseidon runs on until the end of the month.

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As it's eight now, rather than rewriting, better perhaps if I direct you to these two threads from earlier in the year....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

... which I trust will answer all your questions?

Do come straight back if they don't!

Peter

PS: In the event you check with the La Mortella website, note that the "Pegaso Giraforio bus B" was withdrawn and replaced by an EAVbus service some years ago - although I've not seen an autumn timetable for whichever it is now!

Rather like bolting the stable door, but I've added this to my notes on Ischia - what one is meant to do if circumstances make it impossible to validate "open" tickets in the normal way:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/146593298

Perhaps only applies here in the Campania region, as old bus tickets we've still got left from trips to Sicily and Rome don't have those boxes?

Peter

Thanx for he info...off to Capri will post later

Sorry this happened to you , and frankly I think the guy was a jerk, and yes, I do think they should cut a tourist a break, its most highly unlikely that a middleaged couple of tourists are trying to evade a freaking two euro fare.. get real.
I live in a tourist town, and we DO cut tourists breaks, they often only get warning parking tickets if they have out of province plates .. we get that tourists just make mistakes once in a while and that they put more money into the econonmy then a freaking bus fare or parking fare mistake take out ..DUH