Life has highs and lows. The first and only time I got caught on a Bucharest bus without a ticket happened during one of my lowest moments.
I had to get from Bucur Obor to a supermarket in Barbu Văcărescu, where the roasted chicken was very cheap and very good. I had a half-used, two-ride ticket — but no money to buy a new one. So I had to choose: which ride would I pay for, and which one would I risk?
I flipped a coin (figuratively, since I didn’t even have one), and jumped on the tram without validating the ticket.
After a couple of stops, I was caught by two young inspectors. They started scolding me and asked if people in Italy also travel without paying.
It was 2005. Romania was still a relatively simple place to live, and I was just starting to understand life here. I realized I had three options:
- Pay the supplementary ticket and skip dinner.
- Request a formal fine to be sent to my Italian address (I still had an Italian ID) and simply never pay it.
- Try to avoid the fine using a method I had been testing: let them speak, then steer the conversation toward something lighter.
A Brief Digression – A Glimpse Into Romanian Society
Allow me a short digression — one that might not please everyone, but reflects the reality of the time.
Fifteen years after the 1989 Revolution (and to some extent, even today), Romania was in a delicate balance between the remnants of the old regime and the values of a modern European society. Public workers were often formal and bureaucratic, ready to reprimand, yet deep down, they were just regular people trying to survive difficult times.
So, I went with option three.
I replied, “Yes, in Italy we pay for tickets — but our trams don’t smell like pigsties.”
Their attitude shifted instantly. They laughed. One of them suggested I use the valid ticket I had for that ride, but I refused — I had already decided I wouldn’t pay at all.
They asked me to get off the tram. On the platform, we chatted a bit more.
Then, one of them asked, “You’re Italian, right? Which football team do you support?”
“Inter,” I replied.
“Oh, you’re Unlucky, man” he said, “Inter isn’t doing anything good this year.”
Then they hopped on the next tram and left.
This suggests you that’s always better to find a gentle way to interact with them.