I have no honor…read more
I've always assumed ma and pa did an excellent job of beating values into me, creating the upstanding individual I was certain I am, but it only took two days with the Swiss for me to see through that fairy tale.
It started as soon as I arrived: walking out of the airport to catch a tram, I blamed my lazy nature and language barrier, as well as the prompt arrival of the train car, but deep down I knew it wasn't so. Then I tried to pass it off as spite, blaming wasted effort and money for my future transgressions, though again I knew I was only fooling myself. Finally, it came to a head as I boarded the Pfannenstiel for a peacefully scenic cruise around lake Zurich; these shmoes don't check for tickets, and I am the bigger schmuck for buying not one, but two!
I can't say it will always be so, but I have never seen a ticket taker during my 48 hours in this land of milk and honey. Philadelphia, Pa, of the USA, has a public transportation system that has taught me for decades that you don't pay unless forced, so I immedietley implemented that practice here in Zurich with no regrets. Actually, I have one regret- the first time I tried to take the polybahn (lift-car/escalator), we bought tickets valid for 10 minutes only from the machine by the door, only to find that it had stopped running for the day about 7 minutes prior. Enter aforementioned spite.
Be advised, every bus, tram, boat, and lift that we took seemed to roll on the honor system, and we didn't make the same "polybahn" mistake twice. You would rather know about service? Well, those trams abound, going everywhere, and they run prompt and often. Did I mention the buses and such are "free"?