Hi hope someone can help.
My wife was obn the bus but inadvertantly purchased the wrong ticket, she speaks hardly any french and had 2 small children with her. the inspectors borded the bus and were very rude to her when she couldnt pay immediatly. she has been fined 120 chf.
we live in france and hardly use the bus.
Whats the best coruse of action.
Hi hope someone can help.
My wife was obn the bus but inadvertantly purchased the wrong ticket, she speaks hardly any french and had 2 small children with her. the inspectors borded the bus and were very rude to her when she couldnt pay immediatly. she has been fined 120 chf.
we live in france and hardly use the bus.
Whats the best coruse of action.
I may open myself up to tirades of abuse here, but i'm pretty sure there's nothing you can do. I was told when i first move here that they don't accept being new to the city, not speaking french or even the abilty to make a basic human error as an excuse. And knowing the swiss, even if you did get them to waive the fine you would pay so much in paperwork fees you're probably better off
I may open myself up to tirades of abuse here, but i'm pretty sure there's nothing you can do. I was told when i first move here that they don't accept being new to the city, not speaking french or even the abilty to make a basic human error as an excuse. And knowing the swiss, even if you did get them to waive the fine you would pay so much in paperwork fees you're probably better off
thing is james we live in france and the gits were dam rude to her she had the kids with here (2 & 4 yrs old)
good job i wasnt there or shed be collecting me from the nick in a few days
thing is james we live in france and the gits were dam rude to her she had the kids with here (2 & 4 yrs old)
good job i wasnt there or shed be collecting me from the nick in a few days
Did she show ID and or give the address? If so and unless you have / they had a valid bus pass or a ticket for that journey (which seemed not to be the case)... sorry to say, but you have to pay.
Did she show ID and or give the address? If so and unless you have / they had a valid bus pass or a ticket for that journey (which seemed not to be the case)... sorry to say, but you have to pay.
thing is james we live in france and the gits were dam rude to her she had the kids with here (2 & 4 yrs old)
good job i wasnt there or shed be collecting me from the nick in a few days
Hi Matt,
Yes it's rude. Welcome to the area.
she had a ticket but didnt realise the bus was going through the swiss zone, it was here first time on the bus, it went in the opposite direction that she thought. so she bought a ticket but the wrong one. so the swiss will cross the border and arrest her? ill gladly pay the 80 but 120. for their rudness they can go jump. not having my wife and children intimadated like that
she had a ticket but didnt realise the bus was going through the swiss zone, it was here first time on the bus, it went in the opposite direction that she thought. so she bought a ticket but the wrong one. so the swiss will cross the border and arrest her? ill gladly pay the 80 but 120. for their rudness they can go jump. not having my wife and children intimadated like that
Apart from sending a complaint letter to the TPG explaining the whole situation and the rudness of their employees, there's not much you can do. You can always try with a lawyer but that will cost you more than the fine.
Don't try to ignore the fine, taere are aggreements between Switzerland and France and they can chase you there.
Apart from sending a complaint letter to the TPG explaining the whole situation and the rudness of their employees, there's not much you can do. You can always try with a lawyer but that will cost you more than the fine.
Don't try to ignore the fine, taere are aggreements between Switzerland and France and they can chase you there.
thing is james we live in france and the gits were dam rude to her she had the kids with here (2 & 4 yrs old)
good job i wasnt there or shed be collecting me from the nick in a few days
What's your place of residence got to do with it?
I think the TPG must have specially designed training courses for would-be inspectors with only the rudest of bullies getting a pass mark.
No doubt there are similar, but maybe slightly less intensive, courses for the drivers. If you’re daft enough to say “bon jour” when you board the front of the vehicle, count yourself lucky if you get a grunt in return.
As for asking a driver’s help for directions to a local landmark -- the Red Cross Museum, say -- nine times out of ten the reply is way off course.
TPG staff don’t know the routes properly and they certainly don’t know the city.
All this is but another example of poor- quality service in CH in return for ridiculously high charges and ticket machines that often don’t work.
I think the TPG must have specially designed training courses for would-be inspectors with only the rudest of bullies getting a pass mark.
