Public Transportation in Vienna: Borderline Organized Crime
Feb 8th, 2016, 08:40 AM
#81
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If I were to compost my ticket, I'd drop it in the recycling bin. Is compost an English word? Validate seems more correct.
Just occurred to me, I'm acting like the French Academy, insisting on a pure(!) English word instead of one adopted from a foreign language.
Just occurred to me, I'm acting like the French Academy, insisting on a pure(!) English word instead of one adopted from a foreign language.
Feb 8th, 2016, 08:46 AM
#82
Mimar 
Yes compost is an English word
Validate seems too posh to me
I like compost (just been turning the stuff) so compost it is
(composter)
Lovely programme on BBC4 last week about the common English words. They looked at the top 100 (the, a, you etc) and looked at the most used ones, at 43 was "your" from the viking but it took to 60 something until they hit a French word.
Sacre-bleu I say. Dictate to me your views!
Yes compost is an English word
Validate seems too posh to me
I like compost (just been turning the stuff) so compost it is
(composter)
Lovely programme on BBC4 last week about the common English words. They looked at the top 100 (the, a, you etc) and looked at the most used ones, at 43 was "your" from the viking but it took to 60 something until they hit a French word.
Sacre-bleu I say. Dictate to me your views!
Feb 8th, 2016, 08:56 AM
#83
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Well of course, English is a Germanic language with a strong French overlay but from families that were often of Norse ancestry) due to the Conquest by William in 1066.
Easy to tell based on very basic words: house, water, milk, son, daughter and also days of the week named after Norse gods - as opposed to Roman gods in romance languages.
Easy to tell based on very basic words: house, water, milk, son, daughter and also days of the week named after Norse gods - as opposed to Roman gods in romance languages.
Feb 8th, 2016, 10:40 AM
#84
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As pointed out above, how is one to distinguish a naive tourist from someone pretending to be a naive tourist?>
Easy if one has bought a pass and just forgot to activate it they are probably not trying to scam the system - think they would know how to refund it or need to use it again? How to know - just a dollop of common sense. If the fine were not so steep it would be a different manner - do you think the OP wantonly was scamming the system? I would not but enough said on the matter.
Caveat Emptor officially there is no excuse with the info all clearly there but practically in the case of real naive perhaps tourists...some slack could be cut.
Easy if one has bought a pass and just forgot to activate it they are probably not trying to scam the system - think they would know how to refund it or need to use it again? How to know - just a dollop of common sense. If the fine were not so steep it would be a different manner - do you think the OP wantonly was scamming the system? I would not but enough said on the matter.
Caveat Emptor officially there is no excuse with the info all clearly there but practically in the case of real naive perhaps tourists...some slack could be cut.
Feb 8th, 2016, 10:49 AM
#86
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Since it would be easy and expected that an inspector may ask to see identification, i would think seeing a foreign passport, with a recent entry date stamped in it, would make it obvious if one was just a tourist, not a local trying to pretend to be a tourist. That and the fact that i think most folks who spend thousands of dollars to visit a country are not there to enrich themselves by saving 20 euros on a train or bus ticket is common sense.
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:07 AM
#87
"i would think seeing a foreign passport, with a recent entry date stamped in it,"
Do US passports still get stamped? I enter Europe on my UK passport and it certainly doesn't get stamped.
I'm still trying to figure out how the OP went past the barriers without seeing the validation machines, never mind how to understand this: " We went down to the metro, walked directly to the officer and showed our tickets, and that's when they started screaming in our faces about the fine."
Do US passports still get stamped? I enter Europe on my UK passport and it certainly doesn't get stamped.
I'm still trying to figure out how the OP went past the barriers without seeing the validation machines, never mind how to understand this: " We went down to the metro, walked directly to the officer and showed our tickets, and that's when they started screaming in our faces about the fine."
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:20 AM
#88
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Do US passports still get stamped?>
Yes so they know when the 3-month tourist visa expires - UK stamps too for up to six months and may require showing sufficient funding and an onward ticket in some suspect cases.
They clearly were tourists and thus should have gotten some slack - but IME I agree with St-Cirq's latest post here just above - a jay-walking ticket I got long ago on a deserted street - give me a break! Coming from other countries and U.S. I really did not think I was doing something that deserved to be fined. don't dare cross at light if on foot until that sign tells you to! (And I agree it may be stupid to wait when no vehicles insight but still act like locals do - like in the U.K. queue up politely, etc.
Yes so they know when the 3-month tourist visa expires - UK stamps too for up to six months and may require showing sufficient funding and an onward ticket in some suspect cases.
