Off The Rails: A Run-In With German Bureaucracy
<p>The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) — Berlin’s citywide public transportation system — boasts an sprawling web of trains running with cold, calculated efficiency. A moment’s tardiness leaves your arms struggling to stretch the closing doors. A Google search reveals a link to its website, which bears the slogan: “Because we love you.”</p>
<p>Evidently, this love only applies to the native and the lucky. As with any bureaucratic bunch, alas, the company’s true love remains the almighty Rulebook. German culture in general reveres tradition, so the guidelines of their businesses prove tighter to squeeze through than their departing train doors.</p>
<p>When I arrived in Berlin after 16 restless hours of international travel, I scoured the BVG ticket dispenser for the student option. I was desperate to end the day, but both I and my travel organizers had done our research. The website listed the 61 Euro “Ausbildung” (“education”) ticket as the one for students and nowhere did it state any specification beyond possessing a student card, so I bought the ticket and left.</p>
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