No doubt there are similar, but maybe slightly less intensive, courses for the drivers. If you’re daft enough to say “bon jour” when you board the front of the vehicle, count yourself lucky if you get a grunt in return.
As for asking a driver’s help for directions to a local landmark -- the Red Cross Museum, say -- nine times out of ten the reply is way off course.
TPG staff don’t know the routes properly and they certainly don’t know the city.
All this is but another example of poor- quality service in CH in return for ridiculously high charges and ticket machines that often don’t work.
Free is correct, not much you can do. Next time just run like hell and tell your kids to keep up with you. Just because of lack of french will never work as an excuss, unless your lucky and they just dont want to bother. Im am infact surprised with the lack of consideration with the children and that you did get some 'sort of ticket', but you just have a bad day and they just were gits.
so next tpg travelers beware.
Free is correct, not much you can do. Next time just run like hell and tell your kids to keep up with you. Just because of lack of french will never work as an excuss, unless your lucky and they just dont want to bother. Im am infact surprised with the lack of consideration with the children and that you did get some 'sort of ticket', but you just have a bad day and they just were gits.
so next tpg travelers beware.
What's your place of residence got to do with it?
i think free understood
In defense of TPG staff, every time I've seen them on a bus they've had difficulty processing all of the people they've found without tickets, mostly because everyone has an elaborate story to explain themselves with. I used to know one person who never bought tickets; assuming that he wouldn't get caught very often, and when he did he would tell them that he had just arrived and didn't understand the system. It's probably because of this sort of thing that the ticket inspectors have to adopt a consistently hard-nosed approach. Throw in the additional difficulty of a language barrier and they will naturally just resort to the application of the rules.
I think we are definitely better off with the occaisional presence of efficious ticket inspectors than the constant, and invariably more expensive, obstacle of the ticket barrier / card swiping regimes of certain other countries.
In defense of TPG staff, every time I've seen them on a bus they've had difficulty processing all of the people they've found without tickets, mostly because everyone has an elaborate story to explain themselves with. I used to know one person who never bought tickets; assuming that he wouldn't get caught very often, and when he did he would tell them that he had just arrived and didn't understand the system. It's probably because of this sort of thing that the ticket inspectors have to adopt a consistently hard-nosed approach. Throw in the additional difficulty of a language barrier and they will naturally just resort to the application of the rules.
I think we are definitely better off with the occaisional presence of efficious ticket inspectors than the constant, and invariably more expensive, obstacle of the ticket barrier / card swiping regimes of certain other countries.
I'd also like to jump to the defense of the TPG bus drivers. I used to think that they were often unreasonably grumpy and heavy-footed until I had a casual chat with a couple of them. The terrible driving standards here, the people blocking junctions and bus lanes, the near suicidal scooter riders, plus the slow cycle of traffic lights and the constant road works are the daily environment for the bus drivers, who are often on very long shifts. As a result it turns out that they suffer quite high levels of stress. One driver told me that if he had the choice of continuing to drive the bus or to be posted to the front-line in Afghanistan he wouldn;t choose the bus.
I'd also like to jump to the defense of the TPG bus drivers. I used to think that they were often unreasonably grumpy and heavy-footed until I had a casual chat with a couple of them. The terrible driving standards here, the people blocking junctions and bus lanes, the near suicidal scooter riders, plus the slow cycle of traffic lights and the constant road works are the daily environment for the bus drivers, who are often on very long shifts. As a result it turns out that they suffer quite high levels of stress. One driver told me that if he had the choice of continuing to drive the bus or to be posted to the front-line in Afghanistan he wouldn;t choose the bus.
I agree that working for the TPG must be challenging, but all “work” has its stress. Always has been so, always will be.
And stress is no excuse for taking it out on the customers, most of whom are law-abiding. Many tourists and other newcomers do genuinely misunderstand the TPG’s weird and wonderful timetables and “directions for use”. Even the old-timers get thrown off course with the frequent, poorly publicized changes of routes and bus numbers. And as for the annual revision of their network and tariffs in, of all seasons, mid-December…
I agree that working for the TPG must be challenging, but all “work” has its stress. Always has been so, always will be.
