I've got a story to tell about train ticket inspectors in Switzerland. I travel from Basel to Geneva on Sunday evening. I catch the 7:03pm direct train which takes the French route. So I catch this train and it can't get further than Delemont because the electricity is out in the tunnel that gets it to Moutier. So in the end I go back to Basel on the same train. I miss the 9:01pm train to Bern by one minute then I think that catching the 9:30pm would keep me up late so instead I watched the Germany vs. Spain game in Le Train Blue and went back to my place to sleep. So with the same ticket, I caught the train to Geneva the next morning. The ticket inspector gave it an incredulous look. He was able to understand English so I explained to him what happened. He looked at my ticket very incredulously and said "this ticket is not valid". He wouldn't stamp it because it had been stamped already. He then said I should change at Bern and he walked off. I didn't see him again that trip. So I changed at Bern and thought there was going to be no ticket inspector for the second half of the voyage but one appeared 20 minutes out from arriving in Geneva. He looked at my ticket, stamped it, and gave it back to me.

Well that was my stoty about Swiss train ticket collectors. Has anyone else got an interesting story like that that they could share?

The inspector let me sit in the first class instead of walking through a long crowded train to get to the second class carriages. I was very pregnant though

Oh - and I have also been fined for sitting in the first class by mistake between Bern and Olten. I was made change carriages at the next station or I would be charged for the trip back to Zürich as well.

can l have my 45 seconds back please ?

Your lucky with the second guy as normally you have to get to Geneva the same day

The worst are UK inspectors!!

I quite like the swiss chappies you can always plead innocence and normally they are accomadating. Maybe the first one didnt have his coffee that morning.

Indeed. This makes me yearn for Jemma's plans for her Christmas holiday...

dave

steady chap .... steady

Since I had to travel by train - I printed out your message and read it to the inspector on the train to Bellinzona (with on the fly translation naturally
-
He looked at me rather strangely, then just punched me in the face and walked away smiling.

He forgot to stamp my ticket though, so I'll use it again.

Look who's smiling now!

Isn't it only valid for the date printed on the ticket? Can't say it would be that interesting making the same trip on the same day..then again perhaps you like sitting on trains...

Hmmm doesn't work on all - I still got a fine (reduced after I spoke to SBB and pleaded my case, after the local police had too) after I had my wallet nicked on the train.

Oh what an exciting afternoon on the forum ! I read this and then I read this one. I shall now go onto the terrace and watch the grass grow and report back, at length, in due course !

I'll summarise it for you...

Man buys ticket for train, owing to technical exigencies, man takes different train.

fu**sox .... now you owe me 5 seconds .... a whole 50 seconds blown out of my creativity pool ... ba**ards !!!!!!

Fulchester United have pulled out of a deal to sign a new squad member due to concerns over the player's attitude and commitment.

Manager Tommy Brown is eager to reshape his squad as soon as possible following relegation to League Two, but has iced one deal already.
United scout Shakin Stevens told The Sentinel: "We do our homework and go into a player's character and talk to people who know them and their background.

"We want to bring players here who want to play, not people who want to get a two-year contract and see out the last two years of their playing careers.

"We were looking at a player, but things have come to light which we have now pulled away from. We are not interested in the player now.
"It is important we have the right dressing room and that is one thing we are trying to do here."

I might have, once when really hard-up, changed the date on an SBB day card using a penkife and a dark blue pencil...
The theme from 'The Great Escape' was running through my head and I almost felt like I had to leave a pin on the floor somewhere to pick up later...

I think that was a










JOKE

And to cap it all, Eric had bought and handle for his fork...