An experience on the train in Warsaw

Hey guys....

I just wanted to share an expereince I had on the the train last Monday night (night of the Liverpool vs Everton game) ..I was travelling from Prushkow to Warsaw to watch the game at 'The Champions Bar'...

Once the train got to Warsaw Śródm....... 3 guys came up to me, 2 identified themselves as ticket controllers and one was a big,mean looking guy from a security company. Anyway as I have a Warsaw metro/train/bus monthly pass (119zl) so I handed this over for the controller to scan. He scanned...all ok so far...he then proceeded to ask me for my photo id for confirmation. I showed my passport...and to my horror he said.. in broken English '' This is not valid...i need to see a Polish id!''....I replied that I only had my passport on me...he the told me that the monthly train pass was therefore ''no good!''

He then checked with the other guy, his supervisor, and proceeded to write me a ticket...the 1st thing he wrote was 107 zl....the fine!. I was still trying to convince them that my Passport should be sufficient proof of id but all to no avail.

I was angry...pissed off...(and not just with missing the strt of the Liverpool game) so as it was half way through the month making the pass worth a little over 55zl I told them that I wasn't going to pay the fine...and that they could keep the card !!...and began to walk off.

This is where it turned really scary.....remember the big mean guy...well he grabbed hold of me ...and tried to put his truncheon type stick between my arms...I'm not exactly a small guy...and can be just as mean....so after a few minutes of struggling the security guard called for back up...!!

Once the other well educated bafoons turned up they told me that I had to go with them and speak to the Police...ok so this really started getting scary.

We left the Śródm. station...and began heading to the Metro (a few mins away)...where supposidly there were Police stationed. I thought screw it...I'm not going to pay this stupid fine....

Twice on the way they asked me for the money...twice I declined, I said ''I'll let the Police deal with this''

They then asked for my address..which I again declined to give them...

We were like 10 meters from a couple of Policemen.....The supervisor turned to me...looked straight at me....shook his head a bit....and gave me my pass back..mumbled somethin in Polish...and along with the other guys walked off in the opposite direction!!!

I stood there for a few seconds....shocked...I didn't really know what had just happended!

I thought of going to the police and telling them..but thought better of it...what would I tell them...i wasn't sure of what had happened myself!

So I went off and tried to enjoy my game!

The train was the SKM service from Pruskow.

I went to the British Embassy for tax purposes a few days ago and asked them about the ID fiasco...and they told be that it's up to the discretion of the ticket controllers what ID they accept!....absolutley stupid!

I have now got a polish photo id....but I've lost a lil faith in the Polish transport system!

Just wanted people to be aware of this stupid situation

Have a good day...and travel safe!

Did you get the name/ID number of the controller? If so, you should definitely file a complaint. According to the ZTM regulations, a passport is a valid form of identification:

ztm.waw.pl/taryfa/ustalenia.php

To quote:

§ 7. Zasady ważności biletów okresowych imiennych:
1) bilet okresowy imienny ważny jest w przypadku zakodowania kontraktu
na spersonalizowanej karcie, wydawanej przez autoryzowany punkt ZTM lub inny uprawniony podmiot, poprzez umieszczenie na karcie imienia, nazwiska oraz aktualnego zdjęcia użytkownika biletu,

2) bilet okresowy imienny ważny jest z dokumentem stwierdzającym tożsamość osoby, dla której został zakupiony (np. z dowodem osobistym, paszportem, prawem jazdy, legitymacją szkolną, studencką lub wkładką wydaną przez ZTM) pod warunkiem naniesienia czytelnie i trwale na karcie danych osoby uprawnionej do korzystania z biletu, tj. imienia i nazwiska oraz numeru i serii okazywanego podczas kontroli dokumentu ze zdjęciem.

Nope..i didn't get the controller number...

but I think he was trying to say as it wasn't a Polish passport it wasn't valid!!

He also knew that I couldn't speak Polish and thought Iwould just cough up!

You don't? You've never heard of a shakedown before?

the shock kinda got in the way of me thinking clearly!!

Really ?

Welcome to the land of handsome dogs and evil ticket controllers.

Indeed. He can have now lots of troubles for being such an asshole.

Of course you can have any passport you want to have. And he even had no right to ask for your address.

Geezz.. how they get those jobs??

He wanted the address so that they could supposedly send the ticket there as I refused to pay on the spot.

Sure? You were his mark to be ripped off for some ready cash by trying to scare you into paying up on false pretences. As soon as they saw the cops they did a runner. It was nothing to do with his position just ripping off a target. More likely he wanted the address to send his mates round to collect a few more 'contributions' from you.

I have to agree with szarlotka.

You could scare them back starting conversation with the police officers out there.. That would be really funny if they'd start running away! :D

Cheers...makes feel whole lot better!!

anyway i live a secure compound!!!...expensive..but worth it!

Glad to help:)

I had a similar bogus officialdom scam tried on me in Warsaw a few years back by a guy impersonating a police officer. Luckily for me it was amateur night and it ended in a farcical way.

Come on, i love a good story :)

Something like that happened to my friend, but he had no ticket. Controller said to him that he can pay 50pln and they will give him some kind of reserve virtual ticket and let him go (bullshit, nothing like that exists) or he will have to pay about 200 PLN ticket. He knew what's going on and chose to pay 200pln rather to fund assholes like that.

Oh come on, haven't you ever dealt with some of the knuckleheads that work in the UK system?