And stress is no excuse for taking it out on the customers, most of whom are law-abiding. Many tourists and other newcomers do genuinely misunderstand the TPG’s weird and wonderful timetables and “directions for use”. Even the old-timers get thrown off course with the frequent, poorly publicized changes of routes and bus numbers. And as for the annual revision of their network and tariffs in, of all seasons, mid-December…
I must say that "didn't know the bus was going through the swiss zone" is a pretty lame excuse. There is an announcement in the bus before you enter zone 10 - so if you don't have the proper ticket that would be the time when you hop off and buy one. Not surprising that the TPG staff didn't accept it.
Understanding the public transportation tariffs is difficult in pretty much every place I've been to so far. But what would be the alternative? Paying the same prize no matter whether you want to hop on the bus for two stops or travel from one end to the city to the suburbs on the other side?
I must say that "didn't know the bus was going through the swiss zone" is a pretty lame excuse. There is an announcement in the bus before you enter zone 10 - so if you don't have the proper ticket that would be the time when you hop off and buy one. Not surprising that the TPG staff didn't accept it.
Understanding the public transportation tariffs is difficult in pretty much every place I've been to so far. But what would be the alternative? Paying the same prize no matter whether you want to hop on the bus for two stops or travel from one end to the city to the suburbs on the other side?
Pay the driver when you get on at the front of the bus. This also helps to "screen" passengers -- so rowdies and similar don't get past the driver. He can also see who might need some help getting off the vehicle. May slow boarding down a bit, but makes for much more personal contact between the drivers and their passengers. They also need a cheery word now and then.
Pay the driver when you get on at the front of the bus. This also helps to "screen" passengers -- so rowdies and similar don't get past the driver. He can also see who might need some help getting off the vehicle. May slow boarding down a bit, but makes for much more personal contact between the drivers and their passengers. They also need a cheery word now and then.
I must say that "didn't know the bus was going through the swiss zone" is a pretty lame excuse. There is an announcement in the bus before you enter zone 10 - so if you don't have the proper ticket that would be the time when you hop off and buy one. Not surprising that the TPG staff didn't accept it.
Understanding the public transportation tariffs is difficult in pretty much every place I've been to so far. But what would be the alternative? Paying the same prize no matter whether you want to hop on the bus for two stops or travel from one end to the city to the suburbs on the other side?
right i find your tone very insulting. Lets sum it up for you shall i? my wife was with my 2 kids, never got on the bus service here before, doesnt drive and comes from a country area in the UK. So your idea of lame excuse when she got on the wrong bus going in the wrong direction. i suggest that if you want to call some one a liar then you keep your opinion to yourself.
right i find your tone very insulting. Lets sum it up for you shall i? my wife was with my 2 kids, never got on the bus service here before, doesnt drive and comes from a country area in the UK. So your idea of lame excuse when she got on the wrong bus going in the wrong direction. i suggest that if you want to call some one a liar then you keep your opinion to yourself.
Matt.... It's not insulting. Lame is perhaps not the right word, but we read here all the time - I'm new, should I pay this, why is this, why billag etc etc. Having 3 children myself I know what you mean, they can be a pain, and yes, things do go wrong. Having said that, the inspectors must have heard the excuses a million times before, but again, that is no excuse for being rude, but - for a minute it wouldn't hurt to also look it from their persective.
Get you wife to write a letter (in French - even use Google translate) explaining the situation. There will be a human being normally on the receiving side. Include a copy of her ticket with it - and hope for the best. Perhaps they see that it wasn't totally right, she had good intend and they might just waive it, but no guarantees. In the end she was wrong - and to say it in "german" :-) ze law is ze law. Chill - writing a nice letter doesn't cost too much!
Matt.... It's not insulting. Lame is perhaps not the right word, but we read here all the time - I'm new, should I pay this, why is this, why billag etc etc. Having 3 children myself I know what you mean, they can be a pain, and yes, things do go wrong. Having said that, the inspectors must have heard the excuses a million times before, but again, that is no excuse for being rude, but - for a minute it wouldn't hurt to also look it from their persective.
