Isn't it funny how our brain forgets things when we most need them? For example, let's say you happen to be spending the next year living 5000 miles away from your friends and family. Let's also say you decided to create a blog to chronicle your journey. Hypothetically speaking, let's say you spend a week on holiday in a new city and then another week at home writing about your vacation. Only to find out you left out some funny anecdote. What a crazy coincidence that the hypothetical situation I just described isn't so hypothetical. It's my life.
I was skyping with my Mom and I told her and I told her the following story and the first thing she said wasn't "I'm so glad you are ok!" nor was it "I'm so glad you weren't arrested!" but in fact; "That's not in your blog!" Well Mom, here you go...
While in Berlin I used the two main forms of transportation: walking and the subway. The subway system in Berlin is run on the honor system. They trust you have the correct ticket and just in case you don't, they do random checks and it is a 40 Euro fine. On the spot. No questions. So everyday I used the subway, I bought an unlimited day pass for 6 Euro. There might have been a better deal out there, but I felt 6 Euro was a reasonable price and I didn't use it everyday (I was on a budget and got a ton of exercise when I walked everywhere)!
So I was heading home after a long day of sightseeing (I honestly don't remember which one, not that is matters) and there was 2 stops between me and the flat. That is when the ticket-checker-people (yes, that is their job title) got on the train. So I did what everyone else did, I went to get my ticket from my bag to show them. And, you can probably guess where this is going...I couldn't find my ticket. The guy checking politely asked me to step off the train, at least, I think he did..I didn't understand a word he said.
I then begin frantically searching my jacket pockets, my pant pockets, my purse, my backpack, everything. And of course the guy speaks no english, so I am trying to explain to him that I have a ticket, I just can't find it. I showed him my tickets from yesterday and the day before and explain that I really did have a ticket. He asked for my ID, so I gave him my passport and I think he then realized that I didn't understand him and he didn't understand me. He asked me for an address in Berlin (to send my 40 Euro ticket to) but I told him I was just visiting. So he explained that the ticket would be 40 Euro and I showed him my wallet, it had only 30 Euro in it. I don't know if he felt bad for me or if he didn't want to listen to my terrible attempts at speaking German, but he just made me buy another ticket for the day. I ended up spending another 6 Euro for another ticket and I didn't even need it because we had gotten off the subway at my station..classic, right?
Moral of the story: Just like your keys, always, ALWAYS make sure you have your ticket. Double check and even triple check if necessary.
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