How Our City Created An Official Tourist Trap

Thank you for your support!
Janek Rubeš & Honza Mikulka, Prague based journalists
#HonestGuide

[adrianacernochova]

As a Czech person I'm on the tourists' side in this case.
There's no need for the whole process of buying and validating the ticket to be so complicated.
I have no words for the inspectors.. scumbags.

[Maxime_K-G]

The ticket inspectors were malicious, lying to the tourists on multiple occasions. Shocking!

[esbendit]

It is great, not only do you get a ride, you also get a short introduction to the works of Franz Kafka.

[jonathanbowers]

They should just rename this the Franz Kafka experience, because it feels like being a character in one of his novels.

[martinendrst]

As a Prague citizen this is beyond infuriating, the incentive system for inspectors (and by extension the dpp) is totally idiotic and only creates a conflict of interest. In this case, single use tickets should not need to be validated, period. And as for those two scumbags I have no words, they should not be working with the public.

[Chuustix]

Man as a tourist I'd get so stressed out by the seemingly conflicting information presented in a very narrow space, plus with the bad reviews I'd probably avoid this altogether even though it seems like a cool thing to visit.

[SuperWurstgesicht]

A guy like you should exist for every tourist city. Please continue! (I love Prague btw)

[jess_o]

That system appears so unnecessarily confusing that it has to be intentionally hostile. Shaking down tourists for bogus fees because they didn't do the correct song and dance for the ticket they ~JUST~ paid for is pure criminal villainy as far as I'm concerned.

[xinesita]

I lived in Prague for 3 months many years ago and I remember ticket inspectors disproportionately targeted foreigners on public transports, because they knew they were more likely to make mistakes and therefore be fined.

[mickimicki]

Many years ago, I visited Prague, and on the very last day of the trip, we used the underground for the first time, to get back to the train station. We had very little Czech money left and bought our tickets, but then proceeded to go down to the platform without realising we were supposed to validate the tickets on the ticket hall level, not on the platform (like in the rail systems we knew) or in the train (like in trams). Two inspectors watched us go to the stairs, stopped us and made us pay a fine for trying to go to the platform without stamping our tickets. We didn't have enough Czech money left to pay the fine, so they made one of us go to a cash machine and withdraw money (an inspector accompanying me to make sure I wouldn't run away!) Now, we had not been trying to dodge the fare. It was a honest mistake and we were on our way home, so we were not likely to use the un-validated tickets again.
To cut a long story short, after being obviousIy targeted and milked by these inspectors, I have not set a foot into Prague or Czech in more than 20 years (had been there at least 5 times before that). I thought they might not like Germans in their country (just their money), but maybe some people there have the same mentality towards all foreign tourists.

[Lizardmium]

Something similar happened to me when boarding tram in Olomouc. I bought the ticket not from a machine, but from a driver. I was in rush and every time i bought a ticket from driver (for example when getting bus). I didnt need to stamp it anywhere. So i got it from the driver, did 10 steps and sat down on a chair. Immediately a woman in poncho approached me (inspector). Asked for my ticket. I gave it to her. She fined me 1400CZK. Argument that she can ask driver as i bought it from him literally minute ago and she even saw me wasnt valid. So i got out, called the number on the fine (their dispatch or something where you are supposed to pay the fine). Talked politely with the woman on phone, explained to her what went wrong. From 1400CZK fine it went down to 30CZK as "service fee".

[DmmanTF]

I was in Prague as a Slovak tourist so I could speak to everyone normally and the treatment you get is much different than when you are an English-speaking tourist in general. I took this ride both ways and on the way up there two ticket inspectors stopping the foreign tourists and making them pay because of some silly things. There was no ticket sale guide person, let alone even anyone operating anything there. One guy came and opened the "gate" and that was that. Probably the scummiest experience of Prague even if it didn't effect me personally.

[CrazyHD]

I was there 1 month ago. I use the public transportation app, which is rarely mentioned by Janek. I validated a 3 day ticket. But when i came to the fenicular place, there where absolutely no information on how to enter with an already purchased validated ticket. I almost bought a new ticket because there were no people helping tourists. But i stood in line and waited, and thankfully, showing the app to the inspector was enough. But that place clearly need more updated and clear information for tourists.

[mobilegameadsdontdeserveto]

I went to Prague this summer and gotta say, the ticket system you guys have there is the most confusing public transport system ive ever encountered. It all made sense after a little while, but when you just arrive, it can feel like you're always doing something wrong.

[yndeloos]

I went to Prague and had this exact issue, just at the metro, not at the cable car. The app ticket validation takes 3 minutes and apparently in those 3 minutes you may not enter the platform yet. We went onto the platform and I had 4 seconds left and the inspector told me to come scan it quickly. Then he fined me because my ticket was not valid (if he would have been 4 seconds later it would have been valid). Kinda ruined my day lol.

[elpusegato]

Thank you for making Prague a better place

[Pyrochemik]

I forgot to validate my ticket once. The inspectors used UV lamp to check if I really bought it at the station I claimed to get in, found out the hidden ink (location+time), confirmed I likely did not lie, ripped the ticket´s marking zone and left me with a warning.
Those two should lose the job. We should especialy be more tolerant for tourists, it is easier to make a mistake when you are overwhelmed by new perceptions. Tourism is a source of income, we need satisfied tourists who come back and tell all their friends.

[Hephaestus_God]

You should't have to validate a ticket you bought to begin with.

The ticket should be bought with set times (1 hours, 3 days, at 4:30, etc) and just be validated by default because you bloody paid for it.

[JukoweskaSkons]

Mega episode!! Very useful information. You're doing a great job😊

[badrobie]

I could instantly feel the frustration of the guy, as I had identical interaction in Bucharest. They claimed everything is written down (in Romanian), they didn't want to acknowledge the receipt from ticket purchase, threatened that police will fine you way more than them...

It's frustrating when you dodge scammy taxi drivers and then basically get scammed by officials in public transport.