Get you wife to write a letter (in French - even use Google translate) explaining the situation. There will be a human being normally on the receiving side. Include a copy of her ticket with it - and hope for the best. Perhaps they see that it wasn't totally right, she had good intend and they might just waive it, but no guarantees. In the end she was wrong - and to say it in "german" :-) ze law is ze law. Chill - writing a nice letter doesn't cost too much!
i have already called and they have apopogised for the rudeness and understand how mistakes can happen and asked for a letter, when they receive the letter i have been told that this will suffice and they will cancel the ticket.
i have already called and they have apopogised for the rudeness and understand how mistakes can happen and asked for a letter, when they receive the letter i have been told that this will suffice and they will cancel the ticket.
Good stuff!!! Happy to hear!!!
Much ado about nothing in the end then...?
Did the inspectors took the ID number of your wife? I was told when first arrived that once a British man was in a business trip here, and he didn't have any Swiss coins (sadly he was in a stop where the machine accepts the cash only). Then he was caught by the inspectors and took his passport number. No idea what would be the consequences.
Did the inspectors took the ID number of your wife? I was told when first arrived that once a British man was in a business trip here, and he didn't have any Swiss coins (sadly he was in a stop where the machine accepts the cash only). Then he was caught by the inspectors and took his passport number. No idea what would be the consequences.
Much ado about nothing in the end then...?
Well, adjusting and setting into this prickly environment is always fraught.
In a few years’ time, they’ll look back and say “Do you remember when you thought Mummy was going to be arrested because she’d bought the wrong bus ticket and we were going in the wrong direction as well?”
Most of us have similar stories to tell.
Well, adjusting and setting into this prickly environment is always fraught.
In a few years’ time, they’ll look back and say “Do you remember when you thought Mummy was going to be arrested because she’d bought the wrong bus ticket and we were going in the wrong direction as well?”
Most of us have similar stories to tell.
Swiss public transport is superb and in the most part works on honesty; you don't have to show your ticket every single time you get on a bus so its much quicker for everyone and you can get on any door. A single ticket costs half the price of a return ticket. Imagine that (and I'm thinking of the UK here where a single ticket seems to cost about 90% of a return). You don't get penalised for buying a ticket at the last second, it's the same price. Your ticket works seamlessly on the buses, the boats, the trains. You get a free ticket into town from the airport, and even when you go to the airport its just a standard ticket for 3 or 4 francs on a train that takes 5 minutes. How many cities in the world do this? If I try to take a train or a bus to or from pretty much any airport in the UK it costs an arm and a leg. At Heathrow or Gatwick there's a confusing array of tickets for different trains run by different companies running on the same line and so you need to know which train by which company is leaving first to know which ticket to buy, and even then they are outrageously expensive. So seriously, public transport here is awesome. And reliable. And they trust you to buy a ticket rather than checking you every time. So yep, from time to time you get checked but the driver is normally pretty helpful if you don't understand the ticket machines, I've seen drivers on loads and loads of occasions help someone out on the trams and buses. People abuse the system and therefore the ticket inspectors are in a really tough position; I've seen people hurl themselves at the inspectors in a really agressive way to barge off the bus so I can't help but sympathise with the inspectors. And I guess there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, and clearly you got one of them, but most of the time the inspectors seem to treat people who break the rules pretty respectfully. I am reminded all the time how lucky I am to have such amazing public transport here. People are fallible!
Swiss public transport is superb and in the most part works on honesty; you don't have to show your ticket every single time you get on a bus so its much quicker for everyone and you can get on any door. A single ticket costs half the price of a return ticket. Imagine that (and I'm thinking of the UK here where a single ticket seems to cost about 90% of a return). You don't get penalised for buying a ticket at the last second, it's the same price. Your ticket works seamlessly on the buses, the boats, the trains. You get a free ticket into town from the airport, and even when you go to the airport its just a standard ticket for 3 or 4 francs on a train that takes 5 minutes. How many cities in the world do this? If I try to take a train or a bus to or from pretty much any airport in the UK it costs an arm and a leg. At Heathrow or Gatwick there's a confusing array of tickets for different trains run by different companies running on the same line and so you need to know which train by which company is leaving first to know which ticket to buy, and even then they are outrageously expensive. So seriously, public transport here is awesome. And reliable. And they trust you to buy a ticket rather than checking you every time. So yep, from time to time you get checked but the driver is normally pretty helpful if you don't understand the ticket machines, I've seen drivers on loads and loads of occasions help someone out on the trams and buses. People abuse the system and therefore the ticket inspectors are in a really tough position; I've seen people hurl themselves at the inspectors in a really agressive way to barge off the bus so I can't help but sympathise with the inspectors. And I guess there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, and clearly you got one of them, but most of the time the inspectors seem to treat people who break the rules pretty respectfully. I am reminded all the time how lucky I am to have such amazing public transport here. People are fallible!
