09.12.05
Bus Sting Operation
The bus system here in Perugia is generally very good. They’re usually on time, but sometimes crowded. There have been few times when we wanted to go somewhere and weren’t able to because of the bus schedule.
Today I had to go to the Collestrada - a quasi-mall that is two bus rides away from us. One bus takes us to a suburb, and the next bus takes us to the mall. Unfortunately I missed the bus that takes me back to the suburb from the collestrada. The next bus didn’t leave for another 70 minutes, and then was 30 minutes late. I was very surprised. But when I got off the bus, I realized why it was late.
The way the system works is pretty simple. You buy a bus a ticket before you get on the bus. When it comes, you get on and put your ticket in the validating machine. It stamps a time on it - one ticket gets you 70 minutes of as many busses as you can fit in. However, there is little accountability past that. Heidi and I have a bus pass, which means we ride for as long as we want as many times as we want - big money saver.
Anyway, as I was about to get off the bus today the driver shut the exit door. Suddenly, and seemingly from out of nowhere, the “bus police” got on and asked everyone to exit at the entrance doors where they were standing. They were checking everybody’s tickets. And I was amazed. Out of the ten people that were on the bus with me, seven were caught riding without a ticket and were given a €30 fine. So now those people are stranded since they’re probably not actually getting off the bus there. And the bus police make them buy a ticket before they can get on a bus again. I imagine these guys have heard every excuse in the book and they didn’t cut anybody any slack.
I have to admit, as a law-abiding citizen I was a little bit happy to see all the freeloaders get what’s coming to them. ☺