Comments on: Schwarzfahren (Or: Exploits in Fare Evasion While Living in Berlin)

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:05:38 +0000

Didn’t mean to like my own comment, oops.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:18:40 +0000

@SnarlFurillo Of course, the decision to move to Berlin was one that I chose to make. It was partially based on being set up with some contacts that made it seem like it there was a really good chance of work, which then fell through, but all the same that was a risk that I took. I think the idea of just packing up and moving here without too much planning was very appealing to me, in a romantic adventure kind of way, and when it fell through (as things often do when you don’t adequately prepare for them) I did something I normally wouldn’t have done in order to stretch my money and stay for as long as possible to try and make it work. It wasn’t so much realising with hindsight that I was stealing but more recognising that it was dishonest I had pretended it was anything else.

By: TARDIStime

TARDIStime — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:11:55 +0000

@stuffisthings @oiseau “Why does the International Travel aspect bother me?”
I’m going to take a stab at answering that one – possible because he sounds like someone how has Lived Internationally? Remember the reaction on The Hairpin when this was mentioned in an Ask A Lady column?

By: SnarlFurillo

SnarlFurillo — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:03:18 +0000

@Ryan The thing that bugs me about this is that you got yourself into this desperate situation by “somewhat rashly” moving to a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language and had no job prospects, but you wrote like that’s some unfortunate thing that just happened to you. And it’s only in hindsight that you realized you were stealing? Come on. Plenty of people who can’t afford transit ride their bikes or walk.

By: Ellie

Ellie — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:53:07 +0000

I was in Berlin for six weeks this summer, all my classmates got stopped multiple times and meanwhile I had never even seen a ticket inspection let alone been inspected. Finally in the last week of class I got ticket inspected. I was so sad! I always buy a ticket. This stems from studying abroad in Paris when on the first day of the month, my two friends hadn’t renewed their monthly pass while I had. We were riding the tram and got ticket inspected and they each got an, I think, 80 euro fine – maybe even more. My only infraction is that I once jumped a turnstile to the CTA (in heels!) because it was super late at night and I was skimpily dressed and alone, the card reader wouldn’t read my card and I could hear my train coming. Oh, also I once rode the trams in Zagreb for a week without a pass simply because I couldn’t figure out where or how to buy one (at many stations, you can’t). But after watching Kontroll, I’m terrified of ticket inspections. I do think riding for free on purpose is wrong. Also, Berlin public transit is the best ever.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:12:45 +0000

@questingbeast What I was trying to do with the article was show how I went through a range of justifications (I’m in a new country with no money, it’s exciting and risky, it makes me feel more like a real badass Berliner, I’ll pay for it all eventually with a fine etc) each that are as ridiculous as each other, before being able to admit that what I was doing was essentially theft. At the time I was really low on money, and employment prospects were really low, and it was a way of making each day a lot more affordable, but that doesn’t mean I get to dress it up as anything more than it is. I was trying to explore how when we get in desperate situations we sometimes tell ourselves weird things in order to temporarily assuage guilt that can seem justified at the time, but which with the benefit of hindsight seem stupid or dishonest.

By: questingbeast

questingbeast — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:33:05 +0000

@loren smith ‘Admitting that he has done something wrong and how he was dealing with it’. But why is he doing that? It’s not like we caught him and want an explanation, this is the subject he’s decided would make an interesting article. I don’t give a shit if he wants to dodge the fare, I just found the ‘justification’ ridiculous, and he sounds ridiculous making it. Being ‘honest’ doesn’t automatically make it interesting.

By: stuffisthings

stuffisthings — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:11:54 +0000

@oiseau The reason I asked is because the way the article was written kind of rubbed me the wrong way, but so did all the judgy comments.

I’ll admit, I do find it fascinating which countries have more “trusting” transit systems, and how people react to them. For instance, Paris has pretty aggressive turnstiles but I don’t think I’ve ever gone through one without somebody squeezing in behind me.

By: oiseau

oiseau — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:04:26 +0000

@stuffisthings Stealing fares isn’t that big of a deal – if I was struggling to make ends meet and it was as easy as breaking the honor system, I’d probably do the same. The relative benefit I would get from it compared to the microscopic loss the government would suffer makes it worth it, to me. Obviously everyone shouldn’t do it but if I’m struggling to buy enough food or if it means the difference between making rent or not, I’d do it. (I obviously don’t know what this guy’s circumstances were, just speaking for myself)

Why does the International Travel aspect bother me? I don’t know, maybe if it were written better I’d enjoy his adventures vicariously but the way he’s written it is not much more than “my feelings as I skip the fare in edgy East Berlin”, which I don’t find that special or entertaining. It comes across douchily for some reason.

By: selenana

selenana — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:54:36 +0000

I definitely cheated transit a few times during my delinquent youth, but then I grew up and realized how valuable a functional tranpo system is, and how already heavily subsidized most of them are. I’m not above applying for any discount available, but I want to pay for services that are useful and good for the public.