Even if the TPG is superior to the UK systems, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any room for improvement. After all, the city is hardly a metropolis.
Furthermore, in the UK, people of retirement age can often travel for free, or at reduced rates, on public transport and the railways. The TPG and the CFF offer absolutely no such concessions to the elderly, the customerswho often
have no other option than to use public transport.
And yes, I do know of the so-called rebate for the retired who have a half-price CFF season ticket. But what if you can’t afford CHF 150 a year or don’t/can’t travel far from home anyway? And some don’t even have the wherewithal anyway. They are more numerous than we might think because living on or near the breadline is still felt to be a shameful situation to admit.
In my view, the TPG would do well to rethink its PR policy and concentrate more on providing a real community service rather than vaunting the merits of a network of the advertising bill-boards they call trams.
R.
Even if the TPG is superior to the UK systems, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any room for improvement. After all, the city is hardly a metropolis.
Furthermore, in the UK, people of retirement age can often travel for free, or at reduced rates, on public transport and the railways. The TPG and the CFF offer absolutely no such concessions to the elderly, the customerswho often
have no other option than to use public transport.
And yes, I do know of the so-called rebate for the retired who have a half-price CFF season ticket. But what if you can’t afford CHF 150 a year or don’t/can’t travel far from home anyway? And some don’t even have the wherewithal anyway. They are more numerous than we might think because living on or near the breadline is still felt to be a shameful situation to admit.
In my view, the TPG would do well to rethink its PR policy and concentrate more on providing a real community service rather than vaunting the merits of a network of the advertising bill-boards they call trams.
R.
Anyone else notice that the new tpg machine are broken most of the time anyways? Or at least the case on my normal routes (Marche, Rive, Belair). I try to buy a ticket each time bu it's getting ridiculous. The machine screens don't work or they are 'full' so not taking more coins. Sometimes you can cross and use another machine but sometimes it's not convenient. I know you can tell the driver and get off at the next stop to buy a ticket but I don't trust the tram drivers will wait, and that's not a great option when you have the pram to load up/down.
Needless to say I'm not super impressed by TPG ...
Anyone else notice that the new tpg machine are broken most of the time anyways? Or at least the case on my normal routes (Marche, Rive, Belair). I try to buy a ticket each time bu it's getting ridiculous. The machine screens don't work or they are 'full' so not taking more coins. Sometimes you can cross and use another machine but sometimes it's not convenient. I know you can tell the driver and get off at the next stop to buy a ticket but I don't trust the tram drivers will wait, and that's not a great option when you have the pram to load up/down.
Needless to say I'm not super impressed by TPG ...
Hi hope someone can help.
My wife was obn the bus but inadvertantly purchased the wrong ticket, she speaks hardly any french and had 2 small children with her. the inspectors borded the bus and were very rude to her when she couldnt pay immediatly. she has been fined 120 chf.
we live in france and hardly use the bus.
Whats the best coruse of action.
My 13 year old little sister was on her way last month on a monday morning to renew her monthly ticket before heading to school.
They stopped and fined her like it was nothing.
Same happened to me, and exactly the way u said it, with extreme rudeness I almost popped him in the ****ing Face... Im afraid its just the way it is..
My 13 year old little sister was on her way last month on a monday morning to renew her monthly ticket before heading to school.
They stopped and fined her like it was nothing.
Same happened to me, and exactly the way u said it, with extreme rudeness I almost popped him in the ****ing Face... Im afraid its just the way it is..
