How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland?

I once applied a very sensible move to a pair of old drunks who were checking tickets on a suburban bus line - I'd simply forgotten to validate the ticket (it was in my bloody hand the whole time). So - a discussion starts, I play the foreigner card, and they threaten me with all sorts of dire consequences. Through the wonders of sign language, I got them to agree to deal with it outside of the bus... and simply made a dash for it.

Wouldn't work with most reputable bus companies, but this one really did employ the worst of the worst.

Hey, doesn't matter if you're wearing a 'Spain' shirt, or a 'I love Kitty' shirt, never, never, never give the taxi driver money BEFORE you arrive where you want to be!

Also, Unless I'm completely wrong, taxi's have to display their tarrif. So yes, you could have got into a taxi whose tarrif was for double the 'normal' price per Km.

I remember seeing something on TV about a taxi driver who was charging 20zl per Km. If the tarrif is printed and on display, I'm told it is legal and you have to pay!

Anyone going to another country should try to find out a little about the services the might want to use whilst there!

Bribing in Katowice can be riski now, supposedly there are now some sort of fake free riders, that are controlling the controllers, so they may be afraid to accept bribe.

I've learnt something - the website below says that in Wroclaw a passenger has to buy a ticket costing 1.50zl for a "large" bag such as a backpack and, I would assume, a large suitcase. I can't recall that being a requirement on any bus that I know of in the UK - so that could easily catch a passenger out in Poland and bring about a fine as it is not a widely known convention among non-Poles that I have spoken to.

wikitravel.org/en/Wroc%C5%82aw

hehe, I also noticed this a few months ago, when I was considering where in Poland to visit.This didn't put me off of course - I went to Kraków/Warszawa for different reasons.

But I can't remember any problems (or extra payments) with my bag, the last time I was in Wrocław. However, this was a few years ago, and I only take a cabin-sized suitcase on holiday anyway. I think it's a more recent rule, but the locals may correct me on this.

I wonder if you can get away with it if you put your bag on your head, then they can't say that you're taking up extra floor space? lol

They've abolished the rule about paying for large bags in Warsaw.

Just as well, or I would owe ZTM quite a lot of money lol

My friend lives in Wroclaw and claims he never pays for tickets. He rarely gets stopped by inspectors, and when he does he claims the ticket machine is broken and they let him go (don't know if that still works with the new machines inside the bus).

Anyway, in my town, I run into an inspector at least once a week, sometimes more, so it's not even worth it.

The odd thing that happened to me, however, was there was once a ticket control inside a train. Not the regular conductor who comes through and stamps your ticket, but about five men in suits with badges. Scared the living heck out of me because I'd misplaced my ticket. Thankfully, the conductor who stamped me assured them I had it, and they sat and waited until I found it.

No idea what would have happened if I didn't find it.

I get checked 2 or 3 times a month at least. Someone else i know who travels through the centre a lot gets checked once a week, sometimes twice. Almost whenever I go through the center, I get checked. I have been checked near TVP Wroclaw on the 126 bus, checked at the old railway station on a bus, checked dozens of times in the city's main streets on trams. I've seen people travelling without a ticket get paperwork from inspectors quite a few times. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, but at the moment I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford a season ticket - I know not everyone is in that happy position.

Close to where I live (about a 10 minute walk) is a ticket machine. I use a KomKart (MPK) and I insert it into the machine to update my ticket. I was on my way to work early in the morning and knew I had to renew my ticket (couldn't remember if it expired that day or the day after). Anyway, I walked to the station only to find out that the machine was broken, so I ask for a ticket in the Kiosk to be told they don't have any! Uh oh, back to my home where there's another shop with the possibility of purchasing a ticket... nope, none there either. I had to get to work and I knew there was another ticket machine only 2 stops away. I say "2 stops" but it's still a 20 minute walk at a brisk pace so it wasn't plausible - especially considering it was their fault there's no ticket machines.

I get on the tram, and it pulls off a moment later. Then, a butch man and woman spring up off the benches screaming "tickets"...gulp. As it turns out my ticket expired the previous night, and all of my complaining and arguing in the world about the non-functioning ticket machines (offering to prove it to them) and the store/kiosk with no tickets, did not matter to them. 103zł spot fine or the police are called. Knew I wasn't getting out of it without causing too many problems, so I paid up and was told to go to the ticket machine across the street. Get there, and with my last few zloty in coins after they cleared me out, what do I see? "This machine is currently only accepting notes, we apologise for the inconvenience" or something to that avail. I was required to cancel my 90 minute class and not only did I lose 103zł but also my salary for that day! (And to boot, I had to walk back home in the rain, dishevelled.

