Heartless bus ticket system

Last night after evening Holy Mass in Italian I was on my way to Termini to renew my monthly bus pass.After the second last stop, and in sight of Termini, the bus driver  stopped the vehicle and allowed two Asian bus ticket inspectors to enter .They were accompanied by a burly man probably from an Eastern European country.

The communication and transport system in Rome is very good.It is among the best in the world.But it is heart less when they have big fines for tourists,  who do not have a bus ticket.

I was standing at the rear of the bus and noticed some people rush towards the  door which they hoped would be opened before the checkers came to them.It was embarassing.A lady who spoke Italian  was accompanied by perhaps a tourist.She had forgotten to buy a ticket that day.

There is a big fine and tourists on that bus were without a ticket.Bad scene.

The doors were kept closed.The tourists were asked for  documents.There were argurments. Some were saying that they did not know the law. One man's ticket had expired.

I think this is a bad law. The government does so much to encourage tourists to come to Italy, surely they can find some other way to earn revenue.This leaves a bad feeling among the tourists.This is no way for a tourist to remember Rome.

A tourist who knows no one in Italy, has to go in search of money, to get back his passport. 

In Rome ticket checkers have to travel and work with a body guard.It says a lot about things here.In a pluralistic society the State cannot appeal to the religious consiousness of a person.

I was fortunate to have a monthly bus pass.-Lionel Andrades