Schwarzfahrer

is what they call people who travel without a valid ticket.

My Month's travel pass expired on Wednesday and I had a bright shiny new one to use. I bought the new card to let me travel between here and my work. I think this was a sensible plan. However, what I hadn't counted on was the woman at the travel company selling me a completely different ticket.

Yes I could travel to work with my new ticket but only if I took the bus that takes between 2 and three hours and stops everywhere. Oh and I most certainly couldn't use the train. That bit wasn't explained at all. Well not until the ticket conductor explained it to me in a particularly unsympathetic way, and when I told him I didn't have a an Ausweis (because I come from Schottland), he said he'd phone the Police and I would be arrested and it would cost me 180 euro. I explained a bit more and he said Ok, I would just have to pay 40 euro.

This was, to tell the truth, more than a little embarassing in front of a very full train. I was, as Ma Broon would have said, "black affronted". The journey after that was a haze of cringing - I fully expect it to be the lead story on the news tonight.

Today's Blip is the receipt of my fine. I feel like a criminal and I do not like it one bit.

Today's song is a welcome relief. A little bit of fun.