I never forget about my ticket now...

Had that have been me, I would let them call the police, and I'd show the police the broken machines. In my own opinion, broken ticket machines are a valid reason to not have a ticket.

broken machines are a valid reason to walk to the next machine.

Tell them that you think their ID is fake and you would like them to call the police, because you aren't going to give them a zloty until it is confirmed to you by a uniformed police officer that they are who they claim to be and that their ID is not fake.

Yeah, even though the inspectors are very active in my town, I always see at least two people getting a fine each time the inspectors show up. Then again, I don't know how much he fines are.

Ahem

point taken

2010 or last year I was on a tram and two burly inspectors got on, I vaguely remember some people couldn't get a ticket out of the machine or it might have been that the validators weren't working (I just can't remember as it's a while ago). After realising the problem, they both sat down and talked cheerfully to each other, then alighted two stops later at Powstancow/Hallera and walked somewhere else, probably to another tram.

I see MPK/UrbanCard have different ticket prices for "City" and "City & Suburbs", Is there any map or guide so that a passenger can distinguish what is considered a suburb?

urbancard.pl/en/category/listing/category,2-.html

Speaking of bus fares and Wroclaw. I know that the tickets are valid for a certain amount of time. Sometimes the busses get stuck in massive traffic, and a 20 min ride ends up taking 40 mins or more. Do I need to buy a new ticket in that case? I never know what to do in those cases.

The official rule is that if you were able to go from your start point to your destination according to the official timetable with a 20 minute ticket, you're OK if you get stuck in traffic and your ticket expires. However, ticket inspectors are unlikely to see it like that. Your best bet is to just go with the "Show me your ID. That ID is fake. Call the police, I want the police to see your ID and tell me it is real." approach.

Thanks for the explanation and advice.

At least on days I'm going to the airport, however, I think I'm going to stick with my current strategy of just buying a new ticket. It would be my luck to have an inspector who actually will call the police and delay me on one of those days. And I'm never carrying cash when I'm flying.

Are the suburban buses just the 6xx buses? See: wroclaw.pl/rozklady_jazdy.dhtml

What's the difference between the 'accelerated' (przyspieszone)

buses and the 'hasty' buses (pospieszne) ? Do they mean one is fast (as in omits stops) and one is express (as in takes the shortest route)?

Their ticket availability list does not make it clear to English speakers as to which ticket covers these buses.

And they will call the police and if the ID is right you are subject to 450pln fine..and by that time you have wasted 2 hrs.....thats not very brilliant is it?Harry bro wisen up and accept your life as it is stop being grumpy old man:).These kind of tactics used to work in Poland over a decade back..accept Poland is a EU country and so is UK!

You really don't have to do anything just refuse to show your ID and they will call pigs.I know I done that.

Really? Could you perhaps explain the legal basis for the fine increasing?


Ticket inspectors are paid per person they catch. You really think that they're going to decide to earn nothing for two hours? They could be out earning.


In Warsaw they simply do not do that.

Excuse him he has experiences also:) ofcourse travelling without tickets:)


Is that the thing you Brits do in Poland? use the system and rant about Poles using the system in UK?

quote=Harry]Really? Could you perhaps explain the legal basis for the fine increasing? [/quote]
Wouldnt know the exact fine as I dont use public transportation cuz I have a non junked car from America:)

Or... simply buy a ticket and avoid the unpleasantness, the hassle, the embarrassment and making foreigners to Poland look like either idiots or crooks. You know who I am talking to.

Now, can anyone help me at all with the ticket types - I need to know what they call Suburban and what comes under the category of Fast. Please? Pretty please? Simon says pretty please?

Its mostly the brits!I have seen that first hand.Usually other foriegners are law abiding esp in a foreign country.

So I'm now going to the machine and I will have to spend an extra 10% on my monthly season ticket just to be on the safe side because nobody here knows the answer or wants to reply. Urbancard should put a map on their website defining what is suburban and explaining which ticket covers the 'accelerated' and the 'hasty' bus. Otherwise fining people for travelling on the wrong bus becomes a lot less justified.

I do buy one (a monthly one from a shop which will give a faktura). But sometimes I don't have it on me. And then the inspectors refuse to give me a slip to take to the ZTM office and show my ticket but instead insist I pay on the spot. Or they claim that because I don't have my passport with me, my ticket is invalid. In those circumstance I just tell them to call the police.


Sorry but I don't know Wroclaw at all.

I am sure it is defined and explained somewhere.I am not from Wroclaw so I can't help you here but I am sure someone will.