Posted on 02/11/2015 12:07:20 PM PST by not2be4gotten.com
Belgrade, Serbia:
So on Sunday, February 8, 2015, as an American, I was arrested and detained by the Belgrade transit police. So now I have a criminal record in Serbia.
Here is what you need to know.
When you get to Belgrade, you need to get a tram fare card. We got 10 rides per card, around $6. So when you get on the tram, you swipe your card and it subtracts 1 fare from your card. It is a very cool system. The problem is, when you swipe your card on the trams, we don't know where on the little computer screen it tells you how many more fares you have left. We just don't know, it is all gobbledygook. The only way we know of to tell if there are no more fares left on the card, is to get on a tram, swipe the card and if the screen flashes red, instead of the usual green, we know to buy a new card. This is all we know. We can't take our card to one of the little vending, kiosk, to find out how many fares we have left, because we do not know how to ask that question in Serbian and none of the kiosk people know how to speak English, because if they did, they would have better jobs and would not be kiosk vendors. Does this make any sense?
So Sunday, I jump on the tram, swipe my card and the little computer screen flashes red and gives a mournful beep, indicating no more fares left. And how lucky am I that a transit cop lady is standing right next to me, watching this happen. She immediately turns to me, decides I am a stupid american (baseball cap?) and says, in perfect English "Give me your passport, or I will summon the police." OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The jail cell, late that night, was chilly and damp, with a smell of vomit and urine, my prison smock smelled like an old garbage pail. The reflection of my fellow prisoners, off the damp floor, seemed to betray the fact that they were sizing me up, especially the 2 really big guys...
No... But this is what immediately went through my head...
I handed over my passport. She said "The fine is 2000 Dinar." While looking into my wallet and finding only 1500 Dinar, I explained to her that there is no way for me to know if there is no more fares left on the card, other than scanning it, on the tram and seeing it fail. She said "No exceptions!" I showed her how much money I have and offered to pay her in American dollars. I always carry $1000 American, just in case of an emergency (which will typically get you out of most anything), it is one of our rules.
She says "No!" She then continues "At the next stop, I will get off with you. You have 5 minutes to come up with 2000 Dinar, or I will keep your passport." We get off at the next stop. Luckily there is a bank, with an ATM, right across the street. I withdraw the money, give her 2000 Dinar (a little less than $20). I get my passport back and now all is well.
God bless Serbia!
Maybe you could mark the card every time you use it.
Never been there. Don’t feel a need to go.
thanks for the heads up, though.
Wow. Harsh!
My sympathies. In Japan, they’d just take you to where you could buy a new card.
Why were you in Serbia?
I am not that organised.
Buy two cards and keep one for a spare?
Oh wait, I though we were talking about Houston. Never mind.
Maybe you could mark the card every time you use it. —
Yup,
But it’s a Serbian card. And you made marks on it. And you can’t read Serbian.
And if you could, you have defaced a Govt. Document.
Enjoy the Serbian screw job.
We just thought it would be interesting.
If I were you, I’d high tail it back to the USA.
Sounds like you were ripped off by a person with a badge, do you pay fines directly to police officers in America?
And that’s why you now have a criminal record, just like Charles Manson
Yep, it was a shakedown.
rip off the foreigner
I don't blame anyone. It was just an interesting situation to be in. We love the Serbian people.
I think you just bought the...huh uhm...lady dinner.
In Berlin you can buy a monthly pass and transit as much as you like. They have a day pass, week pass. I think a year pass.
You were right.
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