Got completely hosed on a bus ticket in Rome and it taught me a hard lesson

I was in Rome about two years ago, trying to save a few euros. I bought a single bus ticket from a little tabacchi shop near the Termini station. The guy behind the counter sold it to me for 2 euros, which seemed fine. I validated it on the bus, no problem. Two stops later, a team of plainclothes ticket inspectors got on. They checked my ticket, then told me it was a fake. A complete counterfeit. I argued, but they didn't care. The fine was 100 euros on the spot, cash only. I was stuck in the middle of a route I didn't know, with a bunch of angry tourists staring at me. I had to pay it. Now I never, ever buy transit tickets from a random corner store in a big city, no matter how official it looks. I go straight to the machine at the station or use an official app. Has anyone else gotten burned by a fake ticket like that, or am I just the unluckiest guy?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenah125d ago

Ugh, that's brutal. Same thing happened to my cousin in Paris. Those little shops can be total traps. Always use the official ticket machines now, no exceptions. They're usually bright red or green and have the transit logo on them. The apps are even better because the ticket is right on your phone. Saves you the headache and the huge fine.

jesse2904d ago

Yeah, those little shops are the worst.