Helsie

Just got dragged off a train returning from a day's visit to Schonbrunn castle and fined 103 euro because we had only validated our train ticket one way on what we thought was a return ticket which we validated this morning. A ticket that cost approximately 6 euros !! Not the only ones and a VERY unpleasant experience for two law abiding citizens who were unfamiliar with the system.

On researching this problem when we returned to our lodgings we find that this is a common practice in Vienna on this line especially........ a good money earner catching unsuspecting tourists obviously. Not disputing that we made a mistake but , as it seems it is a common problem , a few signs prompting tourists in a few different languages might prevent this unpleasant experience. ( and seeing we possessed correct tickets a quick validation by the inspector would have solved the problem ! )

In other countries train stations have at least one person to ask for help but we have found a great lack of this in Austria.

So tonight's final dinner out at a nice restaurant is off. We'll be leaving lovely Vienna with a sour taste in our mouths and the money will go instead to a greedy transportation company instead of hard working citizens operating a seven day a week business dishing out good will and a pleasant holiday experience to tourists.

jamikins

I can understand being annoyed about this - but the reason is that the ticket does not state a specific train and time for the journey and therefore needs validating so that the ticket does not get used over and over again by people trying to scam the system. This is very common in big cities and transit systems (even in Canada!).

Vienna sounds like they are very strict for those who have not validated their tickets. I think it is unfair to think they can determine who is a tourist or not - when you allow judgement you make their jobs more difficult. One rule for all eliminates the problem but means if you don't follow the rules you get a fine.

I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip and chalk this up to a learning experience!

Safe travels home!

Christina

I think tourists needs to find out what they are doing more instead of blaming others when they break the law. This is perfectly normal in any transportation system when you have a ticket that is not prepaid for one time/train only, that you have to validate it to show it's been used.

I think that's just common sense to know that.

PalenQ

Austrians are tough even though they should give naive tourists a pass I think.

Helsie

Not disputing we were in the wrong but to be threatened with seizure of our passports and being dragged off to a police station was very unpleasant. ... for a 3 Euro ticket !!!!

Overkill , big time in my opinion. And you won't convince me that tourists are not targeted on this Trainline having now read all that is written on the internet.

PalenQ

Overkill , big time in my opinion. And you won't convince me that tourists are not targeted on this Trainline having now read all that is written on the internet.>

Certainly has been complaints here about Vienna metro- I got a ticket for jaywalking once in Vienna on a deserted street. they are just following the rules Austrian style. Xero tolerance for naive tourists.

Helsie

http://vanillaskydreaming.com/vienna...nt-wait-leave/

Revenue raising by the company who operate the trains.

NewbE

FWIW I agree with Pal, and the OP. It's an antiquated system, it's too easy to make a mistake, and the typical Austrian response is absurdly draconian. I disagree, however, that this is a conscious effort to separate tourists from their money. It's law enforcement, of a particularly strict variety, and that is all.

Helsie, the only thing under your control here is your attitude, which is why I advise you to stop giving the unfortunate incident any more thought, lest it ruin the memory of an otherwise lovely trip.

jamikins

It's not an antiquated system. If you have tickets that you can buy cheaply that are for any train at any time the only way to do it is to validate them on use...otherwise someone can use the same ticket over and over again. This is a normal process in any place that sells cheap anytime tickets...

NewbE

There are many systems that sell cheap any time tickets that have turnstiles through which one cannot pass without swiping or scanning the ticket.

fourfortravel

Ah, tourist season here in Vienna, when those "unfamiliar with the system" don't take time to Google "Vienna Public Transportation" before hopping on.

At the entry to each U-Bahn station are bold printed signs that read: "Ticket Erfordlich" and "Ticket Required" that hang above the blue validation boxes, one of which is in a language the OP uses.

"A ticket that cost approximately 6 euros !!"

"...for a 3 Euro ticket !!!!"

A couple of questions for the OP:

Which ticket did you purchase? The €3 One-Journey ticket or the €5,50 Day Ticket?

If you purchased the €3 ticket and were only fined €103 that means one of the "we" did not have a ticket at all for the journey to/from Schönbrunn, and BOTH of you should have been fined on the return.

If you purchased the €5,50 Day Ticket and were only fined €103 that means one of the "we" did not have a ticket at all for the journey to/from Schönbrunn.

Doesn't sound very law-abiding to me.

NewbE

I wonder if the apologists for ham-handed Viennese cops have ever been roughed up by them?

Why can't the police simply collect the appropriate fare difference? Why do they have to threaten arrest and seizure of passports? Can they not tell the difference between hardened criminals and dumb tourists? In a city that has a "tourist season", surely they can.

NewbE

Also:

Oh, how the Viennese will howl if they start losing tourism dollars! (I know they won't, at least not over this, I'm just fantasizing.) Yet they can't seem to bring themselves to behave reasonably over this sort of minor infraction.

jamikins

We have ticket checkers on our train line and when people are caught they usually don't just cough up the cash. If they did there would be no reason to take passports etc. People argue, give excuses, refuse to discuss etc. I feel more sorry for the people having to check tickets than I do for people that don't follow the rules, even if it is an innocent mistake.

Why should the ticket checker have to make a call about what is a legit reason for not having a ticket and what isn't, or who is a hardened criminal or a tourist or more likely a normal looking person who tries to get out of paying.

One rule - validate your ticket - makes it simple.

PalenQ

Doesn't sound very law-abiding to me.>

There was NO intent to break the law - they bought tickets and simply did not validate the return part - These are not isolated incidents in Vienna - it stinks - law-abiding or not -intent should be a factor and a dollop of understanding for tourists who had no intent to break the law.

Try to justify as you will.

NewbE

<Why should the ticket checker have to make a call about what is a legit reason for not having a ticket and what isn't, or who is a hardened criminal or a tourist or more likely a normal looking person who tries to get out of paying. >

Because that is the job of law enforcement! To use their judgment.

jamikins

Well our ticket checkers in London are not law enforcement as in the police! They work for the train companies and I highly doubt they make enough to be expected to make judgement calls (and I personally don't think they make enough based on the abuse I see on a regular basis).

jamikins

It is not that I don't have sympathy for people that innocently don't validate but there are two sides to this situation.

People rarely think about how crappy the 'enforcement' agents job is and the abuse they get from not only criminals, but also tourists that feel like they should not have to pay the fine for not following the rules.

NewbE

Oh please. The OP did not decide not to pay, nor did s/he feel justified in not paying.

You're arguing that cops need not make judgment calls, but tourists should take a moment to consider the cops' earnings and social position.

Oh, please.

And we are discussing Vienna, not London, where this type of overreaction does not seem to occur. Why, I wonder?

jamikins

Haha - you would be surprised what I see on London trains.

To each there own - I respect your opinion but am free to have and express mine as well.

Enjoy the rest of your day!