Out of curiosity, what photo ID did you get? As far as I understood it, they stopped issuing any sort of official ID to EU residents.

Incidentally, in such cases, just give them a UK address. If they won't accept it, then get the police involved. The police simply won't bother you - they realise that it's more hassle than it's worth to try and enforce a fine against a non-Polish national. Of course, they probably won't want to get the police involved if you do have a valid ticket.

I once had similar problems in Poznań with a particularly alcoholic ticket inspector. He tried all sorts of threats, including that I'd get a 360zl fine if the police got involved. I told him 'ok' repeatedly, until he gave up :)

But one word of advice : never, ever, ever give up your passport in Poland. Give them a photocopy, or even better, carry around a UK driving licence (provisional will do!) - but do not hand over the passport. It's simply too valuable for some idiotic ticket inspector to even touch.

oh, so this situation is similar, when *some* brits don't want to accept polish passport /not to mention a polish ID cards- dowód osobisty/ - "becouse it can be a fake"

:)

I have a school teachers photo ID

ROFL (Im getting concerned about the excellence of your command of English doggy)


Come on Delphian, I have never in my life heard of anything like this in the UK, yes there are plenty of "jobsworths" out there, but you would NEVER find a public transport employee trying to extort money from a member of the public!


Rubbish, I have friends that use their Polish ID for opening bank accounts, so you are talking bollox!


Ive still got my Tufty Club membership card, do you think they'd accept that? ;0)

Ummmm .....God your a real b$#itch!....let me add negative to that!

Read my post you tit I countered Delphian's argument and wrote how a person would not be treated in the UK the way you were treated in Poland!!

I also said that Polish ID would be accepted in the UK!

As for the Tufty Club - that was a joke you failed to get!

As for negative, I dont think you know me well enough to make such a comment newbie!

Oh and don't call me a bitch again or I'll start to call you names you may not like!

Its just the typical polish inferiority complex, they see a western european that comes from a great and mighty country and they get insanely jealous.

The poles are known to enjoy each others downfall, they feel they always have to out do one another. They are spiteful jealous little people.

Now, noimmi throws things rather forcefully but he may have a point regarding the plotting. Many students have told me that this is a problem here, that they sometimes have to be underhand just to get ahead. They have to scramble a lot.

Judging by discussions amongst Polish people, this seems to be particularly poignant abroad where cheating is more commonplace.

However, outdoing one another is very much a Western idea. The Scots in Aberdeen were terrible for this. It is an oil-rich city where the flashier, the better is the rule in certain quarters.

Some are spiteful, yes, like everywhere.

A hunch tells me that you might've went to the Grammar school, judging on that comment :P


Have you heard some of the tales coming from the South East about 'Revenue Protection' types? There's plenty of examples of their disgusting behaviour - though it must be admitted, they don't resort to physical violence.

However - read this. guardian.co.uk/money/2006/apr/29/moneysupplement1. Just as bad as the Poles - except it's done entirely under the cloak of respectability.

But wheel clampers, for example? If that's not extortion (and indeed, it was ruled extortion and theft in Scotland!) - then what is?


Who's it issued by? I wouldn't hold out much faith in it being accepted by anyone official if it's not official itself.

Spot on, Aberdeen Grammar School was my secondary school.

This is so obviously a con directly aimed at you because of the colour of your skin, they knew you were a foreigner. It would have been nice to call out to the Police just as they were walking off, see their reaction then.

I am not amazed at the lengths Poles go through to cheat there way to money any more. I just suspect it, its better that way.

..and I'm sure Poles suspect you for the superiority complex that you have - it's probably better that way.

GoDfaTheR420
Here in the UK they would have kicked the crap out of you and just taken the money. (it's called mugging) They are a lot more creative in Poland - they make an effort to extract peoples money instead of just taking you down an alley. Consider yourself lucky you were in Poland.

I've been mugged 3 times in the UK. In Poland I only get inspired.

Do you not have muggers in Poland? The OP was talking about staff (that means someone in paid employment of a company) trying extort money from him and when he refused they man-handled him (that means roughed him up slightly). In England we buy a train ticket, it gets checked at the barrier and then you get on the train, the ticket is then checked again, if you have the right ticket you are fine, if you are trying to fair dodge then you are charged a penalty for doing so, you are given a receipt for said penalty. No one man handles you ;0) It's a bit different to being mugged by a stranger, No?

ooh dear - ere we go :-
once upon a time there was a bad person (a mugger) who got a job on a train :) he was not happy with his crap rail pay so he decided to extort money from unasuming customers. People think they are safe - an official train guard - he must be a nice man - surely! A stranger - but nice. The (mugger) manages to get money from weak travellers who are intimidated and supplements his weekly take home. Clever mugger - he doesnt need to kick the shit out of people because he has a brain. Hence the key word I used "creative".

Poles do not asault people to get money. They use their head. Poles asualt people when they get pissed off or offended. They still have that honour thing. Remember honour? Any clearer?

Youve been Living in london too long mate, i remember honour very well, and in my experience Poles really lack in that department.

Come on back to Poland, and lets hear you spout that honour crap.

my granny used to talk about honnor, same with mum, so I vaguely know of what you speak. Nowadays the people on the street are different, the little girls in trams curse like sailors, people who run shops and businesses are often lecherous pricks. And don't even get me started on the thieving politicians who are (most, anyway) opportunisitc liars who spit on anything that doesn't serve their own goals.