Berlin has an excellent
public transportation system, the BVG (Berliner Verkehrsgesellschaft).
The
tube (
U-Bahn) goes well beyond the city limits, and numerous lines
intersect to
maximise coverage. This is
augmented by the
light rail (
S-Bahn),
tram, and
bus systems. At night, a network of night busses, running on average every 15 minutes,
allows for easy movement throughout the city.
Unlike many public transportation systems, the BVG does not make use of
turnstiles or other
obstacles to ensure that
passengers pay their way. Basically, the BVG works on an
honour
system. There are
vending machines at every station from which to purchase tickets ranging
from the short-distance ticket (
Kurzstrecke) to the
Umweltskarte, which allows
for use of all public transportation for a calendar month, but there is nothing stopping anyone from
entering without buying a ticket.
Most of the time.
The BVG
does make use of a small
army of uniformed ticket checkers
(
Fahrscheinkontrolleure), who randomly board trains and busses to check passengers/
tickets and to obligate those without tickets to pay a
surcharge in the amount of EUR 40.00. It
used to be that these ticket checkers could go
undercover without any form of identifying
clothing. Now, however, the
Kontrolleure wear rather
tacky blue-and-green uniforms.
They show up only rarely, if you're lucky.
For those who want to get a free ride (known in Germany as
Schwarzfahren), there are a few simple
guidelines to follow:
1. Don't get too comfortable. Since there is no way to predict where and when
someone will ask for your ticket, you have to stay
alert. Stand as close to a rear exit door as
possible. This will generally give you the best
angle of sight to see if there's a blue-green
swarm on the
platform.
2. Take short stretches. The longer you stay on the same
train, the more likely
it is that you will get caught. Getting off every couple of stations is a good
rule of
thumb.
3. Stay calm. Avoid drawing attention to yourself.
4. If disaster strikes: If you see a lot of tacky blue and green suits running
around the platform, get out. Do so quickly and calmly. The goal is to find a
mobile crowd and
blend into it.
Just because you're out of the train car itself doesn't mean you're home
free.
5. If you get caught: They'll ask for your
identification and give you a piece of
paper that requires you to pay EUR 40. This is rarely enforced, and if you ignore it, you usually
will not have to worry about any serious consequences until you've done it a few times.
Sometimes, you'll have
criminal charges filed against you (§ 265a -
Erschleichen von
Leistungen / Unlawfully obtaining services). The
Staatsanwaltschaft in Berlin has plenty of actual
felonies to deal with, and
will often
dismiss the charges "for want of
public interest in
prosecution."