They clearly were tourists and thus should have gotten some slack - but IME I agree with St-Cirq's latest post here just above - a jay-walking ticket I got long ago on a deserted street - give me a break! Coming from other countries and U.S. I really did not think I was doing something that deserved to be fined. don't dare cross at light if on foot until that sign tells you to! (And I agree it may be stupid to wait when no vehicles insight but still act like locals do - like in the U.K. queue up politely, etc.
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:23 AM
#90
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...takeaways.html
And do not kiss, use mobile phones,eat smelly foods or have sex in the Vienna metro!
And do not kiss, use mobile phones,eat smelly foods or have sex in the Vienna metro!
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:27 AM
#91
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That part of the story is a bit hard to understand as Vienna's subway has no 'officers on duty' on the platforms.
In fact, there is no staff at all.
It could have been that at that very moment when OP entered the platform, a group of ticket inspectors (there is never just one) was present on the platform. Which would have been somewhat of an odd coincidence. Nevertheless, it could have happened.
In fact, there is no staff at all.
It could have been that at that very moment when OP entered the platform, a group of ticket inspectors (there is never just one) was present on the platform. Which would have been somewhat of an odd coincidence. Nevertheless, it could have happened.
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:37 AM
#92
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Pal.. that piece in the Daily Mail was a hoax.
The Mail and other papers did a copy, translate and paste job of a fabricated article in an Austrian tabloid.
The tabloid had taken a communication from the Vienna transit authority ASKING passengers not to eat smelly foods on trains and invented the €50 fine. And invented a €50 fine for kissing.
The PR department of Vienna transit stated that except for one outlet, all media across Europe simply reprinted the hoax.
Only the BBC had called them to check the story.
The Mail and other papers did a copy, translate and paste job of a fabricated article in an Austrian tabloid.
The tabloid had taken a communication from the Vienna transit authority ASKING passengers not to eat smelly foods on trains and invented the €50 fine. And invented a €50 fine for kissing.
The PR department of Vienna transit stated that except for one outlet, all media across Europe simply reprinted the hoax.
Only the BBC had called them to check the story.
Feb 8th, 2016, 11:53 AM
#95
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I haven't had a passport stamped, whether it's my American on or Irish one, for years and years.>
Inside Europe? And you are a permanent resident or something so you will not overstay a tourist visa - that is a big difference and thus completely irrelevant to the OP - how about going to the UK - does it get stamped?
Every time I land in Europe I get my passport stamped and if I did not I would make sure I did so when leaving I'd have no problems looking like I may have overstayed a visa.
Inside Europe? And you are a permanent resident or something so you will not overstay a tourist visa - that is a big difference and thus completely irrelevant to the OP - how about going to the UK - does it get stamped?
Every time I land in Europe I get my passport stamped and if I did not I would make sure I did so when leaving I'd have no problems looking like I may have overstayed a visa.
Feb 8th, 2016, 12:23 PM
#96
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St Cirq.. really.. because I am looking at mine.. and its been stamped.. many times.. last time was only this past august at CDG.
If a passport is not stamped on entry how do they know how long non eu nationals have been in the EU, to enforce the Schengen Visa.
If a passport is not stamped on entry how do they know how long non eu nationals have been in the EU, to enforce the Schengen Visa.
Feb 8th, 2016, 01:02 PM
#98
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<<Only blank pages on your passport?>>
No, on my U.S. passport I have a stamp for India, several African countries, and, oddly, Iceland. Plus a bunch of stamps from 6-12 years ago for France. Not a thing for the past few times I've arrived in France. But as advised by the French consulate, I used my Irish passport for that. It has only blank pages, yes.
No, on my U.S. passport I have a stamp for India, several African countries, and, oddly, Iceland. Plus a bunch of stamps from 6-12 years ago for France. Not a thing for the past few times I've arrived in France. But as advised by the French consulate, I used my Irish passport for that. It has only blank pages, yes.
Feb 8th, 2016, 01:07 PM
#99
justine, your passport has a RDF chip in the back cover and probably a swipe reader code down one side. If it doesn't your number will be typed into the database. That data file drives Schengen visa not the stamp in your paper doc. The stamp is just to verify/validate (or compost) the visa/passport.
Feb 8th, 2016, 01:58 PM
#100
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StCirq - do you have a residency permit for France - if so why would they stamp your passport - my French born son uses his French passport when going back to France and he says it is rarely stamped - same as returning Americans to U.S.I believe (unless changed in last few years at least.
You are not a foreign traveler and would not be treated as such.
How many passports do you have?
You are not a foreign traveler and would not be treated as such.
How many passports do you have?
