Each time I visit the airport I seem to encounter an interesting phenomenon. Being the diligent law abiding citizen I always buy my S-bahn ticket, however a day ticket is a few cents more than a one way. Once I arrive at the airport it never seems to fail that it's next to impossible to give the ticket away. I've tried more than once. I'm not looking for payment, but here it seems the kindness of strangers is looked upon with extreme caution. I guess it goes under the same file as no 'leave a cent, take a cent' container at cash registers. Instead you just receive the 'German stare'.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Social Experiment
Each time I visit the airport I seem to encounter an interesting phenomenon. Being the diligent law abiding citizen I always buy my S-bahn ticket, however a day ticket is a few cents more than a one way. Once I arrive at the airport it never seems to fail that it's next to impossible to give the ticket away. I've tried more than once. I'm not looking for payment, but here it seems the kindness of strangers is looked upon with extreme caution. I guess it goes under the same file as no 'leave a cent, take a cent' container at cash registers. Instead you just receive the 'German stare'.
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7 comments:
Funny,
I always sell my day train ticket for 5 Euro. Worked everytime.
Hmmm .. I manage to sell mine almost every time. Maybe you should ask for an Euro.
Being a former Münch'ner, I can tell you how to get rid of your day tickets at the airport: don't attempt to give them away, charge half the original price.
Germans believe that something that is given away for free is not worth anything - or maybe some kind of fraud.
When I travel back and forth, I always sell my ticket at the airport.
Is it really caution? Or is it just that the tickets are non-transferable and the potential recipients see it as law-breaking?
I do the same thing in the UK with metro tickets (and car park tickets!) but I could understand in a country that is more regulated if people aren't willing to accept a gift that is technically 'against the rules'.
Ha ha... I guess, it works better when you try to sell it. Try that next time, and let us know! ;)
It looks like I'm clearly going about things wrong. Very interesting comments!
Hi,
I had the same problem. In my country we are used to giving away tickets all the time for free. Last time I remember climbing the stairs and offering my daily pass to strangers, shouting "Free daily pass". What happened was that a old bavarian guy approached me and asked me if I want to sell the ticket. I told him he can have it for free, but he hesitated and didn't take it, but rather waited for me to take his 5 Eur. I was really puzzled by this behavior, but I guess I haven't learned much about Germans for these 5 years. I do remember however, that during my student years at the LMU I was actually discussed by how much German students tried to save money and get free stuff at all cost! I had friends who literally have never bought a pen or a pensil by scouting job-messen. Or try and see students fighting for free red bull promotions
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